Marine Benthic Ecosystems Biodiversity Assessment through Integrative Approaches

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 December 2024) | Viewed by 1662

Special Issue Editors


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IPMA—Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere I.P., Algés, Portugal, and MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET—Aquatic Research Network Associate Laboratory, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal
Interests: marine ecology; marine biodiversity; DNA barcoding; integrative taxonomy; benthic habitats; macrobenthos; phylogenetics; phylogeography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IPMA—Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere I.P., Algés, Portugal, and MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET—Aquatic Research Network Associate Laboratory, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal
Interests: marine invertebrate biodiversity; integrative taxonomy; decapod larval development; phylogeny; phylogeography; non-indigenous species
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IPMA—Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere I.P., Algés, Portugal, and CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Matosinhos, Portugal
Interests: microalgae; cyanobacteria; harmful algal blooms (HABs); non-indigenous species; phylogeny; toxin gene clusters; genomes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine biodiversity research has increasingly focused on understanding the complexity of benthic habitats through integrative approaches. Integrative taxonomy combines traditional morphological identification with DNA barcoding and metabarcoding, offering a comprehensive approach for species identification and ecosystem assessment. Morphological taxonomy remains crucial for phenotypic identification, while DNA barcoding enables precise species discrimination by considering specific genetic markers. Metabarcoding, in turn, facilitates the assessment of biodiversity from bulk samples, revealing the hidden diversity within complex benthic communities. Moreover, the use of non-destructive methodologies, such as video images, enhances the study of marine communities by providing visual documentation of species in their natural habitats. This multidisciplinary approach is essential for accurately assessing marine biodiversity, monitoring ecosystem health, and informing conservation efforts. By combining different methodologies, researchers can achieve a more detailed and holistic understanding of benthic habitats, ensuring the preservation of marine biodiversity amidst environmental changes and human impacts. This Special Issue will include a collection of papers providing previously unpublished data related to benthic biodiversity identification, from microorganisms to megafauna, by using different approaches, giving readers the opportunity to better understand these organisms and habitats from the coastline to the deep sea.

Dr. Jorge Lobo Arteaga
Dr. Cátia Bartilotti
Dr. Catarina Churro
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • integrative taxonomy
  • morphological taxonomy
  • DNA barcoding
  • metabarcoding
  • video images
  • benthic habitats
  • macro- and megafauna
  • microphytobenthos
  • benthic harmful algal blooms (BHABs)
  • cyanobacteria

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1950 KiB  
Article
The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Korean Endemic Polychaete Phyllodoce koreana (Lee & Jae, 1985) from Jindong Bay, Korea, with Additional Morphological and Ecological Features
by Dae-Hun Kim, So Jin Ryu, Jong Rae Kim, Seong-il Eyun and Man-Ki Jeong
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(2), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13020223 - 25 Jan 2025
Viewed by 988
Abstract
Phyllodoce koreana was first described in 1985 in Gwangyang Bay, a semi-enclosed bay in Korea affected by significant organic input from the Seomjin River and dredging activities near the Gwangyang Port. Since then, this Korean endemic species has received limited attention in taxonomic [...] Read more.
Phyllodoce koreana was first described in 1985 in Gwangyang Bay, a semi-enclosed bay in Korea affected by significant organic input from the Seomjin River and dredging activities near the Gwangyang Port. Since then, this Korean endemic species has received limited attention in taxonomic and ecological studies. Phyllodoce koreana is known for its resilience to mild disturbances but is vulnerable to severe environmental changes. In this study, P. koreana specimens were collected from organically polluted Asian stalked tunicate aquaculture farms at eight sites in Jindong Bay, a location with environmental conditions similar to those of Gwangyang Bay, over the course of five sampling events from March to November. Both bays experience benthic hypoxia in summer due to elevated water temperatures and organic matter accumulation. Phyllodocid specimens were primarily collected in March and November 2023, non-hypoxic periods, suggesting potential seasonal adaptations to environmental fluctuations. The morphological features of the collected specimens were consistent with the original description of P. koreana, confirming their identification. Additionally, we reported previously overlooked morphological details, contributing to a more comprehensive taxonomic understanding of the species. We also present, for the first time, the complete mitochondrial genome of this species, comprising 15,559 bp, which provides essential genetic data for future taxonomic and phylogenetic studies. The phylogenetic analysis of protein-coding genes shows that, among 17 related polychaete species, P. koreana (family Phyllodocidae) is closely related to the family Goniadidae. Future research should expand our knowledge of polychaete taxonomy by integrating additional mitochondrial genomes and investigating the role of conserved gene synteny within Polychaeta. Full article
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