11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

Oral Mini-Symposium 26: Biodiversity and Diversification of Reef Organisms
26-29
Evolution Of The Zoanthid Genus zoanthus (Hexacorallia: Anthozoa) And
Associated symbiodinium in The Atlantic And Pacific Oceans
James REIMER* 1,2 , Frederic SINNIGER 1 , Kiyotaka TAKISHITA 2
1 Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, University of the Ryukyus,
Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan, 2 Extremobiosphere Research Center, Japan Agency for
Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Zooxanthellate zoanthids (=Order Zoantharia) of the order Zoanthus are commonly
found in coral reef ecosystems throughout the world’s tropical and sub-tropical oceans,
but until recently remained relatively neglected in terms of research. Recent work using a
combination of molecular and more traditional morphological and ecological techniques
have led to a more concise understanding of true levels of Zoanthus species diversity. In
this study DNA sequences (cytochrome oxidase subunit I, 16S ribosomal DNA, and
internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA) from Zoanthus spp. specimens from
numerous locations in the Atlantic and Pacific were obtained in order to investigate
evolutionary patterns in this genus. The results show two separate clades of apparently
“ancient” species groups that existed before the separation of the Atlantic and Pacific by
the Isthmus of Panama. Within each clade are two species of Zoanthus, one from each
ocean. Additionally, both species within each of the clades associate with the same
unique subclade of Symbiodinium (zooxanthellae), suggesting that in Zoanthus
associations with Symbiodinium may be apparently stable over relatively long
(~millions of years) periods of time. Attempts to estimate the age of the divergence of
these two “ancient” species clades using molecular clock calculations will be introduced.
26-30
Phylogenetical Analysis Of Zoanthus (Zoanthidea) Morphotypes From Brazilian
Coast
Leila LONGO* 1 , Erika SCHLENZ 2 , Maria Cristina ARIAS 3
1 Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências USP, São Paulo, Brazil,
2 Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências USP, São Paulo, Brazil, 3 Genética e Biologia
evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências USP, São Paulo, Brazil
The Zoanthidae (Anthozoa) presents morphological plasticity which constitute a
constraint for species identification. This study presents the morphological variability
within the genus Zoanthus and an evaluation of the taxonomical status of different
morphotypes, by the association of morphological and molecular data. Twenty one
morphological atributes were analysed from 235 samples comprising 20 collecting sites
along Brazilian coast, and submitted to a cluster analysis to detect the morphological
similarities. A canonical correspondence analysis was conducted to evaluate the
morphological character contribution to each group. These data were submitted to
phylogenetic analysis. Tissues from these morphotypes were used for molecular analysis
of 16S and COI mitochondrial genes using heterologous primers for PCR amplification.
The sequences were submitted to a phylogenetic analysis. The cluster analyses resulted in
12 different morphotypes. The correspondence analysis showed three most important
characters distinguishing the morphotypes. The phylogenetic analysis based on
morphological data evidenced the following three clades grouping: one - morphotypes 1,
2, 3, 4 and 5; two – morphotypes 6, 7, 8 and 9; three - 10 and 12, once they always
clustered together. However the morphotype 11 did not cluster in any of the former
groups. Molecular analysis from the 16S gene corroborates the cluster number and
composition based on the morphological traits, except for morphotype 12. The data from
COI gene showed two major clades, and high genetic divergence between the sequences
from morphotype 7 and 8. Our morphological and molecular results were congruent and
enabled us to stablish the following: morphotypes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 constitute
morphological variations of Zoanthus sociatus species; morphotypes 6, 7, 8 and 9
represent intraspecific polymorfism of Zoanthus solanderi; morphotypes 10 and 12 are
variations of Zoanthus nymphaeus; and morphotype 11 must be consider a new Zoanthus
species.
26-31
Coral Geographic: A Progress Report
J. VERON* 1 , L. DEVANTIER 2 , E. TURAK 3 , S. KININMONTH 4
1 Coral Reef Research, Townsville, Australia, 2 private, Noosaville, Australia, 3 private, Paris,
France, 4 AIMS, Townsville, Australia
Coral Geographic is a GIS database that has been in the building for a decade, during which
time it has been used extensively for reef conservation planning. The extent of this usage
prompted a major revision, which will remain on-going. The first product was a composite
global map of coral diversity that delineated a revised “Coral Triangle”. This, in turn, became
the basis for “The Coral Triangle Initiative”, a multi-million dollar international conservation
effort, launched at the Bali summit on climate change in December, 2007. Coral Geographic is
continuing towards a target product which will allow all users to download coral distribution
and environmental data in GIS format. These products will be amenable to detailed
interrogation and interfacing with other datasets.
26-32
"Species Richness and Morphological Diversity of the Genus Porites in the Pacific Ocean"
Alonso MOHEDANO - NAVARRETE* 1 , Hector REYES-BONILLA 2 , Ramon Andres
LOPÉZ-PÉREZ 3,4
1 Biologia Marina, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Mexico, 2 Biologia
Marina, Universidad Autonom de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Mexico, 3 Instituto de recursos,
Universidad del Mar, Oaxaca, Mexico, 4 Universidad del Mar, Oaxaca, Mexico
Biological diversity has been usually measured using species richness, but unfortunately this
parameter only shows a partial view of the communities. Studies on fossil and recent species
showed that morphological diversity can reflect functional aspects of the system more
efficiently than richness. The objective of this paper was to compare patterns of species richness
and morphological diversity in the genus Porites, recognized for its ecological relevance and
skeletal plasticity. Distribution data of 52 species were arranged in quadrants of 20° of latitude
and longitude, covering the entire Pacific Ocean (N=48). Nine morphological characters were
measured or considered for each species (maximum and minimum corallite diameter,
presence/absence of collumella, presence/absence of pali, proportion between wall width and
maximum diameter of corallites, type of septa, proportion between depth and maximum
diameter of corallites, presence/absence of ramifications, presence/absence of triplet). The set of
measurements was standardized and processed with a principal component analysis, and
estimation of the morphospace occupied by Porites at each quadrant was obtained by
calculation of the geometric mean of the morphological eigenvalues of the species. The results
show that there is no lineal relationship between species richness and diversity of forms for the
genus Porites along the Pacific Ocean; this occurs because in areas with mid to high richness
(from 20 to 31 species), morphological diversity is almost stable. We propose that the detected
morphospace limitations may indicate saturation in niche availability, or is caused by phyletic
limitations in this genus. In contrast, regions with low richness (16 to 6 species) have the
highest morphological diversity, and are usually located in peripheral areas such as Japan and
the eastern Pacific. Finally, there is no difference in morphological variability between
hemispheres or among latitudes.
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