Research on the Aquatic Species Biodiversity and Morphology

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity and Functionality of Aquatic Ecosystems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (18 August 2023) | Viewed by 8353

Special Issue Editors

Department of Biomolecular Sciences (DiSB), University of Urbino, Via Cà Le Suore, 61029 Urbino, Italy
Interests: gastrotrich; taxonomy; systematics; meiofauna biodiversity; lower metazoan phylogeny; reproductive biology; placozoa
Department of Biomolecular Sciences (DiSB), University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, 61029 loc. Crocicchia, Italy
Interests: meiofauna; nematoda; benthic biodiversity; marine pollution; ecological quality assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Biomolecular Sciences (DiSB), University of Urbino, Via Cà Le Suore, 61029 Urbino, Italy
Interests: meiofauna; gastrotrich; taxonomy; phylogeny; morphology; biodiversity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

About 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. Aquatic ecosystems include rivers and streams, ponds and lakes, estuaries, oceans, and their associated fauna, which have evolved and adapted to these habitats over millions of years. Therefore, aquatic ecosystems are essential reservoirs of biological diversity but also are among the most threatened systems in the world. This Special Issue deals with zoobenthic biodiversity both in marine and freshwater ecosystems and its importance in the biological processes, ecosystem functioning, and conservation programs. In detail, topics include:

  • Biodiversity assessment with traditional as well as innovative techniques;
  • Faunistic surveys;
  • Global patterns of species dispersion and distribution;
  • Endemic and/or invasive species;
  • Loss and changes of biodiversity and structure of animal communities related to natural and anthropogenic disturbance;
  • Conservation and management of biodiversity;
  • Role of morphology in integrative taxonomy;
  • Morphological and functional adaptations of species to the habitat;
  • Morphological characters in the study of species’ reproductive cycles;
  • Role of morphological features in phylogenetic studies.

Prof. Dr. Maria Balsamo
Dr. Federica Semprucci
Dr. Loretta Guidi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • free-living animals
  • adaptations
  • microscopy
  • macrozoobenthos
  • meiobenthos
  • systematics
  • taxonomy
  • molecular analysis

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 3775 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Role of Macroalgal Complexity and Allelochemicals Production in Invasive and Non-Invasive Macroalgae in the North-Western Adriatic Sea: Effect on the Associated Communities
by Denise Lenzo, Marina Antonia Colangelo, Andrea Pasteris, Fabio Rindi, Rossella Pistocchi and Laura Pezzolesi
Water 2023, 15(9), 1697; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15091697 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1557
Abstract
Highly diverse microphyto and meiobenthic communities are associated with large-sized marine macroalgae. Both morphological traits and allelochemical responses of macroalgae affect the composition of these communities, but the relative importance of these factors remains incompletely understood. In this study we investigated the microphytobenthic [...] Read more.
Highly diverse microphyto and meiobenthic communities are associated with large-sized marine macroalgae. Both morphological traits and allelochemical responses of macroalgae affect the composition of these communities, but the relative importance of these factors remains incompletely understood. In this study we investigated the microphytobenthic and meiobenthic communities associated with some native macroalgae and a non-indigenous species (Sargassum muticum) of the north-western Adriatic Sea. These seaweeds were sampled in two coastal sites subjected to different impacts. The possible effects of the structural complexity of the macroalgae and the potential role of allelochemicals (specifically polyunsaturated aldehydes, PUAs) on the associated communities were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. The results indicate that distinct assemblages were associated with the macroalgae collected at the two different sites. Differences in microphytobenthic communities could be ascribed to differences in the macroalgal morphological traits and in their PUAs production. Conversely, variation of the meiobenthic community seemed to be related mainly to differences in the macroalgal communities at the two sites. This apparent inconsistency between the two analyzed communities suggests that microphytobenthos and meiofauna were differently shaped by the environmental habitat provided by macroalgae in the two sites, that are subjected to different environmental conditions and human activities. Overall, these results indicate that interactions between organisms belonging to different trophic groups (e.g., microphytobenthos and meiofauna) should be investigated in detail to better understand the global role of macroalgae as habitat formers on coastal ecosystems, especially in the case of large-sized introduced species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Aquatic Species Biodiversity and Morphology)
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16 pages, 3379 KiB  
Article
Macrozoobenthos Structure and Dynamics in a Mediterranean Hypersaline Ecosystem with Implications for Wetland Conservation
by Andrea Bonifazi, Simone Galli, Maria Flavia Gravina and Daniele Ventura
Water 2023, 15(7), 1411; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15071411 - 05 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1449
Abstract
Within the framework of hypersaline environments, the Saline di Tarquinia salterns (Latium, Italy) represent an interesting case study from ecological, naturalistic, and conservationist perspectives. We studied macrozoobenthic community zonation related to the main environmental parameters, with particular emphasis on the beetle species Nebrioporus [...] Read more.
Within the framework of hypersaline environments, the Saline di Tarquinia salterns (Latium, Italy) represent an interesting case study from ecological, naturalistic, and conservationist perspectives. We studied macrozoobenthic community zonation related to the main environmental parameters, with particular emphasis on the beetle species Nebrioporus ceresyi (Aubé, 1836), one of the few Dytiscidae among Italian fauna particularly adapted to brackish and hypersaline waters. In this study, we report the structure and seasonal dynamics of the macrozoobenthic community, the spatial and temporal distribution of both larvae and adults of N. ceresyi, and the size–frequency distribution of the larvae. The results add new information on the macrozoobenthic assemblage of the Saline di Tarquinia salterns and the life cycle of this water beetle in the hypersaline habitat. A possible hypothesis about the discontinuous geographical distribution of the species of Dytiscidae investigated is also provided. Finally, N. ceresyi is proposed as an indicator species useful in characterizing the environmental zonation of hypersaline habitats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Aquatic Species Biodiversity and Morphology)
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13 pages, 6194 KiB  
Article
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Applied to a New Species Helps Understand the Functioning of the Reproductive Apparatus in Stylet-Bearing Urodasys (Gastrotricha: Macrodasyida)
by Agata Cesaretti, Francesca Leasi and M. Antonio Todaro
Water 2023, 15(6), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15061106 - 14 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1405
Abstract
Gastrotrichs are highly diverse and abundant in all aquatic ecosystems; however, they are often overlooked. During a biodiversity survey in Sardinia (Italy), a new species of gastrotrich herein described was discovered. Specimens of Urodasys bifidostylis sp. nov. were found in sandy sediments from [...] Read more.
Gastrotrichs are highly diverse and abundant in all aquatic ecosystems; however, they are often overlooked. During a biodiversity survey in Sardinia (Italy), a new species of gastrotrich herein described was discovered. Specimens of Urodasys bifidostylis sp. nov. were found in sandy sediments from two submarine caves. Using an integrative approach of traditional light (DIC) and high-resolution (CLSM) microscopies, we herein reveal, for the first time, the fine structure and function of the reproductive organ in an Urodasys representative. This is particularly relevant considering the complex reproductive organs and strategies of this group. Results allow comparisons between the reproductive apparatus and sperm transfer modalities in Urodasys and the closely related genus Macrodasys. One similarity is that both groups transfer male gametes in packets, suggesting the production of spermatophores to be a common phenomenon in Gastrotricha. Unique to Urodasys is the ability of multiple and consecutive copulations and sperm transfers and, differently than Macrodasys, the transfer of sperms unlikely occurs simultaneously between the two hermaphroditic partners. These findings provide new insights into the reproductive strategies of Urodasys and are expected to advance future studies on the evolution of reproductive strategies and the rise of interspecific reproductive barriers in interstitial meiofauna. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Aquatic Species Biodiversity and Morphology)
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12 pages, 1671 KiB  
Article
Paleoenvironmental Changes in the Gulf of Gaeta (Central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): A Perspective from Benthic Foraminifera after Dam Construction
by Marco Cavaliere, Vittoria Scipioni, Fabio Francescangeli, Luciana Ferraro and Fabrizio Frontalini
Water 2023, 15(4), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15040815 - 20 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1905
Abstract
A 300-year paleoenvironmental reconstruction using benthic foraminifera in the Gulf of Gaeta (central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) is here presented. The Gulf of Gaeta dynamics are strongly influenced by the fluvial input, particularly the Volturno River and human activities. The sedimentary archive reveals a [...] Read more.
A 300-year paleoenvironmental reconstruction using benthic foraminifera in the Gulf of Gaeta (central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) is here presented. The Gulf of Gaeta dynamics are strongly influenced by the fluvial input, particularly the Volturno River and human activities. The sedimentary archive reveals a strong relation between the variations in the composition of the benthic foraminiferal assemblages and human interventions in the Volturno coastal area. According to the statistical analysis, three main temporal phases are identified and supported by the variations in the enhanced benthic foraminifera oxygen index (EBFOI) values over time. We hypothesize that the main environmental modifications might be ascribed to the construction of two dams, Sorgente Capo Volturno (1909–1916) and Ponte Annibale (1953–1958). The dams have probably altered the supply of sediments causing a physical stress related to the variations in grain-size, the organic matter and the oxygen availability. This temporal reconstruction further supports the ability of foraminifera to register paleoenvironmental changes induced by human activities such as the modification of the physical environment within the sedimentary record. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Aquatic Species Biodiversity and Morphology)
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12 pages, 2598 KiB  
Article
New Data on Reproductive System and Spermatozoa Confirm Macrodasys as a Model in Comparative Reproductive Analysis in Macrodasyida (Gastrotricha)
by Loretta Guidi, Maria Balsamo, Eleonora Grassi, Federica Semprucci and M. Antonio Todaro
Water 2022, 14(19), 3085; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14193085 - 01 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1229
Abstract
Gastrotricha Macrodasyida, aquatic worms, are primarily hermaphrodites with internal cross-fertilization and indirect sperm transfer. Insightful information on this matter dates to 1978 and derives from an illuminating work focused on two Macrodasys species. The role as a “model” of this taxon clashes, however, [...] Read more.
Gastrotricha Macrodasyida, aquatic worms, are primarily hermaphrodites with internal cross-fertilization and indirect sperm transfer. Insightful information on this matter dates to 1978 and derives from an illuminating work focused on two Macrodasys species. The role as a “model” of this taxon clashes, however, with the relative paucity of data concerning the ultrastructure of the accessory organs involved in the sperm transfer. Therefore, we have undertaken a new study on three additional species of Macrodasys focusing on the frontal and caudal organs and also on the spermatozoa. Our observations confirmed the structural plan of the reproductive system reported for the genus, but found some differences concerning the accessory reproductive organs. Most importantly, we found spermatozoa inside the caudal organ of several single specimens, suggestive of a more plausible hypothesis about sperm transfer modality in Macrodasys. In the spermatozoa, the position of the mitochondrion outside rather than inside the nucleus has been confirmed as a major difference between the spermatozoa of Macrodasys species and those of the other Macrodasyida. We suggest that the peculiar structure of the mature spermatozoon of Macrodasys could derive from an incomplete process of spermatogenesis and hence it would be useful to infer phylogenetic alliances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Aquatic Species Biodiversity and Morphology)
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