Browsing by Author "Serrão, Ester A."
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- Biomares, a LIFE project to restore and manage the biodiversity of Prof. Luiz Saldanha Marine ParkPublication . Cunha, Alexandra H.; Erzini, Karim; Serrão, Ester A.; Gonçalves, Emanuel João; Borges, Rita Alexandra; Henriques, Miguel; Henriques, Victor; Guerra, Miriam; Duarte, Carlos M.; Marbá, Núria; Fonseca, MarkThe Marine Park Prof. Luiz Saldanha, in the coast of Arrábida, is the first marine park in continental Portugal. This area is a Nature 2000 site and is considered to be a hotspot for European marine biodiversity. In 2005, the management plan of the park was implemented, ending several habitat menaces, thereby allowing an application to the LIFE—NATURE Programme. The LIFE-BIOMARES project aimed at the restoration and management of the biodiversity of the marine park through several actions. The restoration of the seagrass prairies that were completely destroyed by fishing activities and recreational boating, was one of the most challenging. It included the transplanting of seagrasses from donor populations and the germination of seagrass seeds for posterior plantation to maintain genetic diversity in the transplanted area. One of the most popular actions was the implementation of environmental friendly moorings to integrate recreational use of the area with environmental protection. Several dissemination and environmental education actions concerning the marine park and the project took place and contributed to the public increase of the park acceptance. The seabed habitats were mapped along the park and a surrounding area to 100 m depth in order to create a habitat cartography of the park and to help locate alternative fishing zones. Biodiversity assessments for macrofauna revealed seasonal variations and an effect of the protection status. Preliminary results are presented and show that the marine park regulations are having a positive effect on biodiversity conservation and sustainable fisheries, thereby showing that these kind of conservation projects are important to disseminate coastal conservation best practices. The Biomares project is a model project that can be followed in the implementation of marine reserves and the establishment of the Natura 2000 marine network.
- Early life history of larvae and early juvenile atlantic horse mackerel trachurus trachurus off the portuguese west coastPublication . Beveren, Elisabeth Van; Klein, Maria; Serrão, Ester A.; Gonçalves, Emanuel João; Borges, Rita AlexandraEarly life history traits (ELHTs) are key to understand recruitment patterns in marine animals. However, for reef fishes, studies on ELHTs are mainly focused on tropical systems and little is known for temperate reefs. In this study we used SMURFs (Standard Monitoring Units for the Recruitment of Reef Fishes) to collect fish in a temperate rocky reef system (Arrábida Marine Park, Portugal) on a weekly basis for three months during the recruitment period. Six sub-surface SMURFs sampled 2490 Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) postlarvae and juveniles. Sagittal and lapilli otoliths were extracted from a subsample of 296 fish and ELHTs, such as size and age at settlement, growth rate and age at first secondary growth formation were examined. Additionally, we tested three growth curves and selected the best suited to back-calculate the hatching pattern based on the lengths of all sampled fish. Standard length ranged from 6.13 mm to 48.56 mm and subsampled fish were aged between 19 days to 44 days. Age and size at settlement were estimated between 19 days and 36 days for individuals of 6.13 mm and 24.95 mm, respectively. Otolith shape changed clearly with increasing age and, on average, secondary growth started to form on day 33 (±3 days). Age/length relationship was well described by a Gompertz growth model which was used to back-calculate hatching dates. Four distinct hatching cohorts were identified with fish of the earliest cohort showing a faster body and otolith growth. This study indicates that the nearshore environment might have an important role in the early growth, development and hence recruitment of Atlantic horse mackerel. Information on the early life history of Atlantic horse mackerel is key to understand recruitment processes for this economically and biologically important species.
- High interannual variability in connectivity and genetic pool of a temperate clingfish matches oceanographic transport predictionsPublication . Klein, Maria; Teixeira, Sara; Assis, Jorge; Serrão, Ester A.; Gonçalves, Emanuel João; Borges, Rita AlexandraAdults of most marine benthic and demersal fish are site-attached, with the dispersal of their larval stages ensuring connectivity among populations. In this study we aimed to infer spatial and temporal variation in population connectivity and dispersal of a marine fish species, using genetic tools and comparing these with oceanographic transport. We focused on an intertidal rocky reef fish species, the shore clingfish Lepadogaster lepadogaster, along the southwest Iberian Peninsula, in 2011 and 2012. We predicted high levels of self-recruitment and distinct populations, due to short pelagic larval duration and because all its developmental stages have previously been found near adult habitats. Genetic analyses based on microsatellites countered our prediction and a biophysical dispersal model showed that oceanographic transport was a good explanation for the patterns observed. Adult sub-populations separated by up to 300 km of coastline displayed no genetic differentiation, revealing a single connected population with larvae potentially dispersing long distances over hundreds of km. Despite this, parentage analysis performed on recruits from one focal site within the Marine Park of Arrábida (Portugal), revealed self-recruitment levels of 2.5% and 7.7% in 2011 and 2012, respectively, suggesting that both long- and short-distance dispersal play an important role in the replenishment of these populations. Population differentiation and patterns of dispersal, which were highly variable between years, could be linked to the variability inherent in local oceanographic processes. Overall, our measures of connectivity based on genetic and oceanographic data highlight the relevance of long-distance dispersal in determining the degree of connectivity, even in species with short pelagic larval durations.
- Larval development and allometric growth of the black-faced blenny Tripterygion delaisiPublication . Solomon, Farahnaz N.; Rodrigues, Diana Duarte; Gonçalves, Emanuel João; Serrão, Ester A.; Borges, Rita AlexandraLarval development and allometric growth patterns of the black-faced blenny Tripterygion delaisi are described from a larval series (body length, LB = 3·30-12·10 mm) caught by light traps at the Arrábida Marine Park, Portugal. Larvae of T. delaisi possess distinctive morphometric and meristic characteristics which can be used to identify this species from related taxa. Pigmentation is sparse but characteristic, consisting of pigmented eyes, gas bladder pigmentation in the dorsal region, anal pigmentation and a row of regularly spaced postanal ventral melanophores. This pattern is present from as early as the yolk-sac stage and persists throughout all stages with just the addition of head and caudal pigmentation during the flexion and postflexion stages, respectively. The majority of fin development (with the exception of the caudal fin), occurs in the later stages of development. Myomere counts range between 37 and 45 for all stages. Growth is allometric during larval development. When inflexion points of growth were detected, growth was found to be biphasic with the inflexion points occurring within a very narrow range of LB (8·70-8·90 mm) close to the mean ± s.d. (9·44 ± 1·48 mm LB ) of postflexion larvae. Considering allometric growth patterns and ontogenetic descriptions together, the first developmental phase includes the preflexion and flexion stage larvae, while the second phase characterises the postflexion larvae prior to the transition from larvae to juvenile.
- Larval development and allometric growth of the black-faced blenny Tripterygion delaisiPublication . Solomon, Farahnaz N.; Rodrigues, Diana Duarte; Gonçalves, Emanuel João; Serrão, Ester A.; Borges, Rita AlexandraLarval development and allometric growth patterns of the black-faced blenny Tripterygion delaisi are described from a larval series (body length, LB = 3·30-12·10 mm) caught by light traps at the Arrábida Marine Park, Portugal. Larvae of T. delaisi possess distinctive morphometric and meristic characteristics which can be used to identify this species from related taxa. Pigmentation is sparse but characteristic, consisting of pigmented eyes, gas bladder pigmentation in the dorsal region, anal pigmentation and a row of regularly spaced postanal ventral melanophores. This pattern is present from as early as the yolk-sac stage and persists throughout all stages with just the addition of head and caudal pigmentation during the flexion and postflexion stages, respectively. The majority of fin development (with the exception of the caudal fin), occurs in the later stages of development. Myomere counts range between 37 and 45 for all stages. Growth is allometric during larval development. When inflexion points of growth were detected, growth was found to be biphasic with the inflexion points occurring within a very narrow range of LB (8·70-8·90 mm) close to the mean ± s.d. (9·44 ± 1·48 mm LB ) of postflexion larvae. Considering allometric growth patterns and ontogenetic descriptions together, the first developmental phase includes the preflexion and flexion stage larvae, while the second phase characterises the postflexion larvae prior to the transition from larvae to juvenile.
- Lipkea ruspoliana Vogt, 1886 (Cnidaria: Staurozoa) in Portugal: the contribution of citizen science to range extension and taxonomic discussion of rare speciesPublication . Miranda, Lucília S.; Tavares, Sílvia; Dos Santos, Antonina; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Serrão, Ester A.; Coelho, Márcio A. G.Citizen science online platforms are increasingly making important sources of biological information available at the click of a button, allowing the interaction of volunteers and scientists to report and identify the world’s diversity. In this work, we combined the data available in citizen science platforms (iNaturalist and GelAvista) and the efort and collaboration of a diverse team of scuba-divers,· scientists, and underwater photographers to report for the frst time the presence of the stauromedusa Lipkea (Cnidaria: Staurozoa) in Portugal. Based on DNA (COI and 16S), we identifed the species as Lipkea ruspoliana. However, the marginal lappets of some Portuguese specimens are similar to those of Lipkea sturdzii, a species described based on a single specimen in 1893 and never reported again. These results suggest that L. sturdzii is a synonym of L. ruspoliana, although further taxon and habitat sampling for genetic studies and investigations of intraspecifc morphological variation are necessary. In addition, we provided data on species ecology, reviewed the records of Staurozoa from Portugal, and mapped the world geographic distribution of Lipkea. Staurozoa is a cryptic group of cnidarians, and Lipkea seems to be a particularly rare genus. Citizen science has proved to be a valuable contribution to studies on the group, enabling biological discussions that otherwise would be more challenging. · ·
- Not out of the Mediterranean: Atlantic populations of the gorgonian Paramuricea clavata are a separate sister species under further lineage diversificationPublication . A. G. Coelho, Márcio; Pearson, Gareth Anthony; Boavida, Joana; Paulo, Diogo; Aurelle, Didier; ARNAUD-HAOND, Sophie; Gómez-Gras, Daniel; Bensoussan, Nathaniel; López-Sendino, Paula; Cerrano, Carlo; Kipson, Silvija; Bakran-Petricioli, Tatjana; Ferretti, Eliana; Linares, Cristina; Garrabou, Joaquim; Serrão, Ester A.; Ledoux, Jean-BaptisteThe accurate delimitation of species boundaries in nonbilaterian marine taxa is notoriously difficult, with consequences for many studies in ecology and evolution. Anthozoans are a diverse group of key structural organisms worldwide, but the lack of reliable morphological characters and informative genetic markers hampers our ability to understand species diversification. We investigated population differentiation and species limits in Atlantic (Iberian Peninsula) and Mediterranean lineages of the octocoral genus Paramuricea previously identified as P. clavata. We used a diverse set of molecular markers (microsatellites, RNA-seq derived single-copy orthologues [SCO] and mt-mutS [mitochondrial barcode]) at 49 locations. Clear segregation of Atlantic and Mediterranean lineages was found with all markers. Species-tree estimations based on SCO strongly supported these two clades as distinct, recently diverged sister species with incomplete lineage sorting, P. cf. grayi and P. clavata, respectively. Furthermore, a second putative (or ongoing) speciation event was detected in the Atlantic between two P. cf. grayi color morphotypes (yellow and purple) using SCO and supported by microsatellites. While segregating P. cf. grayi lineages showed considerable geographic structure, dominating circalittoral communities in southern (yellow) and western (purple) Portugal, their occurrence in sympatry at some localities suggests a degree of reproductive isolation. Overall, our results show that previous molecular and morphological studies have underestimated species diversity in Paramuricea occurring in the Iberian Peninsula, which has important implications for conservation planning. Finally, our findings validate the usefulness of phylotranscriptomics for resolving evolutionary relationships in octocorals
- Polar marine biology science in Portugal and Spain: Recent advances and future perspectivesPublication . Xavier, José C.; Barbosa, Andrés; Agustí, Susana; Alonso-Sáez, Laura; Alvito, Pedro; Ameneiro, Julia; Ávila, Conxita; Baeta, Alexandra; Canário, João; Carmona, Raquel; Catry, Paulo; Ceia, Filipe; Clark, Melody S.; Cristobo, Francisco J.; Cruz, Bruno; Duarte, Carlos M.; Figuerola, Blanca; Gili, Josep-Maria; Gonçalves, Ana R.; Gordillo, Francisco J. L.; Granadeiro, José Pedro; Guerreiro, Miguel; Isla, Enrique; Jiménez, Carlos; López-González, Pablo J.; Lourenço, Sílvia; Marques, João C.; Moreira, Elena; Mota, Ana M.; Nogueira, Marta; Núñez-Pons, Laura; Orejas, Covadonga; Paiva, Vitor H.; Palanques, Albert; Pearson, Gareth A.; Pedrós-Alió, Carlos; Peña Cantero, Álvaro L.; Power, Deborah M.; Ramos, Jaime; Rossi, Sergi; Seco, José; Sañé, Elisabet; Serrão, Ester A.; Taboada, Sergi; Tavares, Sílvia; Teixidó, Núria; Vaqué, Dolors; Valente, Tiago; Vázquez, Elsa; Vieira, Rui P.; Viñegla, BenjaminPolar marine ecosystems have global ecological and economic importance because of their unique biodiversity and their major role in climate processes and commercial fisheries, among others. Portugal and Spain have been highly active in a wide range of disciplines in marine biology of the Antarctic and the Arctic. The main aim of this paper is to provide a synopsis of some of the results and initiatives undertaken by Portuguese and Spanish polar teams within the field of marine sciences, particularly on benthic and pelagic biodiversity (species diversity and abundance, including microbial, molecular, physiological and chemical mechanisms in polar organisms), conservation and ecology of top predators (particularly penguins, albatrosses and seals), and pollutants and evolution of marine organisms associated with major issues such as climate change, ocean acidification and UV radiation effects. Both countries have focused their polar research more in the Antarctic than in the Arctic. Portugal and Spain should encourage research groups to continue increasing their collaborations with other countries and develop multi-disciplinary research projects, as well as to maintain highly active memberships within major organizations, such as the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Arctic Science Council (IASC) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), and in international research projects.
- Short-term temporal fluctuation of very-nearshore larval fish assemblages at the Arrábida Marine Park (Portugal)Publication . Borges, Rita Alexandra; Vaz, J.; Serrão, Ester A.; Gonçalves, Emanuel JoãoUnderstanding processes affecting fish recruitment and population connectivity is of major importance to the management of Marine Protected Areas. Fluctuations in recruitment of coastal fishes can be affected by processes occurring during the early life stages such as the dispersal and availability of larvae. In nearshore temperate environments, there is a lack of knowledge about the patterns of larval supply or biophysical interactions that may influence recruitment variability in these populations. With the objectives of investigating within season (Spring-Summer period) fluctuations that may affect recruitment, and of understanding patterns of larval retention close to the reefs, we used a plankton net attached to an underwater scooter to investigate weekly variation in the composition of fish larval assemblages, larval density and diversity and ontogenetic patterns of occurrence of fish larvae in the extreme nearshore environment of the Arrábida Marine Park (Portugal). The results from multivariate analysis (PERMANOVA and SIMPER) have showed a lower number of species dominating the assemblage, and significant differences in the abundance between species, when compared to previous studies. The presence of larvae in several developmental stages indicates some degree of retention. These findings are important to the management of the Marine Park.
- Small scale temporal patterns of recruitment and hatching of Atlantic horse mackerel (L.) at a nearshore reef areaPublication . Klein, Maria; Beveren, Elisabeth Van; Rodrigues, Diana Duarte; Serrão, Ester A.; Caselle, Jennifer E.; Gonçalves, Emanuel João; Borges, Rita AlexandraAtlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus, Linnaeus, 1758) is a highly exploited species, common throughout the North-East Atlantic. As a pelagic-neritic fish it typically occurs over the shelf from the surface to 200 m deep on sandy bottoms. Most research has focused on distributions of adults or early life stages (eggs and larvae) of this species in offshore waters and only a few studies have reported the occurrence of early stages near the coast. However, these nearshore environments might be important for the early growth and survival of the Atlantic horse mackerel. In addition, little is known on how environmental processes might affect the early stages of this species. Here, we monitored weekly recruitment of horse mackerel to artificial substrates (SMURFS) deployed near the coast at both the surface and near the bottom, and back-calculated hatching cohorts. The relationship of both recruitment and hatching patterns with environmental factors was investigated. From a total of 2,515 fish, 2,490 (99%) recruited to surface SMURFS. A GAM and GAMM analysis of the recruitment and hatching patterns, respectively, revealed a strong relationship with the lunar cycle and upwelling. Both recruitment and hatching showed lunar periodicity, with peaks near the new moon and revealed to be influenced negatively by upwelling. This study suggests that the nearshore environment might be an important nursery area for post-larval and early juvenile Atlantic horse mackerel