Resurrection of a diatom after 7000 years from anoxic Baltic Sea sediment.

Dormancy is a wide-spread key life history trait observed across the tree of life. Many plankton species form dormant cells stages that accumulate in aquatic sediments and under anoxic conditions, form chronological records of past species and population dynamics under changing environmental conditions. Here we report on the germination of a microscopic alga, the abundant marine diatom Skeletonema marinoi that had remained dormant for up to 6871 ± 140 years in anoxic sediments of the Baltic Sea and resumed growth when exposed to oxygen and light.

Genetic Identity and Herbivory Drive the Invasion of a Common Aquatic Microbial Invader.

Despite the increasing number of species invasions, the factors driving invasiveness are still under debate. This is particularly the case for "invisible" invasions by aquatic microbial species. Since in many cases only a few individuals or propagules enter a new habitat, their genetic variation is low and might limit their invasion success, known as the genetic bottleneck.

Low invasion success of an invasive cyanobacterium in a chlorophyte dominated lake.

Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Successful invasions depend on the interplay of multiple abiotic and biotic factors, however, the process of the invasion itself is often overlooked. The temporal variation of environmental factors suggests that a 'window of opportunity' for successful invasions exists.

Population structure and distribution patterns of the sibling mosquito species Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium (Diptera: Culicidae) reveal different evolutionary paths.

Nowadays a number of endemic mosquito species are known to possess vector abilities for various diseases, as e.g. the sibling species Culex pipiens and Culex torrentium.

Diversity of Culex torrentium Martini, 1925 - a potential vector of arboviruses and filaria in Europe.

Culex torrentium is one of the most common mosquito species in Germany. Due to its sympatric occurrence as well as its similar morphological and ecological characteristics, it has often been confused with another common species, Culex pipiens. Both species are known to be potential vectors for different arboviruses (not only in Germany) with C.