Genomic analysis of NE Atlantic sardine () reveals reduced variation in a recently established North Sea population and directs reconsideration of management units.

The European sardine () is under intense fishing pressure and exhibits distributional/abundance shifts linked to environmental change. The current understanding of population demographics needed for sustainable management is uncertain due to concerns that previous genetic studies lacked resolution and limited sampling of sardine north of the Bay of Biscay. To address these issues, we performed mtDNA sequencing and genome wide SNP analysis of samples collected across the Bay of Biscay, Celtic Sea, English Channel and North Sea.

Genetic analysis of reveals high gene flow in the South-West Indian Ocean.

(Gray, 1849), abundant in the South-West Indian Ocean (SWIO), constitutes a vital resource for both subsistence and commercial fisheries. However, despite this socioeconomic importance, and recent indications of overfishing, little is known about the population structure of in the region. To inform sustainable management strategies, this study assessed the spatio-temporal population structure and genetic variability of at 20 sites in the SWIO (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rodrigues, and the Seychelle Islands) by complementary analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) noncoding region (NCR) sequences and microsatellite markers.

Time series DNA barcoding provides insight into factors influencing wood-boring and bark-feeding insect communities in Scots pine, Sitka spruce, and Noble fir stands.

Bark-feeding and wood-boring insect pests can have significant negative impacts on conifers and wood production. The damage they cause is expected to increase in the future due to climate change and the growth of international trade. This study employed DNA barcoding of beetle juveniles (Coleoptera) sampled from standing trap trees and cut log piles at regular intervals over a 2-yr period to monitor the beetle community dynamics and associated environmental factors.

Seasonal development of a tidal mixing front drives shifts in community structure and diversity of bacterioplankton.

Bacterioplankton underpin biogeochemical cycles and an improved understanding of the patterns and drivers of variability in their distribution is needed to determine their wider functioning and importance. Sharp environmental gradients and dispersal barriers associated with ocean fronts are emerging as key determinants of bacterioplankton biodiversity patterns. We examined how the development of the Celtic Sea Front (CF), a tidal mixing front on the Northwest European Shelf affects bacterioplankton communities.

Ocean warming favours a northern species over its southern congener, whereas preliminary metabolic evidence suggests that hybridization may promote their adaptation.

Anthropogenic-induced climate change is having profound impacts on aquatic ecosystems, and the resilience of fish populations will be determined by their response to these impacts. The northern Namibian coast is an ocean warming hotspot, with temperatures rising faster than the global average. The rapid warming in Namibia has had considerable impacts on marine fauna, such as the southern extension of the distribution of from southern Angola into northern Namibian waters, where it now overlaps and hybridizes with the closely related Namibian species, .

Core Community Persistence Despite Dynamic Spatiotemporal Responses in the Associated Bacterial Communities of Farmed Pacific Oysters.

A breakdown in host-bacteria relationships has been associated with the progression of a number of marine diseases and subsequent mortality events. For the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, summer mortality syndrome (SMS) is one of the biggest constraints to the growth of the sector and is set to expand into temperate systems as ocean temperatures rise. Currently, a lack of understanding of natural spatiotemporal dynamics of the host-bacteria relationship limits our ability to develop microbially based monitoring approaches.

Discovery of the parasite Marteilia cocosarum sp. nov. In common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) fisheries in Wales, UK and its comparison with Marteilia cochillia.

Diseases of bivalve molluscs caused by paramyxid parasites of the genus Marteilia have been linked to mass mortalities and the collapse of commercially important shellfish populations. Until recently, no Marteilia spp. have been detected in common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) populations in the British Isles.

Eco-epidemiological screening of multi-host wild rodent communities in the UK reveals pathogen strains of zoonotic interest.

Wild rodent communities represent ideal systems to study pathogens and parasites shared among sympatric species. Such studies are useful in the investigation of eco-epidemiological dynamics, improving disease management strategies and reducing zoonotic risk. The aim of this study was to investigate pathogen and parasites shared among rodent species (multi-host community) in West Wales in an area where human/wildlife disease risk was not previously assessed.

Taxonomic re-appraisal for toothfish (Dissostichus: Notothenioidea) across the Antarctic Polar Front using genomic and morphological studies.

The Patagonian toothfish, Dissostichus eleginoides, is one of the largest predatory fishes inhabiting Southern Ocean waters spanning the Antarctic Polar Front (APF), a prominent biogeographic boundary restricting gene flow and driving species divergence between Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters. In the light of emerging threats to toothfish conservation and sustainability, this study investigated genetic [mtDNA sequences and genome wide nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)] and morphological data to critically evaluate the taxonomic status of toothfish north (Chile and Patagonian shelf) and south (South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands) of the APF. mtDNA revealed reciprocally monophyletic lineages on either side of the APF with coalescent analysis indicating these diverged during the Pleistocene.

Temporally consistent predominance and distribution of secondary malaria vectors in the Anopheles community of the upper Zambezi floodplain.

Regional optimisation of malaria vector control approaches requires detailed understanding both of the species composition of Anopheles mosquito communities, and how they vary over spatial and temporal scales. Knowledge of vector community dynamics is particularly important in settings where ecohydrological conditions fluctuate seasonally and inter-annually, such as the Barotse floodplain of the upper Zambezi river. DNA barcoding of anopheline larvae sampled in the 2019 wet season revealed the predominance of secondary vector species, with An.

Geographically extensive larval surveys reveal an unexpected scarcity of primary vector mosquitoes in a region of persistent malaria transmission in western Zambia.

Background: The Barotse floodplains of the upper Zambezi River and its tributaries are a highly dynamic environment, with seasonal flooding and transhumance presenting a shifting mosaic of potential larval habitat and human and livestock blood meals for malaria vector mosquitoes. However, limited entomological surveillance has been undertaken to characterize the vector community in these floodplains and their environs. Such information is necessary as, despite substantial deployment of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) against Anopheles vectors, malaria transmission persists across Barotseland in Zambia's Western Province.

Genetic structure of recently fragmented suburban populations of European stag beetle.

Habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanization can negatively affect metapopulation persistence when gene flow among populations is reduced and population sizes decrease. Inference of patterns and processes of population connectivity derived from spatial genetic analysis has proven invaluable for conservation and management. However, a more complete account of population dynamics may be obtained by combining spatial and temporal sampling.

Deep phylogeographic structure may indicate cryptic species within the Sparid genus Spondyliosoma.

Two geographically nonoverlapping species are currently described within the sparid genus Spondyliosoma: Spondyliosoma cantharus (Black Seabream) occurring across Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic waters from NW Europe to Angola and S. emarginatum (Steentjie) considered endemic to southern Africa. To address prominent knowledge gaps this study investigated range-wide phylogeographic structure across both species.

Genetic analysis provides insights into species distribution and population structure in East Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus and T. capensis).

Two sister species of horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus and T. capensis) are described that are intensively harvested in East Atlantic waters. To address long-standing uncertainties as to their respective geographical ranges, overlap and intraspecific population structure this study combined genetic (mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite) analysis and targeted sampling of the hitherto understudied West African coast.

The complete mitochondrial genome of record-breaking migrant Arctic tern .

The analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) base composition, codon usage, and genome arrangement patterns can provide insight into metabolic pathways and evolutionary history. Here, we report on the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Arctic tern () a species notable for undertaking the longest migrations of any species as well as breeding in sub-polar habitats and capable of enduring extreme altitude. The complete mitogenome was 16,708 bp long and was typical of other avian mitogenomes in size and content.

Phylogeographic structure and ecological niche modelling reveal signals of isolation and postglacial colonisation in the European stag beetle.

Lucanus cervus (L.), the stag beetle, is a saproxylic beetle species distributed widely across Europe. Throughout its distribution the species has exhibited pronounced declines and is widely considered threatened.

Cryptic species and parallel genetic structuring in Lethrinid fish: Implications for conservation and management in the southwest Indian Ocean.

Analysis of genetic variation can provide insights into ecological and evolutionary diversification which, for commercially harvested species, can also be relevant to the implementation of spatial management strategies and sustainability. In comparison with other marine biodiversity hot spots, there has been less genetic research on the fauna of the southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO). This is epitomized by the lack of information for lethrinid fish, which support socioeconomically important fisheries in the region.

Isolation and characterisation of polymorphic microsatellite loci for studies of the big blue octopus, .

The big blue octopus, , occurs on coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region from East Africa to the Hawaiian Islands, wherein it is of great ecological and socio-economic importance. However, many components of its intraspecific biodiversity, such as population structure, are unresolved due to a lack of informative genetic markers. To address this issue, which may compromise conservation and sustainability efforts, the development and characterisation of the first species-specific microsatellite loci for are described here.

Multiple Mating, Paternity and Complex Fertilisation Patterns in the Chokka Squid Loligo reynaudii.

Polyandry is widespread and influences patterns of sexual selection, with implications for sexual conflict over mating. Assessing sperm precedence patterns is a first step towards understanding sperm competition within a female and elucidating the roles of male- and female-controlled factors. In this study behavioural field data and genetic data were combined to investigate polyandry in the chokka squid Loligo reynaudii.

Individual and population-level responses to ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification is predicted to have detrimental effects on many marine organisms and ecological processes. Despite growing evidence for direct impacts on specific species, few studies have simultaneously considered the effects of ocean acidification on individuals (e.g.

Testing the performance of a fragment of the COI gene to identify western Palaearctic stag beetle species (Coleoptera, Lucanidae).

Lucanidae) remains challenging, mainly due to the sexual dimorphism and the strong allometry in males. Such conjecture confounds taxonomic based conservation efforts that are urgently needed due to numerous threats to stag beetle biodiversity. Molecular tools could help solve the problem of identification of the different recognized taxa in the "Lucanus cervus complex" and in some related Palaearctic species.

Microsatellite genotyping reveals end-Pleistocene decline in mammoth autosomal genetic variation.

The last glaciation was a dynamic period with strong impact on the demography of many species and populations. In recent years, mitochondrial DNA sequences retrieved from radiocarbon-dated remains have provided novel insights into the history of Late Pleistocene populations. However, genotyping of loci from the nuclear genome may provide enhanced resolution of population-level changes.

Permanent genetic resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 October 2010-30 November 2010.

This article documents the addition of 277 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Ascochyta rabiei, Cambarellus chapalanus, Chionodraco hamatus, Coptis omeiensis, Cynoscion nebulosus, Daphnia magna, Gerbillus nigeriae, Isurus oxyrinchus, Lates calcarifer, Metacarcinus magister, Oplegnathus fasciatus, Pachycondyla verenae, Phaethon lepturus, Pimelodus grosskopfii, Rotylenchulus reniformis, Scomberomorus niphonius, Sepia esculenta, Terapon jarbua, Teratosphaeria cryptica and Thunnus obesus. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Austropotamobius italicus, Cambarellus montezumae, Cambarellus puer, Cambarellus shufeldtii, Cambarellus texanus, Chionodraco myersi, Chionodraco rastrospinosus, Coptis chinensis, Coptis chinensis var.

Polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci for studies of brown crab, Cancer pagurus L.

Twelve polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci were isolated from the brown crab, Cancer pagurus L., by construction of microsatellite-enriched genomic libraries. Genotyping of 40 individuals from Norfolk (UK) revealed variable levels of locus polymorphism with an average of 7.