DNA Barcoding at the Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies

Marking its 20th anniversary, the international Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies took in September 2019 in Braga, Portugal

Participants to the 20^th International Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies, 9-12 September 2019, Braga, Portugal PHOTO CREDIT: Andreia Pacheco

Marking its 20^th anniversary, the international Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies, organized by the University of Minho and the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) in Braga, Portugal, took place from September 9-12 this year. Of the 14 plenary sessions, one was dedicated to DNA barcoding and DNA metabarcoding. Plenary speaker and session chair, Mehrdad Hajibabaei, Canada’s iBOL Science Committee member for Centre for Biodiversity Genomics at the University of Guelph in Canada discussed the latest updates on the use of DNA metabarcoding to study biodiversity across all life, from microbes to mammals. The session included five presentations ranging from revealing hidden diversity to the applications of DNA metabarcoding approaches. Discussing research in the Northwest Iberian Peninsula, Maria Fais presented on the assessment of spatio-temporal variation on meiofauna while Barbara Leite focused on investigations in macrozoobenthic communities. With a Mediterranean focus, Adria Antich discussed approaches to evaluate DNA dynamics in the benthic boundary layer between benthos and plankton. Focusing on the use of DNA barcoding to spot hidden diversity, Marcos Teixeira examined diversity in polychaetes from the Phyllodocidae family and David Varros-Garcia explored the deep-sea morid Lepidion lepidion from European waters.

Congratulations to Barbara Leite for winning the award for the best conference presentation. PHOTO CREDIT: Andreia Pacheco

Beyond the one session dedicated to DNA barcoding, there were several other sessions and poster talks that focused on the subject. The plenary speaker, Marta Pascual, used the gene COI among other genetic and genomic tools to show different cases of population genetic structure in marine organisms. DNA barcoding was also applied by Xazier Turon et al. to identify invasive ascidians and by myself and colleagues in a comprehensive analysis of DNA barcoding diversity in marine peracarids.

Two posters discussed the current status of the DNA barcoding reference libraries of non-indigenous marine species: Sofia Duarte et al. focused work in the Azores archipelago while Sofia Duarte et al. examined European coastal regions. Sampieri and colleagues used different genetic markers (including COI) to identify a complex of cryptic species along South American estuaries. DNA barcoding was even applied to study the diet of crustaceans.

Select Abstracts

Antich et al. Metabarcoding the benthic boundary layer: the role of sampling method and marker characteristics in the DNA signatures obtained at the interface between benthos and plankton. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00046 Barros-García et al. Phylogeography of the deep-sea morid codling Lepidion lepidion reveals the presence of two ancient Atlantic/Mediterranean lineages. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00129 Campos et al. Polymerase chain reaction as a promising tool for DNA-based diet studies of crustaceans. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00104 Duarte et al. Species gap analysis in DNA barcode reference libraries of marine non-indigenous species in the Azores archipelago. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00170

Duarte et al. Current status of the DNA barcode reference library of non-indigenous marine species occurring in European coastal regions. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00169

Fais et al. Patterns of spatial and temporal variation in estuarine meiofaunal communities assessed through DNA metabarcoding: a case study in the Lima estuary (NW Portugal). doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00060

Hajibabaei. From microbes to mammals: comprehensive analysis of biodiversity using DNA metabarcoding. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00008 Leite et al. Combining artificial substrates, morphology and DNA metabarcoding for investigating macrozoobenthic communities in NW Iberia. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00061

Pascual et al. Population structure in marine organisms: from genetics to genomics. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00002

Sampieri et al. Cryptic or cosmopolitan? Unveiling the Laeonereis complex along South American estuaries through DNA barcoding. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00108

Teixeira et al. Molecular and morphometric combo reveals extraordinary hidden diversity in European polychaetesfrom the Phyllodocidae family. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00057

Turon et al. Population genomics revealed independent colonisation events of a global ascidian invader. doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00043

Vieira et al. Evolutionary insights derived from comprehensive analyses of DNA barcoding diversity in marine members of the superorder Peracarida (Crustacea: Malacostraca) doi:10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00058

All conference abstracts were published in Frontiers.

Written by

Pedro Vieira

University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

November 28, 2019

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