Marine algal flora of São Miguel Island, Azores.

BACKGROUND: The macroalgal flora of the Island of São Miguel (eastern group of the Azores Archipelago) has attracted the interest of many researchers in the past, the first publications going back to the nineteenth century. Initial studies were mainly taxonomic, resulting in the publication of a checklist of the Azorean benthic marine algae. Later, the establishment of the University of the Azores on the Island permitted the logistic conditions to develop both temporal studies and long-term research and this resulted in a significant increase on research directed at the benthic marine algae and littoral communities of the Island and consequent publications.Prior to the present paper, the known macroalgal flora of São Miguel Island comprised around 260 species. Despite this richness, a significant amount of the research was never made public, notably Masters and PhD theses encompassing information regarding presence data recorded at littoral and sublittoral levels down to a depth of approximately 40 m around the Island and the many collections made, which resulted in vouchers deposited in the AZB Herbarium Ruy Telles Palhinha and the LSM- Molecular Systematics Laboratory at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of the Azores.The present publication lists the macroalgal taxonomic records, together with information on their ecology and occurrence around São Miguel Island, improving the knowledge of the Azorean macroalgal flora at local and regional scales. NEW INFORMATION: A total of 12,781 specimens (including some identified only to genus) belonging to 431 taxa of macroalgae are registered, comprising 284 Rhodophyta, 59 Chlorophyta and 88 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae). Of these, 323 were identified to species level (212 Rhodophyta, 48 Chlorophyta and 63 Ochrophyta), of which 61 are new records for the Island (42 Rhodophyta, 9 Chlorophyta and 10 Ochrophyta), one an Azorean endemic (Predaea feldmannii subsp. azorica Gabriel), five are Macaronesian endemisms (the red algae Botryocladia macaronesica Afonso-Carrillo, Sobrino, Tittley & Neto, Laurencia viridis Gil-Rodríguez & Haroun, Millerella tinerfensis (Seoane-Camba) S.M.Boo & J.M.Rico, Phyllophora gelidioides P.Crouan & H.Crouan ex Karsakoff and the green alga Codium elisabethiae O.C.Schmidt), 19 are introduced species (15 Rhodophyta, two Chlorophyta and two Ochrophyta) and 32 are of uncertain status (21 Rhodophyta, five Chlorophyta and six Ochrophyta).

Non-indigenous species refined national baseline inventories: A synthesis in the context of the European Union's Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Refined baseline inventories of non-indigenous species (NIS) are set per European Union Member State (MS), in the context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The inventories are based on the initial assessment of the MSFD (2012) and the updated data of the European Alien Species Information Network, in collaboration with NIS experts appointed by the MSs. The analysis revealed that a large number of NIS was not reported from the initial assessments. Moreover, several NIS initially listed are currently considered as native in Europe or were proven to be historical misreportings. The refined baseline inventories constitute a milestone for the MSFD Descriptor 2 implementation, providing an improved basis for reporting new NIS introductions, facilitating the MSFD D2 assessment. In addition, the inventories can help MSs in the establishment of monitoring systems of targeted NIS, and foster cooperation on monitoring of NIS across or within shared marine subregions.

Genetic and morphometric diversity of the goldcrest (Regulus regulus) populations in the Azores.

We studied the genetic diversity and phylogeography of the goldcrest Regulus regulus from the archipelago of the Azores (North Atlantic Ocean) based on sequences of two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b and the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2) and one nuclear gene in the Z-chromosome (intron 9 of the aconitase 1) from 69 individuals, and 41 birds from the Canary Islands and continental Europe for outgroup comparison. To understand the level of concordance between the genetic data and possible morphometric variability, 197 adult living birds from the seven Azorean islands where the species breeds were analysed in terms of eight morphometric characters. Our results are in accordance with previous studies, indicating a recent expansion of goldcrests throughout the archipelago and a low divergence in relation to continental Europe. Within the Azores, there is evidence of historical and/or recent gene flow among the island's populations, revealing a lack of current genetic structure within the archipelago. Only goldcrests from Flores Island seem to be genetically distinct and showed significantly larger body mass and tarsus length than birds on the other islands.

Dissemination of antibiotic resistant Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli from wild birds of Azores Archipelago.

Antibiotic-resistant is profoundly important to human and animal health, but the environmental reservoirs of resistance determinants are poorly understood, in particular in wild environments in remote Archipelagos. Moreover, the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wild bird populations is rather unknown. In the present study, we used the Azores Islands as a model study for antimicrobial resistance in a remote Archipelago, and examined the antibiotic resistance profile in enterococci and Escherichia coli recovered from faecal samples of wild birds collected in this Archipelago. A total of 138 enterococci and 115 E. coli isolates were analyzed for resistance to antimicrobial agents. Of the enterococcal isolates, Enterococcus faecalis was the most prevalent detected species (59 isolates), followed by Enterococcus faecium (40 isolates), Enterococcus durans (27 isolates) and Enterococcus hirae (12 isolates). The enterococci strains showed high percentages of resistance to tetracycline (32.6%), to ciprofloxacin (19.6%) and to erythromycin (11.6%). Lower level of resistance (<10%) was detected for ampicillin, chloramphenicol and teicoplanin. One vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis isolate was detected and harbored the vanA resistant gene. Resistance genes detected included tet(M) and/or tet(L), ermB in all tetracycline and erythromycin-resistant isolates. Resistance in E. coli isolates was detected for ampicillin, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, streptomycin, and tobramycin. The blaTEM, aadA, aadA5, strA, strB, tet(A) and/or tet(B), and the intI genes were found in all ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim-resistant isolates respectively. The data shown in this study are essential to improve knowledge about the dissemination of resistant strains through wild birds from remote archipelagos such as the Azores Archipelago and the possible implications involved in transferring these resistances either to other animals or to humans.

Echinoderms from Azores islands: an unexpected source of antibiotic resistant Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli isolates.

The prevalence of antibiotic resistance and the implicated mechanisms of resistance were evaluated in Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli, isolated from a total of 250 faecal samples of echinoderms collected from Azorean waters (Portugal). A total of 144 enterococci (120 Enterococcus faecium, 14 E. hirae, 8 E. faecalis, 2 E. gallinarum) and 10 E. coli were recovered. High percentages of resistance in enterococci were found for erythromycin, ampicillin, tetracyclin and ciprofloxacin. The erm(A) or erm(B), tet(M) and/or tet(L), vat(D), aac(6')-aph(2″) and aph(3')-IIIa genes were found in isolates resistant to erythromycin, tetracycline, quinupristin/dalfopristin, high-level gentamicin and high-level kanamycin, respectively. Resistance in E. coli isolates was detected for streptomycin, amikacin, tetracycline and tobramycin. The aadA gene was found in streptomycin-resistant isolates and tet(A)+tet(B) genes in tetracycline-resistant isolates. The data recovered are essential to improve knowledge about the dissemination of resistant strains through marine ecosystems and the possible implications involved in transferring these resistances either to other animals or to humans.

Diversification within glacial refugia: tempo and mode of evolution of the polytypic fish Barbus sclateri.

A diversity of evolutionary processes can be responsible for generating and maintaining biodiversity. Molecular markers were used to investigate the influence of Plio-Pleistocene climatic oscillations on the evolutionary history of taxa restricted to the freshwaters of a classical glacial refugium. Population genetic, phylogenetic and phylogeographical methods allowed the inference of temporal dynamics of cladogenesis and processes shaping present-day genetic constitution of Barbus sclateri, a polytypic taxon found in several independent river drainages in southern Iberian Peninsula. Results from different analyses consistently indicate several range expansions, high levels of allopatric fragmentation, and admixture following secondary contacts throughout its evolutionary history. Using a Bayesian demographical coalescent model on mitochondrial DNA sequences calibrated with fossil evidence, all cladogenetic events within B. sclateri are inferred to have occurred during the Pleistocene and were probably driven by environmental factors. Our results suggest that glaciation cycles did not inhibit cladogenesis and probably interacted with regional geomorphology to promote diversification. We conclude that this polytypic taxon is a species complex that recently diversified in allopatry, and that Pleistocene glaciation-deglaciation cycles probably contributed to the generation of biological diversity in a classical glacial refugium with high endemicity.