Spatial-temporal shifting patterns and in situ conservation of spotted seal (Phoca largha) populations in the Yellow Sea ecoregion.

Understanding the habitat shifting pattern is a prerequisite for implementing in situ conservation of migratory species. Spotted seals (Phoca largha) inhabiting the Yellow Sea ecoregion (YSE) comprise a small population with independent genes and represent a charismatic flagship species in this region. However, this population has declined by 80% since the 1940s, and increased support from the countries around the YSE is urgently needed to address the potential local extinction risk. A time-series niche model and life-history weighted systematic conservation planning were designed on the basis of a satellite beacon tracking survey (2010-2020) of the YSE population. The results showed clustering and spreading shifting patterns during the breeding and migratory seasons, respectively. The closed-loop migration route formed in the YSE indicated that this population might be geographically isolated from populations in other breeding areas around the world. The conservation priority area (CPA), with an area of 19 632 km2 (3.58% of the total YSE area), was the most effective response to the potential in situ risk. However, nearly 80% of the CPA was exposed outside the existing marine protected areas (MPAs). Future establishment of MPAs in China should strategically consider the conservation gap identified herein, and it is recommended for Korea's closed fishing season to be spatially set in the western Korean Peninsula from May to August. This study also exemplified that the lack of temporal information would lead to the dislocation of niche modeling for migratory species represented by spotted seals. Attention should be paid to protecting small and migratory populations in marine biodiversity conservation planning.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Cepola schlegelii from the East China Sea.

Cepola schlegelii (Bleeker 1854) belongs to the genus Cepola in the family Cepolidae and order Priacanthiformes. The complete mitochondrial genome of C. schlegelii was sequenced and analyzed by a high-throughput sequencing approach. The full length of the genome is 17,020 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and a non-coding control region (D-loop). Phylogenetic analysis based on complete mitochondrial genomes revealed that C. schlegelii was most closely related to Acanthocepola krusensternii. The complete mitochondrial sequence of C. schlegelii will enrich the mitochondrial genome database and provide useful resources for population genetics and evolution analyses.

Mitochondrial genome assembly and phylogenetic analysis of Upeneus japonicus (Houttuyn, 1782) from the East China Sea.

The mitochondrial genome of Upeneus japonicus was successfully assembled by high-throughput sequencing data in this study. This is the first report on the complete mitochondrial genome of U. japonicus, with a total length of 16,535 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and a control region (D-loop). The overall base composition is 26.05% A, 26.10% T, 29.14% C, and 18.71% G. Phylogenetic analysis showed that U. japonicus was grouped with its sister species U. tragula. The mitochondrial complete genome study of U. japonicus would lay the foundation for further studies in population genetics and evolutionary analysis.

A genetic assessment of the population structure and demographic history of Odontamblyopuslacepedii (Perciformes, Amblyopinae) from the northwestern Pacific.

Coupled with geological and geographical history, climatic oscillations during the Pleistocene period had remarkable effects on species biodiversity and distribution along the northwestern Pacific. To detect the population structure and demographic history of Odontamblyopuslacepedii, 547-bp fragments of the mitochondrial DNA control region were sequenced. A low level of nucleotide diversity (0.0065 ± 0.0037) and a high level of haplotype diversity (0.98 ± 0.01) was observed. The Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference phylogenetic trees showed no significant genealogical structure corresponding to sampling locations. The results of AMOVA and pairwise F ST values revealed some significant genetic differentiation among populations, and the isolation by distance (IBD) analysis supported that the genetic differentiation was associated with the geographic distances. The demographic history of O.lacepedii examined by neutrality tests, mismatch distribution analysis, and Bayesian Skyline Plots (BSP) analysis suggested a sudden population expansion, and the expansion time was estimated to be around the Pleistocene. We hypothesize that the climate changes during the Pleistocene, ocean currents, and larval dispersal capabilities have played an important role in shaping contemporary phylogeographic pattern and population structure of O.lacepedii.

Complete mitochondrial DNA genome of grey pomfret Pampus cinereus (Bloch, 1795) (Perciformes: Stromateidae).

In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of Pampus cinereus (Bloch, 1795). This mitochondrial genome, consisting of 16,540 base pairs (bp), contains 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and two mainly noncoding regions (control region and origin of light-strand replication) as those found in other vertebrates. Control region with 846 bp in length, is located between tRNAPro and tRNAPhe. The overall base composition of the heavy strand shows 27.4% of T, 27.5% of C, 30.0% of A, and 15.2% of G, with a slight A + T rich bias (57.4%). The complete mitochondrial genome data will provide useful genetic markers for the studies on the molecular identification, population genetics, phylogenetic analysis and conservation genetics.

Next-generation sequencing-based transcriptome profiling analysis of Pohlia nutans reveals insight into the stress-relevant genes in Antarctic moss.

Genome-wide characterization of the Pohlia nutans transcriptome is essential for clarifying the role of stress-relevant genes in Antarctic moss adapting to the extreme polar environment. High-throughput Illumina sequencing was used to analyze the gene expression profile of P. nutans after cold treatment. A total of 93,488 unigenes, with an average length of 405 bp, were obtained. Gene annotation showed that 16,781 unigenes had significant similarity to known functional protein-coding genes, most of which were annotated using the GO, KOG and KEGG pathway databases. Global profiling of the differentially expressed genes revealed that 3,796 unigenes were significantly upregulated after cold treatment, while 1,405 unigenes were significantly downregulated. In addition, 816 receptor-like kinases and 1,309 transcription factors were identified from P. nutans. This overall survey of transcripts and stress-relevant genes can contribute to understanding the stress-resistance mechanism of Antarctic moss and will accelerate the practical exploitation of the genetic resources for this organism.

Decentralized resource allocation to control an epidemic: a game theoretic approach.

This paper examines how two countries would allocate resources at the onset of an epidemic when they seek to protect their own populations by minimizing the total number of infectives over the entire time horizon. We model this situation as a game between selfish countries, where players strategically allocate their resources in order to minimize the total number of infected individuals in their respective populations during the epidemic. We study this problem when the initial number of infectives is very small, which greatly simplifies the analysis. We show in this framework that selfish countries always allocate their resources so as to bring the effective reproduction ratio below one and avoid a major outbreak. When a major outbreak is avoidable, we further identify the necessary and sufficient conditions under which the individual allocation decisions of selfish countries match the decision that a central planner would make in order to minimize the total number of infectives in the whole population (without distinguishing between countries).