Insights on Pinna nobilis population genetic structure in the Aegean and Ionian Sea
The fan mussel Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758 is an endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea, protected by international agreements. It is one of the largest bivalves in the world, playing an important role in the benthic communities; yet it has been recently characterized as Critically Endangered by...
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PeerJ Inc.
2023-11-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/16491.pdf |
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| author | Georgia Sarafidou Dimitris Tsaparis Yiannis Issaris Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou Panos Grigoriou Eva Chatzinikolaou Christina Pavloudi |
| author_facet | Georgia Sarafidou Dimitris Tsaparis Yiannis Issaris Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou Panos Grigoriou Eva Chatzinikolaou Christina Pavloudi |
| author_sort | Georgia Sarafidou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The fan mussel Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758 is an endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea, protected by international agreements. It is one of the largest bivalves in the world, playing an important role in the benthic communities; yet it has been recently characterized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, due to mass mortality events. In this context, the assessment of the genetic variation of the remaining P. nobilis populations and the evaluation of connectivity among them are crucial elements for the conservation of the species. For this purpose, samples were collected from six regions of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea; the Islands of Karpathos, Lesvos and Crete; the Chalkidiki and Attica Peninsulas; and the Amvrakikos Gulf. Sampling was performed either by collecting tissue from the individuals or by using a non-invasive method, i.e., by scraping the inside of their shells aiming to collect their mucus and thus avoid stress induction to them. Conventional molecular techniques with the use of the COI and 16S rRNA mitochondrial markers were selected for the depiction of the intra-population genetic variability. The analyses included 104 samples from the present study and publicly available sequences of individuals across the whole Mediterranean Sea. The results of this work (a) suggest the use of eDNA as an efficient sampling method for protected bivalves and (b) shed light to the genetic structure of P. nobilis population in the Eastern Mediterranean; this latter knowledge might prove to be fundamental for the species conservation and hence the ecosystem resilience. The haplotype analyses reinforced the evidence that there is a certain degree of connectivity among the distinct regions of the Mediterranean; yet there is evidence of population distinction within the basin, namely between the Western and the Eastern basins. The combination of both genetic markers in the same analysis along with the inclusion of a large number of individuals produced more robust results, revealing a group of haplotypes being present only in the Eastern Mediterranean and providing insights for the species’ most suitable conservation management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:41:01Z |
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| id | doaj.art-d2304e7b5339437c9963e32050d5eacb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:41:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-d2304e7b5339437c9963e32050d5eacb2023-12-01T15:05:21ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592023-11-0111e1649110.7717/peerj.16491Insights on Pinna nobilis population genetic structure in the Aegean and Ionian SeaGeorgia Sarafidou0Dimitris Tsaparis1Yiannis Issaris2Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou3Panos Grigoriou4Eva Chatzinikolaou5Christina Pavloudi6Institute of Oceanography (IO), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Anavyssos, GreeceInstitute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Heraklion, Crete, GreeceInstitute of Oceanography (IO), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Anavyssos, GreeceInstitute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Heraklion, Crete, GreeceCretaquarium, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Heraklion, Crete, GreeceInstitute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Heraklion, Crete, GreecePSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, UAR CNRS 3278 Centre de Recherche Insulaire et Observatoire de l’Environnement (CRIOBE), Perpignan, FranceThe fan mussel Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758 is an endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea, protected by international agreements. It is one of the largest bivalves in the world, playing an important role in the benthic communities; yet it has been recently characterized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, due to mass mortality events. In this context, the assessment of the genetic variation of the remaining P. nobilis populations and the evaluation of connectivity among them are crucial elements for the conservation of the species. For this purpose, samples were collected from six regions of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea; the Islands of Karpathos, Lesvos and Crete; the Chalkidiki and Attica Peninsulas; and the Amvrakikos Gulf. Sampling was performed either by collecting tissue from the individuals or by using a non-invasive method, i.e., by scraping the inside of their shells aiming to collect their mucus and thus avoid stress induction to them. Conventional molecular techniques with the use of the COI and 16S rRNA mitochondrial markers were selected for the depiction of the intra-population genetic variability. The analyses included 104 samples from the present study and publicly available sequences of individuals across the whole Mediterranean Sea. The results of this work (a) suggest the use of eDNA as an efficient sampling method for protected bivalves and (b) shed light to the genetic structure of P. nobilis population in the Eastern Mediterranean; this latter knowledge might prove to be fundamental for the species conservation and hence the ecosystem resilience. The haplotype analyses reinforced the evidence that there is a certain degree of connectivity among the distinct regions of the Mediterranean; yet there is evidence of population distinction within the basin, namely between the Western and the Eastern basins. The combination of both genetic markers in the same analysis along with the inclusion of a large number of individuals produced more robust results, revealing a group of haplotypes being present only in the Eastern Mediterranean and providing insights for the species’ most suitable conservation management.https://peerj.com/articles/16491.pdfPinna nobilisPopulation geneticsMediterraneanCOI16S rRNAeDNA |
| spellingShingle | Georgia Sarafidou Dimitris Tsaparis Yiannis Issaris Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou Panos Grigoriou Eva Chatzinikolaou Christina Pavloudi Insights on Pinna nobilis population genetic structure in the Aegean and Ionian Sea PeerJ Pinna nobilis Population genetics Mediterranean COI 16S rRNA eDNA |
| title | Insights on Pinna nobilis population genetic structure in the Aegean and Ionian Sea |
| title_full | Insights on Pinna nobilis population genetic structure in the Aegean and Ionian Sea |
| title_fullStr | Insights on Pinna nobilis population genetic structure in the Aegean and Ionian Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Insights on Pinna nobilis population genetic structure in the Aegean and Ionian Sea |
| title_short | Insights on Pinna nobilis population genetic structure in the Aegean and Ionian Sea |
| title_sort | insights on pinna nobilis population genetic structure in the aegean and ionian sea |
| topic | Pinna nobilis Population genetics Mediterranean COI 16S rRNA eDNA |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/16491.pdf |
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