Marine biogeography Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

- by and +1
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- Cold water coral research, Marine biogeography, Scleractinia, Range Extension

A new species of Etelis is described based on 16 specimens collected from the Red Sea and Western Australia, with confirmed genetic records throughout the Indo-West Pacific. It is similar to and was often misidentified as Etelis carbunculus Cuvier, with both species sharing the diagnostic character of low number of developed gill rakers. Nonetheless, the two species are genetically divergent and differ morphologically in adult body length; proportions of eye, snout, cheek and caudal fin; shape of head, opercular spine and sagittal otolith; and coloration of the tip of the upper caudal fin. Etelis boweni has a wide Indo-west Pacific distribution that largely overlaps with E. carbunculus, and the two species are often caught on the same fishing line.

- by Brian Bowen
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- Marine Biology, Speciation, Fisheries, Taxonomy

The composition and structure of the rocky intertidal fish community at various spatial and temporal scales along the geographic gradient of the Californian and Cortezian provinces were studied. The main factors interacting in the ecological structure and dynamic of these fish assemblages were assessed monthly on Punta Morro (PM) beach, Ensenada, B.C., and seasonally form through 14 sites of the west coast in the Baja California peninsula (BCP). The fish monitoring during 14 months in PM showed that the taxonomic composition of this assemblage was persistent but variable in its abundance. The spatial-temporal composition of the fish community was represented by six resident species, two temporal species and five visitors, where 80% of the density of individuals was provided by resident species. The values of the ecological indexes of species richness and diversity (H´) show seasonal differences in the fish community, with maximum values in summer and minimum in winter. The most dominant species, Clinocottus analis, contributed with approximately 44% and 50% of the total abundance and biomass, respectively. Significant differences among the assemblages of each studied tidepool were observed. The area and substrate type in the rocky tidepool were the factors that better explained these differences. Species distribution along the vertical gradient of the intertidal zone was azonal. The fish community was resilient after successive defaunations and the recovery was independent of the time length among sampling events. The rocky intertidal fish assemblage on the 14 sites through the BCP was composed by 42 species, 33 genera and 19 families. A discontinuous pattern in the ecological attributes of the fish community was recognized along the geographic gradient, which was mainly influenced by those assemblages located within the Sebastian Vizcaino and Todos Santos bays. The area comprised between Punta Abreojos and San Juanico, B.C.S., represent a transition zone between the warm temperate and subtropical faunas. Five species increased their northernmost distribution ranges, and other three toward the south of the BCP. The latitudinal gradient showed a significant correlation with the fish species diversity.

- by Michael N Dawson
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- Marine biogeography

• Intertidal rocky habitats comprise over 50% of the shorelines of the world, supporting a diversity of marine life
and providing extensive ecosystem services worth in the region of US$ 5-10 trillion per year.
• They are valuable indicators of the impacts of climate change on the wider marine environment and ecosystems.
• Changes in species distributions, abundance and phenology have already been observed around the world in
response to recent rapid climate change.
• Species-level responses will have considerable ramifications for the structure of communities and trophic
interactions, leading to eventual changes in ecosystem functioning (e.g. less primary producing canopy-forming
algae in the North-east Atlantic).
• Whilst progress is made on the mitigation1 required to achieve goals of a lower-carbon world, much can
be done to enhance resilience to climate change. Managing the multitude of other interactive impacts on
the marine environment, over which society has greater potential control (e.g. overfishing, invasive non-native
species, coastal development, and pollution), will enable adaptation1 in the short and medium term of the next
5-50 years.

- by Nova Mieszkowska
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- Climate Change, Ocean acidification, Marine biogeography, Rocky Shore ecology
- by Brian Bowen and +1
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- Marine biogeography

A history of molluscan research in the western South China Sea (Singa-pore, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia,Vietnam and China) is described with main references provided. The South China Sea has the most diverse bivalve fauna in the world from 1200–1500 species. Regional species richness of bivalve mollusks in the western sea area varies from 344, at Singapore in the south, to 822, southern mainland China in the north, more of an indication of sampling efforts and the state of knowledge of the fauna than real biodiversity gradients. Other biodiversity-rich areas include the Gulf of Thailand (594 species), Vietnam (815), Tonkin Gulf (368) and Hong Kong (299). The western part of the South China Sea is divided between two provinces: the truly tropical Indo-Polynesian Province, and the subtropical Sino-Japanese Province; the boundary point lies around Hong Kong. Biogeographical problems as related to Vietnamese bivalve fauna are highlighted, and the biogeo-graphical zonation of the South China Sea based on concepts of western, Chinese, and Russian researchers is discussed. Problems in studying the region's bivalve biodiversity include inflated synonymy, a lack of trained, regionally-based taxonomists, good voucher collections, and a lack of funding for taxonomy. Threats to molluscan biodiversity are also discussed. Photographs of 117 species of bivalves belonging to 28 families are provided.

- by Konstantin Lutaenko
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- Marine Biology, Malacology, Marine biodiversity, Biogeography
- by Jeremy Kemp
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- Coral Reefs, Coral Reef Fishes, Marine biogeography
- by Jillian Ooi and +1
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- Malaysia, Marine biogeography

Guadalupe Island, off Baja California, México, is an important fishing area which also harbors high marine biodiversity. Based on field data, literature reviews, and scientific collection records, we present a comprehensive checklist of the local fish fauna, which is comprised of 328 species from 219 genera, 105 families, 30 orders, and 3 classes. Of these, 156 species represent new records. Almost half of the species (154) are from tropical waters and the remainders are typical of warm and cold temperate regions. The island is the type locality of 18 fishes, represents the range limit of 48 taxa, and has 8 endemics. A biogeographic analysis comparing Guadalupe and the Baja California Peninsula indicates that the composition of reef fishes of the island is very similar to that found at 28˚N, and suggests that Cedros, San Benito islands, and Punta Eugenia, might be the key sources of tropical immigrants to Guadalupe.

- by Arturo Ramirez-Valdez
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- Mexico, Fishes, Guadalupe Island, Marine biogeography

Aim: Species ranges provide a valuable foundation for resolving biogeographical regions, evolutionary processes and extinction risks. To inform conservation priorities , here we develop the first bioregionalization based on reef fish abundance of the Hawaiian Archipelago, which spans nearly 10° of latitude across 2,400 km, including 8 high volcanic islands in the populated main Hawaiian Islands (MHI), and 10 low islands (atolls, shoals and islets) in the remote northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Location: The Hawaiian Archipelago. Taxon: Fishes (276 taxa). Methods: We compiled 5,316 visual fish surveys at depths of 1-30 m from throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago. Geographical range (km 2) for each species was measured as extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occurrence (AOO). PERMANOVA and PCO were used to investigate drivers of fish assemblage structure. Distance-based multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between fish assemblage structure and predictor variables including latitude, reef area, temperature, chlorophyll-a, wave energy and human population density.
Results: Distinct fish assemblages exist in the MHI and NWHI, with two additional faunal breaks driven primarily by endemic species abundance. Latitude explained 37% of the variability in fish assemblages, with reef area accounting for an additional 9%. EOO showed a significant correlation with latitude. Endemics comprised 52%-55% of the numerical abundance at the northern end of the archipelago but only 17% on Hawai'i Island in the extreme south. Maximum size and activity regime (day vs. night) explained the most variation in the abundance of endemics.
Main conclusions: The Hawaiian fish assemblages are strongly influenced by endemic species, affirming the archipelago as a biodiversity hotspot of high conservation value. The higher abundance of endemics in the NWHI may represent preadaptation to oceanic (oligotrophic) conditions. Resolution of distinct bioregions across the archipelago provides a better understanding of reef fish macroecology, with implications for management at the archipelago scale.

- by Brian Bowen and +1
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- Conservation Biology, Marine Conservation, Ecology, Endemism

Understanding how geography, oceanography, and climate have ultimately shaped marine biodiversity requires aligning the distributions of genetic diversity across multiple taxa. Here, we examine phylogeographic partitions in the sea against a backdrop of bio-geographic provinces defined by taxonomy, endemism, and species composition. The taxonomic identities used to define biogeographic provinces are routinely accompanied by diagnostic genetic differences between sister species, indicating interspecific concordance between biogeography and phylogeography. In cases where individual species are distributed across two or more biogeographic provinces, shifts in genotype frequencies often align with biogeographic boundaries, providing intraspecific concordance between biogeography and phylogeography. Here, we provide examples of comparative phy-logeography from (i) tropical seas that host the highest marine biodiversity, (ii) temperate seas with high productivity but volatile coastlines, (iii) migratory marine fauna, and (iv) plankton that are the most abundant eukaryotes on earth. Tropical and temperate zones both show impacts of glacial cycles, the former primarily through changing sea levels, and the latter through coastal habitat disruption. The general concordance between biogeography and phylogeography indicates that the population-level genetic divergences observed between provinces are a starting point for macroevolutionary divergences between species. However, isolation between provinces does not account for all marine biodiversity; the remainder arises through alternative pathways, such as ecological speciation and parapatric (semi-isolated) divergences within provinces and biodiversity hotspots.

- by Brian Bowen and +1
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- Evolutionary Biology, Phylogeography, Speciation, Coral Reefs
- by Brian Bowen
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- Fishes, Marine biogeography
- by Ron Noseworthy
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- Marine biogeography

Aim To resolve phylogeographical partitions in the pronghorn spiny lobster, Panulirus penicillatus, which has a nine-month pelagic larval phase and the broadest distribution among spiny lobsters. With samples from the Red Sea to the East Pacific, we test genetic partitions across two-thirds of the planet, in a species with one of the longest pelagic phases. Location Red Sea, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Methods A fragment of the mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) was resolved in 774 individuals from 28 locations, plus 55 sequences (10 locations) from public databases. Portions of COI, 12S and 16S mtDNA regions were resolved for phylogenetic analyses on a subset of individuals. Phy-logenetic and population-level analyses were used to detect evolutionary partitions and dispersal barriers. Results Significant population structuring was detected (overall Φ ST = 0.310, P < 0.001). Samples from the Red Sea and East Pacific Provinces (western and eastern range edges) comprise distinct phylogenetic lineages, divergent at d = 1.1% and 1.8%, respectively, from the Indo-Pacific. Coalescent analyses indicate a Pleistocene isolation for the Red Sea (0.71 Ma) and East Pacific (1.52 Ma). Excluding the Red Sea and East Pacific, structure across the rest of the range was comparatively low, but significant (Φ ST = 0.018, P < 0.001). Main conclusions The Red Sea and East Pacific populations are phylogeneti-cally distinct from populations elsewhere in the range. The East Pacific population diverged earliest, and may represent a distinct subspecies. Phylogeographical divisions align with the major Indo-Pacific biogeographical barriers, and with subsets of provincial designations from two frameworks: one based on levels of endemism and one on species composition. Tropical and temperate regions in the Pacific are significantly differentiated, potentially indicating an ecological partition. Isolation at eastern and western peripheral provinces may serve as a starting point for evolutionary diversification within this group.

- by Matthew Iacchei and +1
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- Phylogeography, Speciation, Coral Reefs, Marine biogeography

Anthropogenic climate change is causing unprecedented rapid responses in marine
communities, with species across many different taxonomic groups showing faster
shifts in biogeographic ranges than in any other ecosystem. Spatial and temporal trends
for many marine species are difficult to quantify, however, due to the lack of long-term
datasets across complete geographical distributions and the occurrence of small-scale
variability from both natural and anthropogenic drivers. Understanding these changes
requires a multidisciplinary approach to bring together patterns identified within longterm
datasets and the processes driving those patterns using biologically relevant
mechanistic information to accurately attribute cause and effect. This must include likely
future biological responses, and detection of the underlying mechanisms in order to
scale up from the organismal level to determine how communities and ecosystems
are likely to respond across a range of future climate change scenarios. Using this multidisciplinary
approach will improve the use of robust science to inform the development
of fit-for-purpose policy to effectively manage marine environments in this
rapidly changing world.

- by Nova Mieszkowska
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- Climate Change, Biogeography, Time-Series Analysis, Time Series Data

The ghost shrimp Callichirus seilacheri was erected by Bott (1955) through a brief and poorly illustrated description. This species is considered as the only one current representative of genus Callichirus along the eastern Pacific. Their... more

- by Patricio Hernaez
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- Reproduction, Taxonomy, Marine biogeography

The genus Polymixia is the only survivor of a Late Cretaceous marine fish radiation and is often said to be the most primitive living acanthomorph (i.e., Polymixia possesses the great- est number of primitive character states for Acanthomorpha). Recent studies, including this one, place Polymixia as the sister to all other Paracanthopterygii. Despite its importance, most species of Polymixia are extremely difficult to discriminate on the basis of morphology. As a result, the number of valid species is uncertain. Moreover, there has never been a phy- logenetic analysis of the genus. Thus, a molecular phylogenetic study was needed to clarify species boundaries and to resolve relationships within the genus. Tissue or DNA samples backed by museum vouchers were obtained for most species, with additional samples from new geographic areas representing specimens with distinctively different meristics and uncertain identifications. Seven loci (five nuclear and two mitochondrial) were sequenced, from which Bayesian and maximum-likelihood trees were generated. Results reveal nine species-level clades, of which five represent previously known species (Polymixia berndti, P. japonica, P. longispina, P. lowei, and P. nobilis). Surprisingly, results also reveal four pre- viously unknown species-level clades, one close to P. lowei, one close to P. nobilis, and two new species clades related to P. japonica. The species clades are distinguished by their phylogenetic histories, sequence differences, geographic distributions, and morphologies. The clade containing P. berndti is recovered as the sister to all other species of Polymixia. Its genetic variability suggests that it might contain two or more species and it is referred to here as a “species complex”. Polymixia nobilis, the type species, was previously thought to be restricted to the Atlantic, but is now shown to be widespread in the Pacific and possibly in the Indian Ocean. Specimens from waters off Australia identified as P. busakhini actually belong to P. nobilis. In contrast, P. japonica is confirmed only in the area near Japan and the East China Sea; other more distant records are misidentifications. Wide (antipodal) geo- graphic distributions are seen in several clades, including P. nobilis, the P. berndti species complex, and the P. japonica species group. The new phylogeny helps explain the evolution of some morphological characters previously used to distinguish groups of species, particu- larly dorsal-fin soft-ray count, shape of rows of scale ctenii, and number of pyloric caeca.

- by Cal Borden and +1
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- Systematics (Taxonomy), Ichthyology, Phylogeny, Fishes
- by Heroen Verbruggen
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- Geography, Seed Dispersal, Multidisciplinary, Phylogeny
- by Jeremy Kemp
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- Coral Reefs, Macroalgae, Marine biogeography

We report on excavations at Deurspring, north of Lamberts Bay, South Africa. Earlier work there provided the first evidence of mid-Holocene occupation of the west coast of South Africa. This was unexpected, as previous research argued for an occupational hiatus in the local cultural sequence due to adverse climatic conditions and limited drinking water. Deurspring also provided further insights into the so-called megamidden period (3200-1900 cal BP), a time when people relied heavily on marine resources and accumulated very large shell middens through intense harvesting of predominantly black mussels. Our new work in the area shows that local fauna was procured during rather brief mid-Holocene visits, while groups moved over large areas from where they sourced exotic stone raw materials. Deurspring sites are much smaller than megamiddens, but their occupation intensifies after 3200 cal BP, and quantities of lithic artefacts indicate a domestic signature. Black mussels were harvested in greater numbers over time but their quantities were limited by the northward biogeographic trend of increasing abundance of intertidal limpets at the expense of black mussels, as observed today. This factor likely limited the intense exploitation of black mussels around Deurspring and probably explains why large-sized megamiddens never formed there.

- by Antonieta Jerardino and +1
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- Archaeological Site Formation Processes, South Africa, Archaeology of shell middens, Marine Mussels

The cribrimorph bryozoan Cribrilina (Juxtacribrilina) mutabilis (Ito, Onishi and Dick, 2015), originally described from Hokkaido, Japan, is reported for the first time in the Gulf of Maine and the whole of the Northwest Atlantic coast. In September 2018, numerous colonies of C. mutabilis were collected from eelgrass (Zostera marina Linnaeus, 1753) beds near Clapboard and Mackworth Islands, and Hog Island Ledge, all located within inner Casco Bay, Maine. Bryozoan colonies encrusted eelgrass, rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum (Linnaeus) LeJolis, 1863), and laminarian drift algae. Situated near the discovery location, the city of Portland (Maine, USA) is an active seaport, suggesting introduction through shipping as a likely introduction mechanism. The North Sea is hypothesized to be the most probable area for the source population. Since C. mutabilis appears to have high potential for introduction, it likely occurs on other parts of the Northwest Atlantic coast where it has yet to be identified and recorded.

- by Tom Trott
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- Invasive species ecology, Marine biogeography, Marine Benthic Ecology

The 'centre–periphery hypothesis' (CPH) is a long-standing postulate in ecology that states that genetic variation and demographic performance of a species decrease from the centre to the edge of its geographic range. This hypothesis is based on an assumed concordance between geographical peripherality and ecological marginality such that environmental conditions become harsher towards the limits of a species range. In this way, the CPH sets the stage for understanding the causes of distribution limits. To date, no study has examined conjointly the consistency of these postulates. In an extensive literature review we discuss the birth and development of the CPH and provide an assessment of the CPH by reviewing 248 empirical studies in the context of three main themes. First, a decrease in species occurrence towards their range limits was observed in 81% of studies, while only 51% demonstrated reduced abundance of individuals. A decline in genetic variation, increased differentiation among populations and higher rates of inbreeding were demonstrated by roughly one in two studies (47, 45 and 48%, respectively). However, demographic rates, size and population performance less often followed CPH expectations (20–30% of studies). We highlight the impact of important methodological, taxonomic, and biogeographical biases on such validation rates. Second, we found that geographic and ecological marginality gradients are not systematically concordant, which casts doubt on the reliability of a main assumption of the CPH. Finally, we attempt to disentangle the relative contribution of geographical, ecological and historical processes on the spatial distribution of genetic and demographic parameters. While ecological marginality gradients explain variation in species' demographic performance better than geographic gradients, contemporary and historical factors may contribute interactively to spatial patterns of genetic variation. We thereby propose a framework that integrates species' ecological niche characteristics together with current and past range structure to investigate spatial patterns of genetic and demographic variation across species ranges.

- by Samuel Pironon
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- Landscape Ecology, Genetics, Demography, Animal Science

Amphipod assemblages associated with the bio-genic reefs built by the honeycomb worm Sabellaria alveolata were studied at two sites (Praia da Aguda and Belinho) along the northwestern coast of Portugal. A total of 3909 specimens were collected, comprising 14 different amphipod species. A first record from the northeastern Atlantic coast was registered here for the species Caprella santosrosai, which was, up to now, recorded only along the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. A male specimen collected from the Sabellaria-reef located in Belinho allowed an update to the known distribution of C. santosrosai, thus altering its previous status as an endemic Mediterranean species. The most common species collected during the study were Microdeutopus chelifer (n = 1828), Jassa ocia (n = 1426), and Hyale stebbingi (n = 452). Forty-three percent of the total recorded species were encountered in both study sites, whereas the remaining 57 % were restricted to a single site (Belinho). The majority of the collected species (93 %) showed an Atlantic-Mediterranean distribution, confirming the close affinity between eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean amphipod assemblages and the role of the Portuguese coast as a transition zone through which numerous warm-water species, coming from North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea, could enter into the Atlantic and possibly get mixed with species coming from the North Sea and the Arctic, typically having affinity for colder waters.

- by Sabrina Lo Brutto and +1
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- Marine Biology, Amphipoda, Polychaeta, Marine biogeography

Short overview of published data concerning the marineand freshwater bryofauna from the Baltic Sea area with focus on their history,ecology, distribution, species list and taxonomy. More than 140 years history ofthe Baltic Sea studies recorded in the literature were reviewed, and comparedwith results of our actual research conducted during 2001-2004 in Kiel Bay. One species of marine bryozoans – Electra arctica – was first documented inthe Baltic Sea. Some main features of the Baltic bryozoan fauna such asfluctuating occurrences of species in response to oscillations in thehydrographic regime of the Baltic Sea and its open character in respect toKattegat populations are discussed.

- by Elena A Nikulina
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- Marine Biology, Marine biodiversity, Benthic Ecology, Biogeography
- by Jennifer L Salerno
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- Geography, Biology, Coral Reefs, Ecology

The sturgeon was an important dietary resource for people living in the eastern North Sea coastal area, especially in the 19th century but also in previous millennia. However, since the discovery in 2002 that not only the European sturgeon (A. sturio) but also the Atlantic sturgeon (A. oxyrinchus) occurred in northern European waters, it is an open question which one of these species was dominant in the North Sea and hence of primary economic importance. The 800 year old, well-preserved sturgeon remains presented in this paper, from the ringfort Itzehoe by the Stör River (which is a tributary of the Elbe in northern Germany), allow a first reliable answer. The aDNA amplified and sequenced from seven bones of at least five different individuals derives from A. oxyrinchus exclusively. Moreover, morphological analyses of the whole assemblage of 15 bones provided no evidence for the presence of A. sturio. Even though the dataset is still too small for general reconstructions, this study demonstrates the occurrence and possibly the dominance of the Atlantic sturgeon in at least parts of the North Sea region 800 years ago. However, further research is necessary to prove if A. oxyrinchus was the only sturgeon species in the North Sea then.

- by Ulrich Schmölcke and +1
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- Marine Biology, Palaeoenvironment, Conservation Biology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology)
- by Brian Bowen
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- Marine biodiversity, Hybrids, Marine biogeography, Marine Speciation
- by Brian Bowen
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- Phylogeography, Coral Reef Fishes, Mitochondrial DNA, Fishes

The composition, density and biogeographic affinities of the rocky intertidal fishes of the western coast of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico, were studied from June 2006 to January 2009. A total of 5,489 specimens belonging to 48 species, 39 genera and 20 families were registered. Clinocottus analis was the dominant species on the northern and central coast (north to Punta Abreojos), and Entomacrodus chiostictus was dominant farther south. Based on distribution and density of permanent species, the area between Punta San Juanico and Bahia Magdalena represents the distributional boundary for northern (warm-temperate) and tropical fish elements. Most of species (85%) showed zoogeographical affinities with the San Diegan province, followed by species related to the Mexican (58%) and Cortez (56%) provinces. The known northernmost geographical ranges are extended for Sargocentron suborbitalis, Labrisomus multiporosus and Bathygobius ramosus; while the southernmost ranges extended for Clinocottus analis, Oligocottus rubellio and Amphistichus koelzi

The banded coral shrimp, Stenopus hispidus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Stenopodidea) is a popular marine ornamental species with a circumtropical distribution. The planktonic larval stage lasts ∼120–253 days, indicating considerable dispersal potential, but few studies have investigated genetic connectivity on a global scale in marine invertebrates. To resolve patterns of divergence and phylogeography of S. hispidus, we surveyed 525 bp of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) from 198 individuals sampled at 10 locations across ∼27,000 km of the species range. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that S. hispidus has a Western Atlantic lineage and a widely distributed Indo-Pacific lineage, separated by sequence divergence of 2.1%. Genetic diversity is much higher in the Western Atlantic (h = 0.929; π = 0.004) relative to the Indo-Pacific (h = 0.105; π < 0.001), and coalescent analyses indicate that the Indo-Pacific population expanded more recently (95% HPD (highest posterior density) = 60,000–400,000 yr) than the Western Atlantic population (95% HPD = 300,000–760,000 yr). Divergence of the Western Atlantic and Pacific lineages is estimated at 710,000–1.8 million years ago, which does not readily align with commonly implicated colonization events between the ocean basins. The estimated age of populations contradicts the prevailing dispersal route for tropical marine biodiversity (Indo-Pacific to Atlantic) with the oldest and most diverse population in the Atlantic, and a recent population expansion with a single common haplotype shared throughout the vast Indian and Pacific oceans. In contrast to the circumtropical fishes, this diminutive reef shrimp challenges our understanding of conventional dispersal capabilities of marine species.

- by Brian Bowen and +3
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- Coral Reefs, Biogeography, Marine biogeography, Phylogeography and Evolution of Marine Invertebrates
- by Brian Bowen
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- Coral Reef Fishes, Hybrids, Marine biogeography, Marine Speciation
- by Alexandra Houssaye
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- Geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Biogeography

By accident, the world-famous brewery Carlsberg became a central force in global marine science during the first three decades of the 20th century. Within a core group of scientists and managers, Johannes Schmidt (1877-1933) was the key figure combining the efforts of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the Danish state and several private companies. Launching 26 oceangoing expeditions Schmidt made landmark discoveries such as the breeding ground for the Atlantic eel in the Sargasso Sea. The scientific frontier was pushed literally kilometres into the deep sea and across the World’s oceans. While the formal North Atlantic Empire of the small state of Denmark was in decline, an informal empire of science was erected instead.

- by Bo Poulsen
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- History, European History, History of Science and Technology, Cultural History
- by Silvio Nihei and +2
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- Endemism, Polychaeta, Marine biogeography, Areas of endemism
- by Jeremy Kemp
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- Coral Reefs, Marine biogeography
- by Frederic Briand
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- Marine Ecology, Biological invasions, Marine biogeography
- by Budhi Hascaryo Iskandar
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- Evolutionary Biology, Marine Biology, Zoology, Coral Reefs
- by M S
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- Geography, Seed Dispersal, Multidisciplinary, Phylogeny

Factors driving the distribution of marine microorganisms are widely debated and poorly understood. Recent studies show that free-living marine microbes exhibit geographical patterns indicative of limited dispersal. In contrast, host-associated microbes face a different set of dispersal challenges, and hosts may function as habitat 'islands' for resident microbial populations. Here, we examine the biogeographical distributions of planktonic and adjacent coral-associated bacterial communities across the Hawaiian Archipelago, Johnston Atoll (∼1400 km southwest of Hawaii) and American Samoa in the Pacific Ocean and investigate the potential underlying processes driving observed patterns. Statistical analyses of bacterial community structure, determined using a small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene-based approach, showed that bacterioplankton and coral-associated bacterial communities were distinct, and correlated with geographical distance between sites. In addition, biogeographical patterns of bacterial associates paralleled those of their host coral Porites lobata, highlighting the specificity of these associations and the impact that host dispersal may have on bacterial biogeography. Planktonic and coral-associated bacterial communities from distant Johnston Atoll were shown to be connected with communities from the center of the Hawaiian Archipelago, a pattern previously observed in fish and invertebrates. No significant correlations were detected with habitat type, temperature or depth. However, non-distance-based geographical groupings were detected, indicating that, in addition to dispersal, unidentified environmental factors also affected the distributions of bacterial communities investigated here.

- by Brian Bowen
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- Microbiology, Biogeography, Bacteria, Marine biogeography

Populations of jellyfish, Mastigias sp., landlocked in tropical marine lakes during the Holocene, show extreme genetic isolation (0.74 < phi-ST < 1.00), founder effects (genetic diversity: 0.000 < pi < 0.001), rapid morphological evolution, and behavioral adaptation. These results demonstrate incipient speciation in what we propose may be modern analogues of Plio-Pleistocene populations isolated in ocean basins by glacially lowered sea level and counterparts to modern marine populations isolated on archipelagos and other distant shores. Geographic isolation in novel environments, even if geologically brief, may contribute much to marine biodiversity because evolutionary rates in marine plankton can rival the most rapid speciation seen for limnetic species, such as cichlids and sticklebacks. Marine lakes present situations rare in their clarity for studying evolution in marine taxa.

- by Michael N Dawson
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- Ecology, Marine biogeography

Coordinated research efforts in mesophotic coral reefs are only a decade old, but have already produced exciting findings in ecology, physiology, geomorphology, population genetics, biodiversity, and taxonomy. In this taxonomic contribution, we describe both sexes of a new copepod species of the family Novocriniidae Huys and Iliffe in Zool Scr 27(1):1–15, 1998 from a mesophotic coral reef off southwestern Puerto Rico. This is only the fifth species of the family and the fourth of the genus Atergopedia Martínez Arbizu and Moura in Zool Beitr NF 38:189–210, 1998. The new species, Atergopedia dowgialli sp. nov., shares the following characters with its three congeners: 1) antenna without seta on the first endopodal segment; 2) lateral armature of the female antenna shows a multiplication of distinct setae and consists of one geniculate seta followed by five or more slender setae; 3) the first endopod segment of the first swimming leg P1 bears no inner seta; 4) male fifth leg with two spines on endopodal lobe; and 5) the exopod of the fifth swimming leg fused to basendopod in the female. Atergopedia dowgialli sp. nov. is characterized by the loss of the basal seta in both antenna and maxilliped, the loss of the first maxilla endite, the presence of a long process between the outer and distal elements of the leg 1 exopodite 3, which is stronger and longer in the female, and the possession of a very short and strongly ornamented furca in both sexes. The genus Atergopedia has been found in deep and relatively shallow habitats from the Arctic Ocean to the Caribbean. In contrast, almost all species of the taxon Novocrinidimorpha, which includes the families Novocriniidae, Superornatiremidae Huys 1996, and Rotundiclipeidae Huys 1988, have been found associated with anchialine caves, indicating a derived distribution for Atergopedia.

Little is known about the relative influence of historic processes and environmental gradients on shaping the diversity of single-celled eukaryotes in marine benthos. By combining pyrosequencing of 18S ribosomal RNA genes with data on multiple environmental factors, we investigated the diversity of microeukaryotes in surficial sediments of three basins of the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem. A considerable proportion (about 20%) of reads was affiliated with known parasitoid protists. Dinophyta and Ciliophora appeared dominant in terms of relative proportion of reads and OTU (operational taxonomic unit) richness. Overall, OTU richness of benthic microeukaryotes decreased with increasing water depth and decreasing pH. While community composition was significantly different among basins, partial Mantel tests indicated a depth-decay pattern of community similarity, whereby water depth, rather than geographic distance or environment, shaped beta-diversity of benthic microeukaryotes (including both the abundant and the rare biosphere) on a regional scale. Similar hydrographic and mineralogical factors contributed to the biogeography of both the abundant and the rare OTUs. The trace metal vanadium had a significant effect on the biogeography of the rare biosphere. Our study sheds new light on the composition, diversity patterns, and underlying mechanisms of single-celled eukaryote distribution in surficial sediments of coastal oceans.
Additional key words: depth-decay relationship; alpha diversity; beta diversity; protist and fungi; protozoa; parasitic protist; SSU ribotype diversity; continent shelf seafloor

- by Jun Gong
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- Marine Biology, Oceanography, Coastal Processes, Marine Ecology

The shell-less, worm-like caudofoveate aplacophorans are common inhabitants of the deep-sea. A recent series of studies has demonstrated their phylogenetic, ecological and biogeographical importance for the understanding of marine environments. Falcidens Salvini-Plawen, 1968 is among the most speciose genera of Caudofoveata, including species with a wide range of morphological diversity. Here, F. amiae sp. nov. is described based on its body shape, sclerites, and radula; it is compared with other similar species, and distributions are also modelled to envisage other suitable areas of occurrence. Collected over a large area of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, along the Brazilian coast, most specimens were found in bottom samples from the upper continental slope. Falcidens amiae sp. nov. has a stoutish body without externally perceptible divisions, a "U"-shaped oral shield, a radula with two pairs of teeth, and sclerites with a wide base and acute blade ornamented with a strong central longitudinal keel and weak grooves. While almost all species of Falcidens have elongated bodies with externally perceptible divisions, only two known species have a more-stoutish and homogeneous body shape, F. limifossorides Salvini-Plawen, 1992 and F. halanychi Schander, Scheltema and Ivanov, 2004, comparable to that of F. amiae sp. nov.; they are also similar in the radula structure and F. amiae sp. nov. has an oral shield and sclerites that are markedly similar to those of F. limifossorides. These taxa appear to form a clade, but if so, they apparently became separated long ago, as they now have very distinct distributions. Maps of potential distributions showed that F. amiae sp. nov. and F. halanychi do not overlap in the Atlantic. This study fills a small gap in knowledge of the morphology of this intriguing molluscan group, revealing part of its puzzling distribution in the deep sea.

- by Marcel Miranda
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- Taxonomy, Biogeography, Mollusks, Marine biogeography

A brief review of the zoogeography of the Sea of Japan/East Sea is presented to demonstrate the existence and position of biogeographical boundaries and subdivisions. A zonal-biogeographical approach is used as a powerful tool to discrimate between boreal and subtropical regions. Biogeographical patterns of embayment faunas, including between-areas, open and protected areas, and inner and outer bays, and bathymetric differences are described using the example of Ussuriysky, Amursky, and Possjet Bays, in Russia, and Yeongil Bay, in Korea. The Holocene migrations and formation of the upper subtidal fauna are briefly reviewed. We recognize in the Sea of Japan and adjacent areas a boreal Japanese-Manchurian Province which encompasses the northern half of the Sea of Japan, Hokkaido, southern Kurile Islands, and Aniva and Terpenya bays in the southern Sea of Okhotsk. The southern part of the Sea of Japan is occupied by the subtropical Sino-Japanese Province extending to the Yellow Sea, so...

- by Konstantin Lutaenko
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- Marine biodiversity, Marine biogeography

- by Michelle R Gaither
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- Evolutionary Biology, Phylogeography, Speciation, Coral Reefs
- by Virginia Edgcomb
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- Marine Biology, Microbiology, Oceanography, Environmental microbiology

Abstract:[en] Mesosaurus Broom, 1913, from the Early Permian, is the first aquatic reptile known in the fossil record. Its co-occurrence in both South Africa (South Africa) and South America (Brazil, Uruguay) made it one of the key-fossils-with the pteridospermatophyta plant Glossopteris-used by the German meteorologist/geophysician Alfred Wegener to support his theory of the Continental Drift (Kontinentalverschiebung), first published in 1912.

- by Stéphane Jouve
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- Geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Biogeography

- by P VINCENT
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- Geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Biogeography

We studied the phylogeny, population structure, and demographic history of Scolopsis taenioptera in the western Pacific Ocean. Using the 80 samples collected from four locations, we obtained the nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b genes. We identified two distinct lineages showing a clear phylogeographic break that was possibly due to the Pleistocene sea-level change. One lineage was distributed in Iloilo (Philippines) and the other in Terengganu (Malaysia), Rayong (Thailand), and Ha Long Bay (Vietnam). The Terengganu and Rayong populations showed clear signs of demographic expansion; the Iloilo and Ha Long Bay populations were relatively stable or spatially expanded as geographically subdivided populations.

- by Ryo Kakioka
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- Phylogeography, Southeast Asia, Marine biogeography, Sunda Shelf