How long have we been mistaken? Multi-tools shedding light into the systematics of the widespread deep-water genus Madrepora Linnaeus, 1758 (Scleractinia).

Deep-water coral reefs are found worldwide and harbor biodiversity levels that are comparable to their shallow-water counterparts. However, the genetic diversity and population structure of deep-water species remain poorly explored, and historical taxonomical issues still need to be resolved. Here we used microsatellite markers as well as ultraconserved elements (UCE) and exons to shed light on the population structure, genetic diversity, and phylogenetic position of the genus Madrepora, which contains M.

Glacial vicariance and secondary contact shape demographic histories in a freshwater mussel species complex.

Characterizing the mechanisms influencing the distribution of genetic variation in aquatic species can be difficult due to the dynamic nature of hydrological landscapes. In North America's Central Highlands, a complex history of glacial dynamics, long-term isolation, and secondary contact have shaped genetic variation in aquatic species. Although the effects of glacial history have been demonstrated in many taxa, responses are often lineage- or species-specific and driven by organismal ecology.

Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat.

Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake Plateau off the U.

Genetic diversity and connectivity of chemosynthetic cold seep mussels from the U.S. Atlantic margin.

Background: Deep-sea mussels in the subfamily Bathymodiolinae have unique adaptations to colonize hydrothermal-vent and cold-seep environments throughout the world ocean. These invertebrates function as important ecosystem engineers, creating heterogeneous habitat and promoting biodiversity in the deep sea. Despite their ecological significance, efforts to assess the diversity and connectivity of this group are extremely limited.

Genetic and morphological characterization of the freshwater mussel clubshell species complex ( and ) to inform conservation planning.

The shell morphologies of the freshwater mussel species (federally endangered) and (species of concern) are similar, causing considerable taxonomic confusion between the two species over the last 100 years. While was historically widespread throughout the Ohio River basin and tributaries to the lower Laurentian Great Lakes, was confined to the Tennessee and the upper Cumberland River basins. We used two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes, 13 novel nuclear DNA microsatellite markers, and shell morphometrics to help resolve this taxonomic confusion.

Palaeoclimate ocean conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletons through deep time.

Identifying how past environmental conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletal traits provides a framework for predicting their persistence and that of their non-calcifying relatives under impending global warming and ocean acidification. Here we show that ocean geochemistry, particularly aragonite-calcite seas, drives patterns of morphological evolution in anthozoans (corals, sea anemones) by examining skeletal traits in the context of a robust, time-calibrated phylogeny. The lability of skeletal composition among octocorals suggests a greater ability to adapt to changes in ocean chemistry compared with the homogeneity of the aragonitic skeleton of scleractinian corals.

The complete maternal mitochondrial genome sequences of two imperiled North American freshwater mussels: and (Bivalvia: Unionoida: Unionidae).

The freshwater mussels and historically inhabited rivers along the North American Atlantic coast from the Carolinas, U.S.A.

Comparison of microbiomes of cold-water corals Primnoa pacifica and Primnoa resedaeformis, with possible link between microbiome composition and host genotype.

Cold-water corals provide critical habitats for a multitude of marine species, but are understudied relative to tropical corals. Primnoa pacifica is a cold-water coral prevalent throughout Alaskan waters, while another species in the genus, Primnoa resedaeformis, is widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean. This study examined the V4-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene after amplifying and pyrosequencing bacterial DNA from samples of these species.

Genomic evolution, recombination, and inter-strain diversity of chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 from Florida and Hawaii green sea turtles with fibropapillomatosis.

Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) is a herpesvirus associated with fibropapillomatosis (FP) in sea turtles worldwide. Single-locus typing has previously shown differentiation between Atlantic and Pacific strains of this virus, with low variation within each geographic clade. However, a lack of multi-locus genomic sequence data hinders understanding of the rate and mechanisms of ChHV5 evolutionary divergence, as well as how these genomic changes may contribute to differences in disease manifestation.

Testing the depth-differentiation hypothesis in a deepwater octocoral.

The depth-differentiation hypothesis proposes that the bathyal region is a source of genetic diversity and an area where there is a high rate of species formation. Genetic differentiation should thus occur over relatively small vertical distances, particularly along the upper continental slope (200-1000 m) where oceanography varies greatly over small differences in depth. To test whether genetic differentiation within deepwater octocorals is greater over vertical rather than geographical distances, Callogorgia delta was targeted.

Characterization of 13 microsatellite loci for the deep-sea coral, Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus 1758), from the western North Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

A suite of 13 polymorphic tri- and tetranucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated from the ahermatypic deep-sea coral, Lophelia pertusa. Among 51 individuals collected from three disjunct oceanic regions, allelic diversity ranged from six to 38 alleles and averaged 9.1 alleles per locus.

Comprehensive genetic analyses reveal evolutionary distinction of a mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) proposed for delisting from the US Endangered Species Act.

Zapus hudsonius preblei, listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA), is one of 12 recognized subspecies of meadow jumping mice found in North America. Recent morphometric and phylogenetic comparisons among Z. h.

Wild and aquaculture populations of the eastern oyster compared using microsatellites.

Five new microsatellite markers were developed for the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), and allelic variability was compared between a wild Chesapeake Bay population (James River) and a hatchery strain (DEBY). All loci amplified readily and demonstrated allelic variability with the number of alleles ranging from 16 to 36 in the wild population and from 11 to 19 in the DEBY strain. Average observed and expected heterozygosities were estimated at 0.

Phylogenetic evidence for an ancient rapid radiation of Caribbean sponge-dwelling snapping shrimps (Synalpheus).

A common challenge in reconstructing phylogenies involves a high frequency of short internal branches, which makes basal relationships difficult to resolve. Often it is not clear whether this pattern results from insufficient or inappropriate data, versus from a rapid evolutionary radiation. The snapping shrimp genus Synalpheus, which contains in excess of 100 species and is a prominent component of coral-reef faunas worldwide, provides an example.