Gonzalo Giribet

ABSTRACTAimUndersampling and other sources of sampling bias pose significant issues in marine macroecology, particularly when shaping conservation and management decisions. Yet, determining the extent to which such biases impact our understanding of marine diversity remains elusive. Here, utilising empirical data on sampling efforts, we sampled from virtually established species distributions to evaluate how deep is the influence of sampling bias on estimations of the latitudinal gradient in marine diversity.LocationAtlantic Ocean.Time PeriodPresent.Taxa StudiedOphiuroidea.MethodsWe developed a computer simulation that implements two null models of species distribution (the geometric constraints and the area model) in a two‐dimensional domain, replicates the latitudinal distribution of historical sampling efforts and then quantifies diversity metrics (observed and estimated species richness) and sample completeness for each grid cell and latitudinal band.ResultsWe found consistent patterns of observed species richness across models, noting peaks at midlatitudes regardless of whether the true richness was unimodal or flat. Dips in equatorial diversity persisted even after using different methods of species richness estimation. Additional simulations showed that estimators' accuracy improved with increased sampling efforts, but only when samples were randomly distributed. Spatially aggregated samples inflate completeness without necessarily enhancing estimators' accuracy.Main ConclusionsThis finding emphasises the imperative of bolstering sampling efforts at tropical latitudes and deploying robust statistical techniques to mitigate undersampling effects. Meanwhile, we suggest considering sampling bias as an alternative null hypothesis for recorded marine diversity patterns.

Amidst accelerated degradation of marine ecosystems due to anthropogenic disturbances, marine protected areas (MPAs) have been implemented globally to protect marine biodiversity, mitigate ecosystem degradation and replenish fisheries. In many countries, the creation of MPAs increased after the 2011 Aichi Targets, but in most cases, MPAs face significant operational and logistical challenges and suffer from important structural limitations that restrict their efficacy. Here, we use novel databases of taxonomic and functional diversity of 2125 coastal species (< 30 m depth), habitat continuity and climate velocities to assess the efficacy of the existing MPAs located in the Tropical, Southern, Chilean and Magellan ecoregions of the Eastern Pacific (EP). We then use optimization models to locate new MPA sites that improve protection of geographic rarity and maximize their role as climate refugia while maintaining total area protected. Existing MPAs captured between 75% and 95% of species richness in all ecoregions, largely due to the large biogeographic ranges of most species, but under‐represented rare endemic species, capturing between 3% and 66%, of single‐occurrence species among ecoregions. In general, MPAs are located in areas of ‘moderate’ to ‘high’ functional diversity, representing relatively well this feature within ecoregions, but less effectively across all SEP. There is a large geographical mismatch between current MPA locations and regions that might act as ‘climatic refugia’, which threatens the long‐term conservation value of existing MPAs. Our spatial optimization models provide valuable support for enhancing the effectiveness of MPAs, through complementation or relocation, improving their efficacy to conserve different aspects of biodiversity and resilience in the face of climate change in all ecoregions. Notably, these improvements do not necessitate expanding the total area under protection, underscoring that current MPA siting did not prioritize these criteria and suggesting that modifications may be socio‐politically possible.

Including biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) spatial priorities in reserve design through quantitative methods known as systematic conservation planning has been proposed to identify spatial solutions that achieve both elements in a spatially efficient manner. The aim of this study is to evaluate the differences between priority sites for biodiversity and hydrological ecosystem services (HES) and to identify opportunities for co‐benefits that allow an efficient conservation planning proposal, using as a case study the Riviera Maya, Mexico. The results confirm the following: (1) biodiversity and HES priority sites have different spatial patterns, sharing only 24% of priority sites; (2) HES priority sites achieve a high percentage (95%) of biodiversity conservation targets, showing that they can potentially be used for biodiversity representation; and (3) integrating HES and biodiversity into one model is more efficient to represent conservation targets than considering both elements individually (46% vs. 66% of the study area). These results reflect the lack of irreplaceable sites for biodiversity conservation, and as <8% of the study area is currently covered by protected areas, this means that there are numerous opportunities to align cobenefits of biodiversity and HES conservation actions.

Globally, vector‐borne diseases are increasing in distribution and frequency, affecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Science‐based management and prevention of these diseases requires a sound understanding of the distribution and environmental requirements of the vectors and hosts involved in disease transmission. Integrated Species Distribution Models (ISDM) account for diverse data types through hierarchical modeling and represent a significant advancement in species distribution modeling. We assessed the distribution of the soft tick subspecies Ornithodoros turicata americanus. This tick species is a potential vector of African swine fever virus (ASFV), a pathogen responsible for an ongoing global epizootic that threatens agroindustry worldwide. Given the novelty of this method, we compared the results to a conventional Maxent SDM and validated the results through data partitioning. Our input for the model consisted of systematically collected detection data from 591 sampled field sites and 12 historical species records, as well as four variables describing climatic and soil characteristics. We found that a combination of climatic variables describing seasonality and temperature extremes, along with the amount of sand in the soil, determined the predicted intensity of occurrence of this tick species. When projected in geographic space, this distribution model predicted 62% of Florida as suitable habitat for this tick species. The ISDM presented a higher TSS and AUC than the Maxent conventional model, while sensitivity was similar between both models. Our case example shows the utility of ISDMs in disease ecology studies and highlights the broad range of geographic suitability for this important disease vector. These results provide important foundational information to inform future risk assessment work for tick‐borne relapsing fever surveillance and potential ASF introduction and maintenance in the United States.

El orden Scolopendromorpha incluye 700 especies de ciempiés a nivel mundial. Es el grupo de miriápodos más diverso en Colombia con alrededor de 40 especies y seis subespecies. En este trabajo se actualizó el número de especies de ciempiés conocidas para el país a partir de la revisión de literatura especializada, así como bases de datos y registros de especímenes en colecciones digitales en línea. Se encontraron nuevos registros de 19 especies y una subespecie. Así, la riqueza del grupo se incrementó a cincuenta y cuatro especies y siete subespecies dentro de tres familias, cinco subfamilias, ocho géneros y siete subgéneros. Además, 30 de los 32 departamentos del territorio colombiano registraron un representante identificado al menos al nivel de género. Antioquia, Boyacá y Cundinamarca son los departamentos con mayor riqueza de especies.

The Boston Harbor Islands is the only coastal drumlin archipelago in the USA, featuring a distinctive and uncommon geological intertidal habitat known as mixed coarse substrate, which supports a range of coastal species and ecological processes. Recently designated as one of America’s 11 most endangered historic places due to climate change impacts, coastal adaptation and restoration efforts are crucial to their preservation. Such efforts can benefit from historic and current knowledge of endemic and emergent biodiversity. To investigate broad trends in coastal biodiversity, we compiled an inventory of marine coastal macroalgae, macroinvertebrates, fish, mammals, and shorebirds observed in the harbor since 1861. Records span 159 years, consisting of 451 unique taxa from 19 phyla. Analysis of average taxonomic distinctness (AvTD) revealed increases in diversity towards the end of the twentieth and early twenty-first century, likely associated with improved water quality (dissolved oxygen; AvTD > 85, p  = 0.01) due to harbor restoration in the 1980s. Macroinvertebrates comprised 50% of the records, making this the most diverse taxonomic group in the time series. A significant increase of non-indigenous species, primarily macroinvertebrates and macroalgae, was observed over the last 20 years near human infrastructure and across multiple islands, a consequence of global change and characteristic of most urban harbors. The mixed coarse intertidal habitat, which makes up > 70% of Boston Harbor’s inner islands and supports high macroinvertebrate and macroalgal diversity (47% of species records), is not routinely monitored; our findings serve as a foundational resource for climate adaptation projects and decision-making.

Aim To estimate patterns of potential species richness (PSR) and identify shallow‐water Ophiuroidea hotspots based on their modelled distribution throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean (EP).LocationEastern Pacific Ocean.TaxonEchinodermata: Ophiuroidea.MethodsWe compiled and analysed the occurrence of 137 shallow‐water (≤200 m) species of Ophiuroidea from the EP using Species Distribution Models (SDM; use of Maxent) and buffering for rare species to create the first maps of PSR of the class in the EP to gain insight into their patterns.ResultsThe highest PSR was found in mid‐latitudes, decreasing towards high latitudes, denoting a robust latitudinal pattern. All PSR hotspots were found in mid‐latitudes and correspond to northern Mexico, the area between Corinto (Nicaragua) and the Gulf of Panama, and the Galapagos Islands. The pattern is mainly linked to topographic configuration, although the models also suggest temperature and other environmental factors as important. Additionally, the pattern correlates (R = 98) with the pattern of the family Amphiuridae, suggesting that its richness can be used as a proxy for exploring Ophiuroidea richness patterns elsewhere.Main ConclusionsThe richness of Ophiuroidea from the EP follows a latitudinal pattern as do other invertebrate groups. The Gulf of California, Central America, and Galapagos Islands are confirmed as hotspots of Ophiuroidea richness. However, other significant areas include the west coast of southern Baja California, Chiapas, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. PSR patterns are influenced by diverse environmental variables and the distribution patterns of the most conspicuous families. SDMs are useful for understanding large‐scale distribution patterns. This work is the first PSR assessment of marine invertebrates from the EP.

Aotearoa (New Zealand) is a biodiversity hotspot for temperate invertebrate taxa and home to high levels of endemicity. However, our knowledge of species‐level diversity and phylogeny of endemic New Zealand Onychophora (velvet worms) is at present limited. Here, we use mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcoding to assess the extent of species diversity for the two velvet worm genera found in New Zealand, the ovoviviparous and endemic Peripatoides and the oviparous Ooperipatellus, found in Australia and New Zealand. Our results reveal that the estimated number of species of both genera in New Zealand is greater than currently described. We estimate there are between 13 and 67 species of Peripatoides and between 16 and 21 species of Ooperipatellus endemic to New Zealand. This is a stark increase from the two currently described New Zealand species of Ooperipatellus and previous work that has identified 10 species within Peripatoides. Our exploration of climatic variables shows that individuals of Ooperipatellus are predominantly found in wet, cool environments and Peripatoides are found across relatively drier, warmer habitats. We also generate ecological niche models to provide initial predictions of the distribution of climatically suitable habitats for each genus across New Zealand.

Coral reefs represent a source of ecosystem services relevant for the permanence of coastal human communities. Given the importance of zooxanthellate scleractinian corals (ZSC) in these ecosystems, information on the presence and distribution of this group is valuable for studying the biodiversity and establishing management strategies to ensure their permanence over time. Despite being a highly studied biological group in the Western Atlantic, records of ZSC presence are heterogeneous and are distributed mainly in the Caribbean Sea. One way to analyze the distribution of biota at large spatial scales is through biogeographic regionalizations. To identify the distribution patterns of ZSC in the Western Atlantic and propose a biogeographic regionalization based in this biological group, we performed a Parsimony Analysis of Endemism (PAE) at ecoregion scale using Species Distribution Models (SDM) to fill the gaps in data on the distribution of these corals. Through these analyses, we identified the presence of two main biogeographic provinces: Northwestern Atlantic Tropical Province and Tropical Southwestern Atlantic. According to Jaccard Index, this regionalization is highly similar to those performed with multitaxa by other authors, which demonstrates that for these purposes this taxa can be considered as a surrogate group. In terms of management, this study highlights the importance of establishing preservation and conservation measures that address this biological group, in order to guarantee both the permanence of other taxa and the ecosystem goods and services they provide.

AbstractAbstract. neighboring countries. Recently, an increase in biological surveys and access to natural preserves has led to a better understanding of species distributions in Nicaragua and across Central America. Here, we provide new departmental records for three species of didelphid, 18 chiropterans (Phyllostomidae, Molossidae, Vespertilionidae), one geomyid, and one mustelid from 21 sites across the country. This work underscores the need for additional sampling across Nicaragua to fill gaps in the known distribution of many species. This information can facilitate or inform conservation actions in established and proposed preserves in Nicaragua.