Browsing by Author "Gabriel, Daniela"
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- Alien Invasions: Quantifying the invasiveness risk of macroalgae in the AzoresPublication . Gabriel, Daniela; Martins, Beatriz; Ribeiro, Cláudia; Vilizzi, Lorenzo; Fredericq, SuzanneABSTRACT: The presence of aliens or non-indigenous species (NIS) is a known threat to biodiversity, health, and economy, so it is of high importance that their invasiveness risk be quantified. The mid-northern Atlantic archipelago of the Azores encompasses 30% of the European Union exclusive economic zone and is known to host a high proportion of marine NIS.
- Barcoding non-indigenous macroalgae in the AzoresPublication . Santos, Rodolfo; Ferreira, Anastasija; Micael, Joana; Costa, Ana Cristina; Gil-Rodriguez, Maria; Machin, Maria; Gabriel, Daniela; Parente, Manuela I.ABSTRACT: Algae invasions in marine habitats represent a recognized worldwide threat to the integrity of native communities, to economy and even to human health. The em phasis of the present work is on non-indigenous marine macroalgae species in the Azores.
- Beyond words: Outreach and science education for Generation AlphaPublication . Gabriel, Daniela; Calado, HelenaIn the last decades, there has been an increase in science education out of the school grounds, as well as growing interactions between researchers and the general public in outreach actions. In this regard, it is important to turn science into something meaningful to the non-academic public, and even involve them in data collection. The communication of science to elementary and middle schoolers is becoming more challenging as the age gap between children and researchers grows. Besides, Gen Alpha are usually born in small families, with increasingly less contact with their piers out of school and sport clubs, being somewhat resistant to exploratory or non-routine activities. One approach to reach this public is to take them out of the classroom, letting them make and answer questions as they observe the subjects. To engage in a successful communication, one needs to learn their “language” and be able to make comparisons with games, songs, and choreography they know and like. Another approach is to use games, from adapting simple board games to creating interactive games with virtual reality. Ultimately, the goal is to pass a message so simple and interesting that they easily and eagerly communicate it further to friends and family.
- Biodiversity of the Nemastomatales (Rhodophyta): new insights and future perspectivesPublication . Gabriel, Daniela; Neto, Ana I.; Fredericq, SuzanneABSTRACT: The Nemastomatales comprises two families of predominantly gelatinous representatives with heteromorphic life histories, the Nemastomataceae and Schizymeniaceae. Obscure and ephemeral events in the sexual cycle delimit genera in this order, but such phylogenetically informative features have not been confirmed for most species. Newly generated morphological data coupled with DNA sequence analysis inferred from chloroplast-encoded rbcL and nuclear LSU rDNA sequences of gelatinous red algae worldwide reveal that the external habit within select species is remarkably variable and cannot be used to distinguish species. Species reported as having a wide distribution range instead have a restricted distribution. For example, Platoma cyclocolpum (Mont.) Schmitz may be confined to the Macaronesian islands; the taxon going under this name from the Indian Ocean (Madagascar) is instead P. chrysymenioides Gavio et al., a species found throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Schizymenia dubyi (Chauvin ex Duby) J. Ag. described from Atlantic France is also present in Japan, but records of this taxon from the Azores, Namibia and Japan, should be referred to as S. apoda (J. Ag.) J. Ag., a species described from the Cape Province, South Africa. Recent deepwater collections of Predaea and Titanophora throughout the Gulf of Mexico coupled with unreported samples of Nemastomatales from the Azores and Japan are greatly expanding species diversity of the order. A firm biogeographic link between species from the Azores and the Gulf of Mexico and from Australia and the Indian Ocean is here firmly established and will be elaborated upon.
- Certified by nature: a new species of the gelatinous alga Dudresnaya (Dumontiaceae, Rhodophyta) from the AzoresPublication . Gabriel, Daniela; Neto, Ana I.; Fredericq, SuzanneABSTACT: Dudresnaya, a red algal genus belonging in the family Dumontiaceae, currently comprises 21 species of gelatinous algae from tropical to subtropical waters worldwide. Dudresnaya verticillata and D. crassa have been reported for the Azorean islands in species checklists since 1992 and 2001, respectively. The present work is the first taxonomic study of representatives of the genus in this archipelago. The Azorean specimens previously identified as Dudresnaya verticillata are here recognized as a new species based on four molecular markers (nuclear LSU, mitochondrial COI, and plastid rbcL and UPA). Genetic differences between the new taxon and its closest related species are: COI – 9,81%; rbcL – 7,35%; UPA – 3,44%; and LSU – 1,04%. The morphological and reproductive diagnostic features of the new species are described. Gametophytes are dioecious. Male plants present abundant spermatia borne on the outer cortical cells. Female plants bear 3-4 celled carpogonial branches and auxiliary cell branches borne at the base of cortical branches close to the axial filaments. Carposporophytes comprise numerous carpospores, forcing the surrounding cortical filaments to spread apart as they grow. Tetrasporophytes were not observed. Relationships among species of Dudresnaya are explored.
- Characterization of rhodolith beds in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico before and after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spillPublication . Fredericq, Suzanne; Schmidt, William E.; Gabriel, Daniela; Sauvage, Thomas; Krayesky, DavidABSTRACT: In the northwestern Gulf of Mexico beds of rhodoliths and unconsolidated rubble are associated with unique offshore deep bank habitats, the salt domes or diapirs that are peculiar to that part of the northern Gulf. In contrast to being mainly composed of crustose corallines (or foraminifera), rhodoliths in the NW Gulf of Mexico at depths of 40-85 m are instead dominated by red algal crust-forming members of Peyssonneliaceae and Rhizophyllidaceae.
- The correct identification of the species going under the name Scizymenia dubyi (Schizymeniaceae, Rhodophyta) in the Azores, based on molecular and morphological evidences.Publication . Gabriel, Daniela; Schils, Tom; Neto, Ana I.; Fredericq, Suzanne
- The crustose red algal genus Peyssonnelia (Peyssonneliales, Rhodophyta) in the Azores : from five to one speciesPublication . Gabriel, Daniela; Schmidt, W. E.; Krayesky, D. M.; Harris, D. J.; Fredericq, SuzanneThe family Peyssonneliaceae comprises a worldwide group of non-calcified to calcified, crust-forming red algae of great ecological significance. Of the genera currently recognized in the family, Peyssonnelia has been widely considered to contain the largest number of species, with five members reported for the Azores. Using rbcL as a molecular marker, we here report on the taxonomic identity of recent collections of Peyssonneliaceae from the Azorean islands of São Miguel, Graciosa and Pico, and compare those specimens in a worldwide context. Only a single Peyssonnelia species, P. squamaria, is confirmed for the Azorean archipelago, with three different haplotypes. Although the populations in the Azores are genetically different from those occurring in the Mediterranean, this separation appears to be relatively recent.
- CRYPTO Project - What we found so farPublication . Gabriel, Daniela; Fredericq, Suzanne; Teixeira, Carlos E. P.; Calado, HelenaABSTRACT: The presence of non-indigenous species (NIS) is one of the greatest threats to marine biodiversity, presenting potential impacts not only on biodiversity, but also on the economy and public health. When a species is not evidently native or introduced, it is referred to as cryptogenic, an occurrence with consequences for understanding biological invasions. The subregion Azores, with 30% of the EU exclusive economic zone, has 26 species of macroalgae or 6% of its marine flora identified as NIS. This number may increase once the origin of 40 other species that are classified as cryptogenic is clarified. Since many potentially invasive species are currently categorized as cryptogenic, resolving their status is imperative to evaluate their ecological impact and to develop management plans. The CRYPTO Project targets on assessing the origin, distribution and risk of potentially invasive algae, coupled with the application of DNA barcoding, phylogenetic reconstructions, haplotype networks and phylogeographic analyses, coupled with historical assessment and ocean modeling. This project shall contribute to address the EU Horizon 2020’s societal challenge “Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials”, aiming at the protection of the environment and the conservation of unique Azorean ecosystems. Preliminary results will be presented.
- O disfarce perfeito : novas algas do indo-pacífico imitam corais e enganam predadoresPublication . Gabriel, Daniela[…]. As macroalgas marinhas são organismos de difícil classificação, seja pela simplicidade estrutural, seja pela grande variação que apresentam quando submetidas a diferentes condições ambientais. O surgimento de ferramentas de identificação que utilizam marcadores genéticos, veio auxiliar a Taxonomia ao permitir a reconstrução da genealogia das espécies. Agora, uma vez que é possível identificar uma espécie e sua origem com base na sua composição genética, cabe ao investigador caracteriza-la morfologicamente, desvendando suas características únicas e os disfarces que utiliza. […].