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Chiara Papetti, Massimiliano Babbucci, Agnes Dettai, Andrea Basso, Magnus Lucassen, Lars Harms, Celine Bonillo, Franz Maximilian Heindler, Tomaso Patarnello, Enrico Negrisolo. (2021). Not Frozen in the Ice: Large and Dynamic Rearrangements in the Mitochondrial Genomes of the Antarctic Fish (Vol. 13).
Abstract: The vertebrate mitochondrial genomes generally present a typical gene order. Exceptions are uncommon and important to study the genetic mechanisms of gene order rearrangements and their consequences on phylogenetic output and mitochondrial function. Antarctic notothenioid fish carry some peculiar rearrangements of the mitochondrial gene order. In this first systematic study of 28 species, we analyzed known and undescribed mitochondrial genome rearrangements for a total of eight different gene orders within the notothenioid fish. Our reconstructions suggest that transpositions, duplications, and inversion of multiple genes are the most likely mechanisms of rearrangement in notothenioid mitochondrial genomes. In Trematominae, we documented an extremely rare inversion of a large genomic segment of 5,300 bp that partially affected the gene compositional bias but not the phylogenetic output. The genomic region delimited by nad5 and trnF, close to the area of the Control Region, was identified as the hot spot of variation in Antarctic fish mitochondrial genomes. Analyzing the sequence of several intergenic spacers and mapping the arrangements on a newly generated phylogeny showed that the entire history of the Antarctic notothenioids is characterized by multiple, relatively rapid, events of disruption of the gene order. We hypothesized that a pre-existing genomic flexibility of the ancestor of the Antarctic notothenioids may have generated a precondition for gene order rearrangement, and the pressure of purifying selection could have worked for a rapid restoration of the mitochondrial functionality and compactness after each event of rearrangement.
Programme: 1124
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David Byrne, Jeff Polton, Colin Bell. (2021). Creation of a global tide analysis dataset: Application of NEMO and an offline objective analysis scheme.
Abstract: The accurate prediction of tides is vital for the operation of many industries, early warning of coastal flooding and scientific understanding of ocean processes. In this paper, we describe the creation method of a global dataset of tidal harmonics using NEMO (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean) for the first time and an offline objective analysis scheme. Data are assimilated as part of a post-processing step, reducing the computational resources required. A reduced ensemble of tidal harmonics is generated, where each member is run for a shorter period of time than a central background state. This ensemble is used to estimate a single background covariance state, which is used for analysis. Output is validated using an ensemble of objective analyses. For each ensemble member, random selections of observations are omitted and validation is performed at these locations. Improvements in both Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and correlation coefficients (R2) are seen across all 6 of the largest diurnal and semi-diurnal constituents. MAEs in amplitude and phase are reduced by up to 78% and 89%, respectively, and correlations by as much as 0.14. In addition, the majority of locations (between 70 and 80%) see significant improvement.
Programme: 688
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Alice Bernard, Ana S. L. Rodrigues, Victor Cazalis, David Grémillet. (2021). Toward a global strategy for seabird tracking (Vol. 14).
Abstract: Electronic tracking technologies revolutionized wildlife ecology, notably for studying the movements of elusive species such as seabirds. Those advances are key to seabird conservation, for example in guiding the design of marine protected areas for this highly threatened group. Tracking data are also boosting scientific understanding of marine ecosystem dynamics in the context of global change. To optimize future tracking efforts, we performed a global assessment of seabird tracking data. We identified and mined 689 seabird tracking studies, reporting on > 28,000 individuals of 216 species from 17 families over the last four decades. We found substantial knowledge gaps, reflecting a historical neglect of tropical seabird ecology, with biases toward species that are heavier, oceanic, and from high-latitude regions. Conservation status had little influence on seabird tracking propensity. We identified 54 threatened species for which we did not find published tracking records, and 19 with very little data. Additionally, much of the existing tracking data are not yet available to other researchers and decision-makers in online databases. We highlight priority species and regions for future tracking efforts. More broadly, we provide guidance toward an ethical, rational, and efficient global tracking program for seabirds, as a contribution to their conservation.
Keywords: biogeography biologging biotelemetry ecological monitoring marine conservation oceanography spatial planning threatened species
Programme: 388
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Tammy E. Davies, Ana P.B. Carneiro, Marguerite Tarzia, Ewan Wakefield, Janos C. Hennicke, Morten Frederiksen, Erpur Snær Hansen, Bruna Campos, Carolina Hazin, Ben Lascelles, Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Hólmfríður Arnardóttir, Robert T. Barrett, Manuel Biscoito, Loïc Bollache, Thierry Boulinier, Paulo Catry, Filipe R. Ceia, Olivier Chastel, Signe Christensen-Dalsgaard, Marta Cruz-Flores, Jóhannis Danielsen, Francis Daunt, Euan Dunn, Carsten Egevang, Ana Isabel Fagundes, Annette L. Fayet, Jérôme Fort, Robert W. Furness, Olivier Gilg, Jacob González-Solís, José Pedro Granadeiro, David Grémillet, Tim Guilford, Sveinn Are Hanssen, Michael P. Harris, April Hedd, Nicholas Per Huffeldt, Mark Jessopp, Yann Kolbeinsson, Johannes Krietsch, Johannes Lang, Jannie Fries Linnebjerg, Svein-Håkon Lorentsen, Jeremy Madeiros, Ellen Magnusdottir, Mark L. Mallory, Laura McFarlane Tranquilla, Flemming R. Merkel, Teresa Militão, Børge Moe, William A. Montevecchi, Virginia Morera-Pujol, Anders Mosbech, Verónica Neves, Mark A. Newell, Bergur Olsen, Vitor H. Paiva, Hans-Ulrich Peter, Aevar Petersen, Richard A. Phillips, Iván Ramírez, Jaime A. Ramos, Raül Ramos, Robert A. Ronconi, Peter G. Ryan, Niels Martin Schmidt, Ingvar A. Sigurðsson, Benoît Sittler, Harald Steen, Iain J. Stenhouse, Hallvard Strøm, Geir H. R. Systad, Paul Thompson, Thorkell L. Thórarinsson, Rob S.A. van Bemmelen, Sarah Wanless, Francis Zino, Maria P. Dias. (2021). Multispecies tracking reveals a major seabird hotspot in the North Atlantic (Vol. 14). Bachelor's thesis, , .
Abstract: The conservation of migratory marine species, including pelagic seabirds, is challenging because their movements span vast distances frequently beyond national jurisdictions. Here, we aim to identify important aggregations of seabirds in the North Atlantic to inform ongoing regional conservation efforts. Using tracking, phenology, and population data, we mapped the abundance and diversity of 21 seabird species. This revealed a major hotspot associated with a discrete area of the subpolar frontal zone, used annually by 2.9–5 million seabirds from ≥56 colonies in the Atlantic: the first time this magnitude of seabird concentrations has been documented in the high seas. The hotspot is temporally stable and amenable to site-based conservation and is under consideration as a marine protected area by the OSPAR Commission. Protection could help mitigate current and future threats facing species in the area. Overall, our approach provides an exemplar data-driven pathway for future conservation efforts on the high seas.
Keywords: area beyond national jurisdiction Atlantic biologging conservation high seas marine protected area regional seas convention
Programme: 330,333,388,1036
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Christian Zdanowicz, Jean-Charles Gallet, Mats P. Björkman, Catherine Larose, Thomas Schuler, Bartłomiej Luks, Krystyna Koziol, Andrea Spolaor, Elena Barbaro, Tõnu Martma, Ward van Pelt, Ulla Wideqvist, Johan Ström. (2021). Elemental and water-insoluble organic carbon in Svalbard snow: a synthesis of observations during 2007–2018 (Vol. 21).
Abstract: Light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols emitted by biomass or fossil fuel combustion can contribute to amplifying Arctic climate warming by lowering the albedo of snow. The Svalbard archipelago, being near to Europe and Russia, is particularly affected by these pollutants, and improved knowledge of their distribution in snow is needed to assess their impact. Here we present and synthesize new data obtained on Svalbard between 2007 and 2018, comprising measurements of elemental (EC) and water-insoluble organic carbon (WIOC) in snow from 37 separate sites. We used these data, combined with meteorological data and snowpack modeling, to investigate the variability of EC and WIOC deposition in Svalbard snow across latitude, longitude, elevation and time. Overall, EC concentrations (CsnowEC) ranged from <1.0 to 266.6 ng g−1, while WIOC concentrations (CsnowWIOC) ranged from <1 to 9426 ng g−1, with the highest values observed near Ny-Ålesund. Calculated snowpack loadings (LsnowEC, LsnowWIOC) on glaciers surveyed in spring 2016 were 0.1 to 2.6 mg m−2 and 2 to 173 mg m−2, respectively. The median CsnowEC and the LsnowEC on those glaciers were close to or lower than those found in earlier (2007–2009), comparable surveys. Both LsnowEC and LsnowWIOC increased with elevation and snow accumulation, with dry deposition likely playing a minor role. Estimated area-averaged snowpack loads across Svalbard were 1.1 mg EC m−2 and 38.3 mg WIOC m−2 for the 2015–2016 winter. An ∼11-year long dataset of spring surface snow measurements from the central Brøgger Peninsula was used to quantify the interannual variability of EC and WIOC deposition in snow. In most years, CsnowEC and CsnowWIOC at Ny-Ålesund (50 m a.s.l.) were 2–5 times higher than on the nearby Austre Brøggerbreen glacier (456 m a.s.l.), and the median EC/WIOC in Ny-Ålesund was 6 times higher, suggesting a possible influence of local EC emission from Ny-Ålesund. While no long-term trends between 2011 and 2018 were found, CsnowEC and CsnowWIOC showed synchronous variations at Ny-Ålesund and Austre Brøggerbreen. When compared with data from other circum-Arctic sites obtained by comparable methods, the median CsnowEC on Svalbard falls between that found in central Greenland (lowest) and those in continental sectors of European Arctic (northern Scandinavia, Russia and Siberia; highest), which is consistent with large-scale patterns of BC in snow reported by surveys based on other methods.
Programme: 1192
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Elena Barbaro, Krystyna Koziol, Mats P. Björkman, Carmen P. Vega, Christian Zdanowicz, Tonu Martma, Jean-Charles Gallet, Daniel Kępski, Catherine Larose, Bartłomiej Luks, Florian Tolle, Thomas V. Schuler, Aleksander Uszczyk, Andrea Spolaor. (2021). Measurement report: Spatial variations in ionic chemistry and water-stable isotopes in the snowpack on glaciers across Svalbard during the 2015–2016 snow accumulation season (Vol. 21).
Abstract: The Svalbard archipelago, located at the Arctic sea-ice edge between 74 and 81∘ N, is ∼60 % covered by glaciers. The region experiences rapid variations in atmospheric flow during the snow season (from late September to May) and can be affected by air advected from both lower and higher latitudes, which likely impact the chemical composition of snowfall. While long-term changes in Svalbard snow chemistry have been documented in ice cores drilled from two high-elevation glaciers, the spatial variability of the snowpack composition across Svalbard is comparatively poorly understood. Here, we report the results of the most comprehensive seasonal snow chemistry survey to date, carried out in April 2016 across 22 sites on seven glaciers across the archipelago. At each glacier, three snowpits were sampled along the altitudinal profiles and the collected samples were analysed for major ions (Ca2+, K+, Na+, Mg2+, NH4+, SO42-, Br−, Cl−, and NO3-) and stable water isotopes (δ18O, δ2H). The main aims were to investigate the natural and anthropogenic processes influencing the snowpack and to better understand the influence of atmospheric aerosol transport and deposition patterns on the snow chemical composition. The snow deposited in the southern region of Svalbard is characterized by the highest total ionic loads, mainly attributed to sea-salt particles. Both NO3- and NH4+ in the seasonal snowpack reflect secondary aerosol formation and post-depositional changes, resulting in very different spatial deposition patterns: NO3- has its highest loading in north-western Spitsbergen and NH4+ in the south-west. The Br− enrichment in snow is highest in north-eastern glacier sites closest to areas of extensive sea-ice coverage. Spatial correlation patterns between Na+ and δ18O suggest that the influence of long-range transport of aerosols on snow chemistry is proportionally greater above 600–700 m a.s.l.
Programme: 1192
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Guillaume Schwob, Nicolás I. Segovia, Claudio González-Wevar, Léa Cabrol, Julieta Orlando, Elie Poulin. (2021). Exploring the Microdiversity Within Marine Bacterial Taxa: Toward an Integrated Biogeography in the Southern Ocean (Vol. 12).
Abstract: Most of the microbial biogeographic patterns in the oceans have been depicted at the whole community level, leaving out finer taxonomic resolution (i.e., microdiversity) that is crucial to conduct intra-population phylogeographic study, as commonly done for macroorganisms. Here, we present a new approach to unravel the bacterial phylogeographic patterns combining community-wide survey by 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding and intra-species resolution through the oligotyping method, allowing robust estimations of genetic and phylogeographic indices, and migration parameters. As a proof-of-concept, we focused on the bacterial genus Spirochaeta across three distant biogeographic provinces of the Southern Ocean; maritime Antarctica, sub-Antarctic Islands, and Patagonia. Each targeted Spirochaeta operational taxonomic units were characterized by a substantial intrapopulation microdiversity, and significant genetic differentiation and phylogeographic structure among the three provinces. Gene flow estimations among Spirochaeta populations support the role of the Antarctic Polar Front as a biogeographic barrier to bacterial dispersal between Antarctic and sub-Antarctic provinces. Conversely, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current appears as the main driver of gene flow, connecting sub-Antarctic Islands with Patagonia and maritime Antarctica. Additionally, historical processes (drift and dispersal limitation) govern up to 86% of the spatial turnover among Spirochaeta populations. Overall, our approach bridges the gap between microbial and macrobial ecology by revealing strong congruency with macroorganisms distribution patterns at the populational level, shaped by the same oceanographic structures and ecological processes.
Programme: 1044
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Alexandra Lavrillier, Semen Gabyshev. (2021). An Indigenous science of the climate change impacts on landscape topography in Siberia (Vol. 50).
Abstract: As with many Indigenous Peoples, the Siberian Evenki nomadic reindeer herders and hunters have observed increasing consequences of climate change on the cryosphere and biodiversity. Since 2017, they have observed previously unthinkable changes in topography. Based exclusively on an Evenki Indigenous Ecological Knowledge system-social anthropology coproduction and community-based continuous observation from 2013, this paper analyses what a Subarctic People observes, knows, does not know, hypothesizes, and models (collectively or individually) about climate change impacts on Indigenous landscape types typical for local river systems. These landscapes are crucial tools for traditional activities. To the nomads, the landscape changes emerge from general anomalies: competition from new plant species; atmosphere–ground–vegetation interactions; icing blisters decrease; rising receding river water interactions; the formation of new soil, ice, and snow types; increasing ground, air, and water temperatures; and the (non)circulation of harsh air throughout the snowpack. We demonstrate the science-like structure and value of Indigenous typologies and hypotheses.
Programme: 1127
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Manuele Bazzichetto, François Massol, Marta Carboni, Jonathan Lenoir, Jonas J. Lembrechts, Rémi Joly, David Renault. (2021). Once upon a time in the far south: Influence of local drivers and functional traits on plant invasion in the harsh sub-Antarctic islands (Vol. 32).
Abstract: Aim Here, we aim to: (a) investigate the local effect of environmental and anthropogenic factors on alien plant invasion in sub-Antarctic islands; and (b) explore whether and how functional traits affect alien species dependence on anthropogenic factors in these environments. Location Possession Island, Crozet archipelago (French sub-Antarctic islands). Methods Single-species distribution models were used to explore the effect of high-resolution topoclimatic and human-related variables on the occurrence of six alien plants colonizing French sub-Antarctic islands. Furthermore, plant responses to human-related variables and the effect of those variables in interaction with plant traits were analysed by means of a multi-species distribution model. This allowed identifying functional features mediating the influence of human activities on the occurrence probability of alien plant species. Results We observed two main invasion patterns: (a) species predicted to occur close to the introduction sites, whose occurrence probability appeared to be strongly affected by anthropogenic factors; and (b) species predicted to occur nearly everywhere on Possession Island, except in areas featuring particularly harsh climatic conditions. Differences in the influence of human-related variables on the occurrence of the alien species were mostly related to their life history, plant height and residence time, with perennial and low-statured species introduced earlier appearing less dependent on human-induced dispersal and disturbance. Conclusions We conclude that both topoclimatic and anthropogenic factors affect plant invasion on sub-Antarctic islands. Specifically, species predicted to occur close to their introduction sites appear much more dependent on human presence and activity, potentially due to the lack of key functional traits allowing them to spread successfully across Possession Island under the harsh sub-Antarctic climate. Yet, particularly severe abiotic conditions are a major constraint which equally limits the occurrence of all alien plants, irrespective of their dependence on anthropogenic factors.
Keywords: alien plants anthropogenic propagule pressure cold environments human disturbances plant invasiveness species distribution models topoclimate
Programme: 136
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Peter S. Ungar, Lindsay Saylor, Aleksandr A. Sokolov, Natalia A. Sokolova, Olivier Gilg, Sophie Montuire, Aurélien Royer. (2021). Incisor microwear of Arctic rodents as a proxy for microhabitat preference (Vol. 101).
Abstract: Changing environmental conditions in the Arctic make it important to document and understand habitat preferences and flexibility of vulnerable high-latitude mammals. Indirect proxies are especially useful for elusive species, such as rodents. This study explores incisor microwear as an indicator of variation in behavior and microhabitat use in Siberian lemmings (Lemmus sibiricus) and narrow-headed voles (Lasiopodomys gregalis) from the Yamal Peninsula, Russia. Fifty-nine individuals were sampled at four sites along a latitudinal gradient from forest-tundra ecotone to high-Arctic tundra. Lemmings are present at the northernmost site, voles at the southernmost site, and both species at the middle two. Lemmus sibiricus prefers wet, mossy lowland, whereas La. gregalis favors drier thickets and more open microhabitats and burrows underground. Feature-based analyses indicate higher densities of features and more uniformly oriented striations for voles than lemmings at sites with both species. The species also differ significantly in microwear texture attributes suggesting larger features for lemmings, and smaller ones, but more of them, for voles. While no texture differences were found between sites within species, voles from sites with open tundra have higher striation densities than those from the forest-tundra ecotone. Furthermore, lemmings from open tundra sites have higher striation densities than those from the water-saturated, moss-covered northernmost site. While microhabitat preferences and burrowing by voles likely contribute to differences between species, variation within seems to reflect habitat variation given differences in abrasive loads between sites. This suggests that incisor microwear patterning can be used to track microhabitat differences among Arctic rodent populations.
Keywords: Arctic Environment Habitats Narrow-headed vole Russia Siberian lemming Tooth wear Tundra Yamal Peninsula
Programme: 1036
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