FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory

: Age, Growth, and Reproductive Biology of Cownose Rays in Chesapeake Bay; The Cownose Ray Rhinoptera bonasus is an opportunistic predator of benthic invertebrates and has had a long history of negative interactions with commercial shellfish industries. Most recently, Cownose Rays have been implicated in negatively affecting the recovery of bay scallop Argopecten irradians stocks in North Carolina and oyster restoration and commercial aquaculture efforts in Chesapeake Bay. A mitigation attempt to decrease predation on shellfish has resulted in an unregulated fishery for Cownose Rays. Cownose Ray life history suggests that they are highly susceptible to overexploitation. We determined age, growth, and size at maturity for Cownose Rays collected in Chesapeake Bay. In total, 694 rays were used for the study: 246 males ranging in size from 30.0 to 98.0 cm disc width (DW) and 448 females ranging from 30.0 to 110.5 cm DW. The oldest individual observed was a female (107 cm DW) estimated at age 21. Our data suggested that Cownose Rays grow considerably faster during the first few years than has been previously reported, thus producing higher estimates of the growth coefficient k. The best-fit growth models (three-parameter von Bertalanffy models) estimated k-values of 0.2741 for males and 0.1931 for females. The large sample size and inclusion ofmany older animals (n = 119 rays over age 10) resulted in theoreticalmaximum size estimates that matched the observed sizes well. The median size at 50% maturity was 85–86 cm DW for males and females (corresponding to ages of ∼6–7 for males and ∼7–8 for females). Fecundity in Cownose Rays was typically one embryo per mature female, with a gestation period of 11–12 months. Our study confirms that the Cownose Ray is a K-selected species with late maturity, long gestation, and low reproductive potential, indicating that it could be highly susceptible to overexploitation., Note: Listed in DOAJ. Also available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19425120.2013.812587#.UznGfFff2U8, Citation: Fisher, R.A., G.C. Call, R.D. Grubbs. 2013. Age, Growth, and Reproductive Biology of Cownose Rays in Chesapeake Bay, Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science, 5:1, 224-235.

: Applying The Coastal And Marine Ecological Classification Standard (cmecs) To Nearshore Habitats In The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico; Many countries have classification standards for their environmental resources including criteria for classifying coastal and marine ecosystems. Until 2012, the United States just had a nationwide protocol for classifying terrestrial and aquatic habitats with no national standard for marine and most coastal habitats. In 2012 the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) was implemented to address this need. In the past, coastal and marine classifications were developed at the regional or local level. Since its inception, the CMECS has not been applied in many geographic areas. My study was one of the first to apply the CMECS to the benthic habitats in the nearshore Northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Sidescan sonar mapping and dive surveys were completed at 33 sites at depths 10-23 m. Hardbottom and sand habitats characterized the study area, and the underwater surveys revealed hard corals, sponges, and macroalgae as the dominant taxa on the hardbottom. The CMECS was applied to the overall study area rather than each individual site or groups of similar sites because habitat and environmental characteristics, primarily outside the context of the CMECS, appeared to influence the distribution of taxa across sites more than the CMECS geoform, substrate, and water column components. The CMECS worked well for classifying the entire study area, but was not adequate for classifying the complex fine-scale habitats and temporal variations observed; modifications to the CMECS could help resolve these issues., Keywords: management, scheme, Gulf of Mexico, Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard, hardbottom, marine habitat classification, zones, Publication Note: The publisher's version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8010022

: Bacterial community diversity of the deep-sea octocoral .; Compared to tropical corals, much less is known about deep-sea coral biology and ecology. Although the microbial communities of some deep-sea corals have been described, this is the first study to characterize the bacterial community associated with the deep-sea octocoral, . Samples from five colonies of were collected from Baltimore Canyon (379-382 m depth) in the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of the United States of America. DNA was extracted from the coral samples and 16S rRNA gene amplicons were pyrosequenced using V4-V5 primers. Three samples sequenced deeply (>4,000 sequences each) and were further analyzed. The dominant microbial phylum was Proteobacteria, but other major phyla included Firmicutes and Planctomycetes. A conserved community of bacterial taxa held in common across the three colonies was identified, comprising 68-90% of the total bacterial community depending on the coral individual. The bacterial community of does not appear to include the genus , which has been found previously to be the dominant bacterial associate in several temperate and tropical gorgonians. Inferred functionality suggests the possibility of nitrogen cycling by the core bacterial community., Keywords: Bacteria, Cold-water coral, Gorgonian, Microbiome, Submarine canyon, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5047221.

: Bacterial community diversity of the deep-sea octocoral Paramuricea placomus; Compared to tropical corals, muth less is known about deep-sea coral biology and ecology. Although the microbial communities of some deep-sea corals have been described this is the first study to characterize the bacterial community associated wide) the deep-sea octocoral, Paramuncea Placornus. Samples from five colonies of P. placomus were collected from Baltimore Canyon (379-382 m depth) in the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of the United States of America. DNA was extracted from the coral samples and 16S rRNA gene amplicons were pyrosequenced using V4-V5 primers. Three samples sequenced deeply (>4,000 sequences each) and were further analyzed. The dominant microbial phylum was Proteobacteria, but other major phyla included Firmicutes and Planctomycetes. A conserved community of bacterial taxa held in common across the three P. placomus colonies was identified, comprising 68-90% of the total bacterial community depending on the coral individual. The bacterial community of P. placomus does not appear to include the genus Endozoicomonas, which has been found previously to be the dominant bacterial associate in several temperate and tropical gorgonians. Inferred functionality suggests the possibility of nitrogen cycling by the core bacterial community., Keywords: Bacteria, Cold-water coral, cold-water corals, coral lophelia-pertusa, culturable bacteria, fixation acetylene-reduction, Gorgonian, great-barrier-reef, gulf-of-mexico, microbial communities, Microbiome, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, phylogenetic characterization, pocillopora-damicornis, Submarine canyon, Publication Note: The publisher’s version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2529

: BioTIME; The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene. The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record. BioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km (158 cm) to 100 km (1,000,000,000,000 cm). BioTIME records span from 1874 to 2016. The minimal temporal grain across all datasets in BioTIME is a year. BioTIME includes data from 44,440 species across the plant and animal kingdoms, ranging from plants, plankton and terrestrial invertebrates to small and large vertebrates. .csv and .SQL., Keywords: Biodiversity, Global, Spatial, Species richness, Temporal, Turnover, Grant Number: , 250189, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6099392.

: 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. Key differences between the two species' microbiomes included a robust presence of bacteria belonging to the Chlamydiales order in most of the P. pacifica samples, whereas no more than 2% of any microbial community from P. resedaeformis comprised these bacteria. Microbiomes of P. resedaeformis exhibited higher diversity than those of P. pacifica, and the two species largely clustered separately in a principal coordinate analysis. Comparison of P. resedaeformis microbiomes from samples collected in two submarine canyons revealed a significant difference between locations. This finding mirrored significant genetic differences among the P. resedaeformis from the two canyons based upon population genetic analysis of microsatellite loci. This study presents the first report of microbiomes associated with these two coral species., Keywords: lophelia-pertusa, acropora-cervicornis, aleutian islands, biosurfactant production, core microbiome, depth distribution, mid-atlantic bight, mussismilia-hispida, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, population-structure, Publication Note: The publisher’s version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30901-z

: 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. Key differences between the two species' microbiomes included a robust presence of bacteria belonging to the Chlamydiales order in most of the P. pacifica samples, whereas no more than 2% of any microbial community from P. resedaeformis comprised these bacteria. Microbiomes of P. resedaeformis exhibited higher diversity than those of P. pacifica, and the two species largely clustered separately in a principal coordinate analysis. Comparison of P. resedaeformis microbiomes from samples collected in two submarine canyons revealed a significant difference between locations. This finding mirrored significant genetic differences among the P. resedaeformis from the two canyons based upon population genetic analysis of microsatellite loci. This study presents the first report of microbiomes associated with these two coral species., Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6098105.

: Coral-Associated Bacterial Diversity Is Conserved across Two Deep-Sea Anthothela Species; Cold-water corals, similar to tropical corals, contain diverse and complex microbial assemblages. These bacteria provide essential biological functions within coral holobionts, facilitating increased nutrient utilization and production of antimicrobial compounds. To date, few cold-water octocoral species have been analyzed to explore the diversity and abundance of their microbial associates. For this study, 23 samples of the family Anthothelidae were collected from Norfolk (n = 12) and Baltimore Canyons (n = 11) from the western Atlantic in August 2012 and May 2013. Genetic testing found that these samples comprised two Anthothela species (Anthothela grandiflora and Anthothela sp.) and Alcyonium grandiflorurn. DNA was extracted and sequenced with primers targeting the V4-V5 variable region of the 16S rRNA gene using 454 pyrosequencing with GS FLX Titanium chemistry. Results demonstrated that the coral host was the primary driver of bacterial community composition. Al. grandiflorum, dominated by Alteromonadales and Pirellulales had much higher species richness, and a distinct bacterial community compared to Anthothela samples. Anthothela species (A. grandiflora and Anthothela sp.) had very similar bacterial communities, dominated by Oceanospirillales and Spirochaetes. Additional analysis of core-conserved bacteria at 90% sample coverage revealed genus level conservation across Anthothela samples. This core included unclassified Oceanospirillales, Kiloniellales, Campylobacterales, and genus Spirochaeta. Members of this core were previously recognized for their functional capabilities in nitrogen cycling and suggest the possibility of a nearly complete nitrogen cycle within Anthothela species. Overall, many of the bacterial associates identified in this study have the potential to contribute to the acquisition and cycling of nutrients within the coral holobiont., Keywords: Bacteria, cold-water corals, deep sea, fixation acetylene-reduction, Gorgonian, great-barrier-reef, lophelia-pertusa scleractinia, Microbiome, mucus-associated bacteria, Octocoral, red-sea, reef-building coral, ribosomal-rna sequences, sp-nov., submarine canyons, white plague disease, Publication Note: The publisher’s version of record is available at http://www.dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00458

: Coral-Associated Bacterial Diversity Is Conserved across Two Deep-Sea Anthothela Species.; Cold-water corals, similar to tropical corals, contain diverse and complex microbial assemblages. These bacteria provide essential biological functions within coral holobionts, facilitating increased nutrient utilization and production of antimicrobial compounds. To date, few cold-water octocoral species have been analyzed to explore the diversity and abundance of their microbial associates. For this study, 23 samples of the family Anthothelidae were collected from Norfolk (n = 12) and Baltimore Canyons (n = 11) from the western Atlantic in August 2012 and May 2013. Genetic testing found that these samples comprised two Anthothela species (Anthothela grandiflora and Anthothela sp.) and Alcyonium grandiflorum. DNA was extracted and sequenced with primers targeting the V4-V5 variable region of the 16S rRNA gene using 454 pyrosequencing with GS FLX Titanium chemistry. Results demonstrated that the coral host was the primary driver of bacterial community composition. Al. grandiflorum, dominated by Alteromonadales and Pirellulales had much higher species richness, and a distinct bacterial community compared to Anthothela samples. Anthothela species (A. grandiflora and Anthothela sp.) had very similar bacterial communities, dominated by Oceanospirillales and Spirochaetes. Additional analysis of core-conserved bacteria at 90% sample coverage revealed genus level conservation across Anthothela samples. This core included unclassified Oceanospirillales, Kiloniellales, Campylobacterales, and genus Spirochaeta. Members of this core were previously recognized for their functional capabilities in nitrogen cycling and suggest the possibility of a nearly complete nitrogen cycle within Anthothela species. Overall, many of the bacterial associates identified in this study have the potential to contribute to the acquisition and cycling of nutrients within the coral holobiont., Keywords: Bacteria, Cold-water corals, Deep sea, Gorgonian, Microbiome, Octocoral, Submarine canyons, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4820459.

: Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera Bonasus) Predation Relative to Bivalve Ontogeny; The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of the cownose ray, Rhinoptera bonasus (Mitchill, 1815), to manipulate oysters and clams, to test for relative prey preference, and to investigate whether susceptibility to cownose ray predation changes with bivalve ontogeny. We investigated patterns of predation for captive adult and young-of-year cownose rays on 4 species of bivalves, including Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791), Crassostrea ariakensis (Fujita, 1913), Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758), and Mya arenaria Linnaeus, 1758. In oyster (C. virginica) trials, predation probabilities by adult rays were highest at shell heights of 30–70 mm and shell depths of 8–22 mm. The rates of predation by adult rays in trials in which samesize oysters were used were higher than rates in most comingled trials. Adult rays showed no differences in predation between native oysters (C. virginica) and nonnative oysters (C. ariakensis; P > 0.05). Adult rays selected hard- and soft-shell clams (Manly-Chesson index M. mercenaria, α = 0.736 ± 0.002, electivity = 0.473 ± 0.007; M. arenaria, α = 0.742 ± 0.003, electivity = 0.485 ± 0.013) over oysters (C. virginica, α = 0.263 ± 0.002, electivity = -0.473 ± 0.007; α = 0.257 ± 0.003, electivity = -0.485 ± 0.003). In young-of-year feeding trials, oysters with a shell height of 10–35 mm and a shell depth of 3–12 mm had the highest probability of predation. Native oyster and hard clam peak force or load crush tests resulted in forces of 200–1,500 N and 400–1,400 N across shell depths of 10–35 mm and 21–34 mm, respectively, before valve failure. The results of this study indicate that cownose ray predation on shellfish is limited by shell size and is likely related to ray jaw gape and bite force., Keywords: Durophagy, cownose ray, prey selection, predation risk, Rhinoptera, bivalve mollusc, Note: Final PDF deposited on behalf of Grubbs with written permission from Editor Shumway via email dated 4/2/14. Journal website: http://www.shellfish.org/jsr-public, Citation: Fisher, R.A., G.C. Call, R.D. Grubbs. 2011. Cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) predation relative to bivalve ontogeny. J. Shellfish Research 30(1): 187-196. DOI: 10.2983/035.030.0126

: Critical assessment and ramifications of a purported marine trophic cascade; When identifying potential trophic cascades, it is important to clearly establish the trophic linkages between predators and prey with respect to temporal abundance, demographics, distribution, and diet. In the northwest Atlantic Ocean, the depletion of large coastal sharks was thought to trigger a trophic cascade whereby predation release resulted in increased cownose ray abundance, which then caused increased predation on and subsequent collapse of commercial bivalve stocks. These claims were used to justify the development of a predator-control fishery for cownose rays, the "Save the Bay, Eat a Ray" fishery, to reduce predation on commercial bivalves. A reexamination of data suggests declines in large coastal sharks did not coincide with purported rapid increases in cownose ray abundance. Likewise, the increase in cownose ray abundance did not coincide with declines in commercial bivalves. The lack of temporal correlations coupled with published diet data suggest the purported trophic cascade is lacking the empirical linkages required of a trophic cascade. Furthermore, the life history parameters of cownose rays suggest they have low reproductive potential and their populations are incapable of rapid increases. Hypothesized trophic cascades should be closely scrutinized as spurious conclusions may negatively influence conservation and management decisions., Keywords: argopecten-irradians-concentricus, cownose ray, ecological consequences, food-habits, gulf-of-mexico, lower chesapeake bay, population-dynamics, recruitment limitation, relative abundance, rhinoptera-bonasus, Publication Note: The publisher’s version of record is available at http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep20970

: Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management For Social-ecological Systems; Resource managers and policy makers have long recognized the importance of considering fisheries in the context of ecosystems; yet, movement towards widespread Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management (EBFM) has been slow. A conceptual reframing of fisheries management is occurring globally, which envisions fisheries as systems with interacting biophysical and human subsystems. This broader view, along with a process for decision making, can facilitate implementation of EBFM. A pathway to achieve these broadened objectives of EBFM in the United States is a Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP). The first generation of FEPs was conceived in the late 1990s as voluntary guidance documents that Regional Fishery Management Councils could adopt to develop and guide their ecosystem-based fisheries management decisions, but few of these FEPs took concrete steps to implement EBFM. Here, we emphasize the need for a new generation of FEPs that provide practical mechanisms for putting EBFM into practice in the United States. We argue that next-generation FEPs can balance environmental, economic, and social objectivesthe triple bottom lineto improve long-term planning for fishery systems., Keywords: risk, program, implementation, science, objectives, adaptive management, alaska, Ecosystem-based fisheries management, Fishery Ecosystem Plan, fishery system, social-ecological system, Publication Note: The publisher's version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12367

: From Shelf to Shelf; Describing patterns of connectivity among populations of species with widespread distributions is particularly important in understanding the ecology and evolution of marine species. In this study, we examined patterns of population differentiation, migration, and historical population dynamics using microsatellite and mitochondrial loci to test whether populations of the epinephelid fish, Gag, Mycteroperca microlepis, an important fishery species, are genetically connected across the Gulf of Mexico and if so, whether that connectivity is attributable to either contemporary or historical processes. Populations of Gag on the Campeche Bank and the West Florida Shelf show significant, but low magnitude, differentiation. Time since divergence/expansion estimates associated with historical population dynamics indicate that any population or spatial expansions indicated by population genetics would have likely occurred in the late Pleistocene. Using coalescent-based approaches, we find that the best model for explaining observed spatial patterns of contemporary genetic variation is one of asymmetric gene flow, with movement from Campeche Bank to the West Florida Shelf. Both estimated migration rates and ecological data support the hypothesis that Gag populations throughout the Gulf of Mexico are connected via present day larval dispersal. Demonstrating this greatly expanded scale of connectivity for Gag highlights the influence of "ghost" populations (sensu Beerli) on genetic patterns and presents a critical consideration for both fisheries management and conservation of this and other species with similar genetic patterns., Note: Copyright: © 2015 Jue et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited., Citation: Jue NK, Brulé T, Coleman FC, Koenig CC (2015) From Shelf to Shelf: Assessing Historical and Contemporary Genetic Differentiation and Connectivity across the Gulf of Mexico in Gag, Mycteroperca microlepis. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0120676. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0120676

: Genetic And Biophysical Modelling Evidence Of Generational Connectivity In The Intensively Exploited, Western North Atlantic Red Grouper (epinephelus Morio); Understanding the connectivity of reef organisms is important to assist in the conservation of biological diversity and to facilitate sustainable fisheries in these ecosystems. Common methods to assess reef connectivity include both population genetics and biophysical modelling. Individually, these techniques can offer insight into population structure; however, the information acquired by any singular analysis is often subject to limitations, underscoring the need for a multi-faceted approach. To assess the connectivity dynamics of the red grouper (Epinephelus morio), an economically important reef fish species found throughout the Gulf of Mexico and USA western Atlantic, we utilized two sets of genetic markers (12 microsatellite loci and 632 single nucleotide polymorphisms) to resolve this species' population genetic structure, along with biophysical modelling to deliver a spatial forecast of potential larval "sources" and "sinks" across these same regions and spatial scale. Our genetic survey indicates little, if any, evidence of population genetic structure and modelling efforts indicate the potential for ecological connectivity between sampled regions over multiple generations. We offer that using a dual empirical and theoretical approach lessens the error associated with the use of any single method and provides an important step towards the validation of either of these methodologies., diversity, gulf-of-mexico, software, complex, population-structure, connectivity, Atlantic Ocean, biophysical modelling, campeche bank, grouper, Gulf of Mexico, microsatellite DNA, microsatellite loci, pulley ridge, r-package, reef, single nucleotide polymorphism, The publisher's version of record is availible at https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsz201

: Genetic Homogeneity Of The Invasive Lionfish Across The Northwestern Atlantic And The Gulf Of Mexico Based On Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms; Despite the devastating impact of the lionfish (Pterois volitans) invasion on NW Atlantic ecosystems, little genetic information about the invasion process is available. We applied Genotyping by Sequencing techniques to identify 1,220 single nucleotide polymorphic sites (SNPs) from 162 lionfish samples collected between 2013 and 2015 from two areas chronologically identified as the first and last invaded areas in US waters: the east coast of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. We used population genomic analyses, including phylogenetic reconstruction, Bayesian clustering, genetic distances, Discriminant Analyses of Principal Components, and coalescence simulations for detection of outlier SNPs, to understand genetic trends relevant to the lionfish's long-term persistence. We found no significant differences in genetic structure or diversity between the two areas (F-ST p-values > 0.01, and t-test p-values > 0.05). In fact, our genomic analyses showed genetic homogeneity, with enough gene flow between the east coast of Florida and Gulf of Mexico to erase previous signals of genetic divergence detected between these areas, secondary spreading, and bottlenecks in the Gulf of Mexico. These findings suggest rapid genetic changes over space and time during the invasion, resulting in one panmictic population with no signs of divergence between areas due to local adaptation., Keywords: selection, biological invasion, botryllus-schlosseri, indo-pacific lionfish, miles bennett, mitochondrial, nuclear discordance, pterois-volitans, sequencing reveals, western north-atlantic, Publication Note: The publisher's version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23339-w

: Genetic homogeneity of the invasive lionfish across the Northwestern Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms.; Despite the devastating impact of the lionfish (Pterois volitans) invasion on NW Atlantic ecosystems, little genetic information about the invasion process is available. We applied Genotyping by Sequencing techniques to identify 1,220 single nucleotide polymorphic sites (SNPs) from 162 lionfish samples collected between 2013 and 2015 from two areas chronologically identified as the first and last invaded areas in US waters: the east coast of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. We used population genomic analyses, including phylogenetic reconstruction, Bayesian clustering, genetic distances, Discriminant Analyses of Principal Components, and coalescence simulations for detection of outlier SNPs, to understand genetic trends relevant to the lionfish's long-term persistence. We found no significant differences in genetic structure or diversity between the two areas (F p-values > 0.01, and t-test p-values > 0.05). In fact, our genomic analyses showed genetic homogeneity, with enough gene flow between the east coast of Florida and Gulf of Mexico to erase previous signals of genetic divergence detected between these areas, secondary spreading, and bottlenecks in the Gulf of Mexico. These findings suggest rapid genetic changes over space and time during the invasion, resulting in one panmictic population with no signs of divergence between areas due to local adaptation., Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5864727.

: Movement Patterns and Habitat Use of Smalltooth Sawfish, Pristis Pectinata, Determined Using Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags; 1. Research on rare and threatened species is often limited by access to sufficient individuals to acquire information needed to design appropriate conservation measures. 2. Using a combination of data from pop-up archival transmitting (PAT) tags across multiple institutional programmes, movements and habitat use of endangered smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata were determined for animals from southern Florida and the Bahamas. 3. All P. pectinata (n =12) generally remained in coastal waters within the region where they were initially tagged, travelling an average of 80.2 km from deployment to pop-up location. The shortest distance moved was 4.6 km and the greatest 279.1 km, averaging 1.4 km day-1. Seasonal movement rates for females were significantly different with the greatest movements in autumn and winter. 4. Pristis pectinata spent the majority of their time at shallow depths (96% of their time at depths <10 m) and warm water temperatures (22–28°C). 5. Given sawfish show a degree of site fidelity punctuated by limited migratory movements emphasizes the need for conservation and management of existing coastal habitats throughout the species' range. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA., Keywords: elasmobranch, conservation, endangered species, recovery, Note: This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA., Citation: Carlson, J.K., S.J.B. Gulak, C.S. Simpfendorfer, R.D. Grubbs, J.G. Romine and G.H. Burgess. 2014. Habitat use and movement patterns of smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata, determined using pop-up satellite archival tags. Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst. 24 (1) DOI:10.1002/aqc.2382

: Origins of the Greenland shark (); Herein, we use genetic data from 277 sleeper sharks to perform coalescent-based modeling to test the hypothesis of early Quaternary emergence of the Greenland shark () from ancestral sleeper sharks in the Canadian Arctic-Subarctic region. Our results show that morphologically cryptic somniosids and can be genetically distinguished using combined mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers. Our data confirm the presence of genetically admixed individuals in the Canadian Arctic and sub-Arctic, and temperate Eastern Atlantic regions, suggesting introgressive hybridization upon secondary contact following the initial species divergence. Conservative substitution rates fitted to an Isolation with Migration (IM) model indicate a likely species divergence time of 2.34 Ma, using the mitochondrial sequence DNA, which in conjunction with the geographic distribution of admixtures and Pacific signatures likely indicates speciation associated with processes other than the closing of the Isthmus of Panama. This time span coincides with further planetary cooling in the early Quaternary period followed by the onset of oscillating glacial-interglacial cycles. We propose that the initial - split, and subsequent hybridization events, were likely associated with the onset of Pleistocene glacial oscillations, whereby fluctuating sea levels constrained connectivity among Arctic oceanic basins, Arctic marginal seas, and the North Atlantic Ocean. Our data demonstrates support for the evolutionary consequences of oscillatory vicariance via transient oceanic isolation with subsequent secondary contact associated with fluctuating sea levels throughout the Quaternary period-which may serve as a model for the origins of Arctic marine fauna on a broad taxonomic scale., Keywords: Greenland shark, Somniosus microcephalus, Elasmobranch, Interspecific gene flow, Introgressive hybridization, Isolation with migration, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5632604.

: Refining the global estimate of mangrove carbon burial rates using a sedimentary and geomorphic settings framework; This study provides an updated analysis of global, literature-derived mangrove organic carbon (OC) burial rates. Though our analysis indicates the best number (and 95% confidence interval) to represent global mangrove OC burial is 138.6 (120.3 – 158.8) g OC m-2 y-1, we contend that the use of a global number obscures critical nuances in burial rates. By implementing a recently formalized, spatially-explicit global typology to classify mangrove systems to coupled sedimentary-geomorphic settings, we demonstrate that a) burial rates within carbonate-dominated sedimentary settings are lower than in terrigenous settings, and b) more empirically measured mangrove OC burial rates are needed to differentiate burial rates within different geomorphic settings. Based on the demonstrated utility of this framework, we propose that future work should focus less on consolidating a single global confidence interval for mangrove OC burial rates, and should instead focus on exploring drivers of spatial variability in burial rates within sedimentary-geomorphic settings., Mangroves, burial, organic carbon, sedimentary setting, geomorphic setting

: Sexually Dimorphic Morphological Characters in Five North Atlantic Deepwater Skates (Chondrichthyes; Skates exhibit a variety of manifestations of sexual dimorphism. However, this phenomenon has been poorly documented in deepwater species. New data on the sexual dimorphism of five species of deepwater skates from the North Atlantic Ocean are presented: Amblyraja jenseni, Bathyraja pallida, Bathyraja richardsoni, Rajella bigelowi, and R. kukujevi. These skates exhibit sexual dimorphism most frequently in interorbital width, disc length and width, length of the third gill slit, horizontal diameter of the orbit, length of the fifth gill slit, space between the first and fifth gill slits, length of the second dorsal fin base, mouth width, length and width of each lobe of the nasal curtain, distance from the snout to the center of anus, distance from the snout tip to the point of maximum disc width, length of the lateral fold, length of the orbit + spiracle (measured together), tail height at the pelvic fin tips, and the number of median thorns., Note: Copyright © 2011 A. M. Orlov and C. F. Cotton. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited., Citation: Orlov, A. M., and C. F. Cotton. 2011. Sexually dimorphic morphological characters in five North Atlantic deepwater skates (Chondrichthyes : Rajiformes). Journal of Marine Biology, vol. 2011, Article ID 842821, 18 pp., doi:10.1155/2011/842821.

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