Marc Rius

Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC)

Genetic admixture of divergent intraspecific lineages is increasingly suspected to have an important role in the success of colonising populations. However, admixture is not a universally beneficial genetic phenomenon. Selection is typically expected to favour locally adapted genotypes and can act against admixed individuals, suggesting that there...

Through the widespread implementation of next-generation sequencing (NGS), analyses of the whole genome (the entire DNA content) and the whole transcriptome (the genes being expressed) are becoming commonplace. NGS enables the analysis of a vast amount of previously unattainable genetic information. Despite this potential, NGS has yet to be widely...

Aim Climate change is expected to drive range shifts among a wide array of organisms. Non‐indigenous species ( NIS ) provide a unique opportunity to observe the establishment of range boundaries in a way that cannot be directly seen for native species. Recent studies have indicated that climate change facilitates biological invasions at local scale...

Studying the early stages of the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) is crucial as it allows immediate management actions aimed at preventing NIS spread at a time when these actions are more likely to be effective. Recent species introductions present unique opportunities to study key aspects of the invasion process. However, comprehensive...

Uncovering the drivers that shape biodiversity patterns is critical to understand fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes, but also to assist biodiversity managers and conservation agencies. Despite evidence that biodiversity composition is influenced by processes at different spatial scales, little is known about the role of fine-scale o...

Human activities are accelerating rates of biological invasions and climate-driven range expansions globally, yet we understand little of how genomic processes facilitate the invasion process. Although most of the literature has focused on underlying phenotypic correlates of invasiveness, advances in genomic technologies are showing a strong link b...

Tropicalisation is a marine phenomenon arising from contemporary climate change, and is characterised by the range expansion of tropical/subtropical species and the retraction of temperate species. Tropicalisation occurs globally and can be detected in both tropical/temperate transition zones and temperate regions. The ecological consequences of tr...

Metabarcoding techniques are revolutionizing studies of marine biodiversity. They can be used for monitoring non-indigenous species (NIS) in ports and harbors. However, they are often biased by inconsistent sampling methods and incomplete reference databases. Logistic constraints in ports prompt the development of simple, easy-to-deploy samplers. W...

Aim The poleward range expansion of tropical species, and range contraction of temperate species (known as tropicalisation) has mainly been studied from an ecological perspective, with little research on its genetic consequences. Here, we used distributional and genetic data to document the consequences of tropicalisation in rocky shore gastropods...

Species traits have been used extensively in invasion science, providing common metrics across taxa and ecosystems that enable comparisons based on the functional responses and effects of biota. However, most work on traits in invasion science has focused on terrestrial plants, despite the vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems to invasive species, su...

Although considerable research progress on the effects of anthropogenic disturbance in the deep sea has been made in recent years, our understanding of these impacts at community level remains limited. Here, we studied deep-sea assemblages of Sicily (Mediterranean Sea) subject to different intensities of benthic trawling using environmental DNA (eD...

Invasive species are a global threat to biodiversity and there is a pressing need to better understand why some species become invasive outside of their native range, and others do not. One explanation for invasive species success is their release from concurrent natural enemies upon introduction to the non-native range. The so-called enemy release...

The use of molecular tools to manage natural resources is increasingly common. However, DNA-based methods are seldom used to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of species' range shifts. This is important when managing range shifting species such as non-native species (NNS), which can have negative impacts on biotic communities. Here, we i...

Unravelling the history of range shifts is key for understanding past, current and future species distributions. Anthropogenic transport of species alters natural dispersal patterns and directly affects population connectivity. Studies have suggested that high levels of anthropogenic transport homogenize patterns of genetic differentiation and blur...

Aim Identifying niche shifts is key for forecasting future species distributions. Non-indigenous species (NIS) are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, and understanding how niche shifts affect the spread of NIS is fundamental. Here, we modelled the native and introduced niches, as well as the potential geographical extent of a widely distr...

Understanding the spread and distribution of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) is key when implementing legislation to maintain good ecosystem health. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has shown great potential to detect aquatic organisms in a rapid and cost-effective way, however their applicability to new environments must be validated prior to their implement...

The use of molecular methods to manage natural resources is increasingly common. However, DNA-based methods are seldom used to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of species' range shifts. This is important when managing range-shifting species such as non-native species (NNS), which can have negative impacts on biotic communities. Here we...

http://www.marinespecies.org/introduced

The development of new genetic resources is key for biological conservation in an era when the preservation of biodiversity is crucial. Here, we report the development of microsatellites and mitochondrial markers for the redbait species Pyura herdmani and P. stolonifera, both important bioengineers along African coastlines. Specifically, we identif...

Significance Species with narrow distributions provide unique opportunities for understanding the mechanisms that limit their spread. We studied a marine invader that exhibits ecological dominance within its range and has the capacity to fundamentally alter the coastal habitat when introduced to new locations. We found evidence of the species’ pote...

Over millennia, ecological and evolutionary mechanisms have shaped macroecological patterns across the tree of life. Research describing these patterns at both regional and global scales has traditionally focused on the study of metazoan species. Consequently, there is a limited understanding of cross-phylum biogeographic structuring and an escalat...

Aims Contemporary climate change and biological invasions are two main drivers of biodiversity redistribution. Interactive effects between these drivers have been reported in a variety of studies, yet results are conflicting. Some studies find that contemporary climate change facilitates the spread and success of non‐native species, especially thos...

p>Aims: contemporary climate change and biological invasions are two main drivers of biodiversity redistribution. Interactive effects between these drivers have been reported in a variety of studies, yet results are conflicting. Some studies find that contemporary climate change facilitates the spread and success of non-native species, especially t...

The detection of species using environmental DNA (eDNA) relies on our capacity to identify DNA from the sampled environment. Once eDNA is released into the environment, the physical degradation of individual eDNA molecules over time directly affects our ability to detect species (eDNA decay). Therefore, interpreting eDNA data requires an explicit u...

The current global redistribution of biota is often attributed to two main drivers: contemporary climate change (CCC) and non-indigenous species (NIS). Despite evidence of synergetic effects, however, studies assessing long-term effects of CCC conditions on NIS fitness remain rare. We examined the interactive effects of warming, ocean acidification...

A major historical challenge for the management of anthropogenic introductions of species has been the absence of a globally standardised system for species nomenclature. For over a decade, the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) has provided a taxonomically authoritative classification and designation of the currently accepted names for all k...

Phylogeography is an integrative discipline that aims to understand the geographic ordination of genotypes. In recent decades, phylogeographic approaches have been used to enhance our understanding of both biogeography and landscape genetics across a variety of spatial and temporal scales. By definition, species studied using these approaches need...

Over millennia ecological and evolutionary mechanisms have shaped macroecological distributions across the tree of life. Research describing patterns of regional and global biogeography has traditionally focussed on the study of conspicuous species. Consequently, there is limited understanding of cross-phyla biogeographical structuring, and an esca...

Human activities alter patterns of biodiversity, particularly through species extinctions and range contractions. Two of these activities are human mediated transfer of species and contemporary climate change, and both allow previously isolated genotypes to come into contact and hybridise, potentially altering speciation rates. Hybrids have been sh...

Correction to: Scientific Reports https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47899-7, published online 09 August 2019 The original version of this Article contained extensive errors in the Reference list. Reference 46 was incorrectly listed as Reference 92, and References 47-92 were incorrectly listed as References 46-91 respectively.

Abstract Research on the genetics of invasive species often focuses on patterns of genetic diversity and population structure within the introduced range. However, a growing body of literature is demonstrating the need to study how native genotypes affect both ecological and evolutionary mechanisms within the introduced range. Here, we used genotyp...

The Working Group on the Introductions and Transfers of Marine Organisms (WGITMO) has contributed several major achievements to the ICES vision, including the first ICES Viewpoint on Biofouling and its source document, two Cooperative Research Reports, and numerous pub-lications related to ToRs, and the continued population of the AquaNIS database....

Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys are increasingly being used for biodiversity monitoring, principally because they are sensitive and can provide high resolution community composition data. Despite considerable progress in recent years, eDNA studies examining how different environmental sample types can affect species detectability remain rare. Comp...

Coastal urbanisation has a dramatic effect on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, altering existing resources such as food or space. As a result, many species have shifted their range in response to anthropogenic pressures, resulting in novel species interactions. Here we report an observation of a novel foraging behaviour of the European Herri...

Coastal urbanization has a dramatic effect on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, altering resources such as food or space. Many species have shifted their ranges in response to anthropogenic pressures, resulting in novel species interactions. Here, we report an observation of a novel foraging behavior of the European Herring Gull (Larus argent...

Aim The relationship of population genetics with the ecology and biogeography of species may be explored by comparing phenotypically similar but ecologically different congeners with overlapping ranges. We compared genetic differentiation between two congeneric rocky intertidal gastropods across a major portion of their sympatric range. We hypothes...

The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) using metabarcoding has increased in use as a method for tracking biodiversity of ecosystems. Little is known about eDNA in marine human-modified environments, such as commercial ports, which are key sites to monitor for anthropogenic impacts on coastal ecosystems. To optimise an eDNA metabarcoding protocol...

Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys are increasingly being used for biodiversity monitoring, principally because they are sensitive and can provide high resolution community composition data. Despite considerable progress in recent years, eDNA studies examining how different environmental sample types can affect species detectability remain rare. Comp...

Research Infrastructures (RIs) are facilities, resources and services used by the scientific community to conduct research and foster innovation. LifeWatch ERIC has developed various virtual research environments, which include many virtual laboratories (vLabs) offering high computational capacity and comprehensive collaborative platforms that supp...

Research Infrastructures (RIs) are facilities, resources and services used by the scientific community to conduct research and foster innovation. LifeWatch ERIC has developed various virtual research environments, which include many virtual laboratories (vLabs) offering high computational capacity and comprehensive collaborative platforms that supp...

Genomic approaches are increasingly being used to study biological invasions. Here, we first analyse how high-throughput sequencing has aided our understanding of the mechanisms associated with biological invasions. These include the transport of propagules to pre-invaded areas, an exploration of the consequences of hybridisation during range expan...

Research Infrastructures (RIs) are facilities, resources and services used by the scientific community to conduct research and foster innovation. LifeWatch ERIC has developed various virtual research environments, which include many virtual laboratories (vLabs) offering high computational capacity and comprehensive collaborative platforms that supp...

The role of dominant species is of central importance in ecology. Such species play a key role in ecosystem structure, stability and function, regulating resource allocation across trophic levels and overall ecosystem productivity. Although ecological interactions between dominant and subordinate species are often considered to influence the latter...

The European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) aims to adopt integrated ecosystem management approaches to achieve or maintain “Good Environmental Status” for marine waters, habitats and resources, including mitigation of the negative effects of non-indigenous species (NIS). The Directive further seeks to promote broadly standardiz...

Ecologists have recently devoted their attention to the study of species traits and their role in the establishment and spread of nonindigenous species (NIS). However, research efforts have mostly focused on studies of terrestrial taxa, with lesser attention being dedicated to aquatic species. Aquatic habitats comprise of interconnected waterways,...

Invasive species represent promising models to study species’ responses to rapidly changing environments. Although local adaptation frequently occurs during contemporary range expansion, the associated genetic signatures at both population and genomic levels remain largely unknown. Here, we use genome-wide gene-associated microsatellites to investi...

When humans transport a species to a location outside its native range, multiple biotic and abiotic factors influence its post-arrival establishment and spread. Abiotic factors such as disturbance and environmental conditions determine the suitability of the new environment for an invader, as well as influence resource availability and ecological s...

Aim We explore the genetic structure of the widespread starfish, Marthasterias spp., in order to: (1) identify historical causes of genetic divergence, (2) test the effect of past climatic events on populations’ demography and (3) explore main barriers to gene flow. Location North‐ and south‐east Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Methods We a...

Human activities are responsible for the translocation of vast amounts of organisms, altering natural patterns of dispersal and gene flow. Most research to date has focused on the consequences of anthropogenic transportation of non-indigenous species within introduced ranges, with little research focusing on native species. Here, we compared geneti...

Human activities are responsible for the translocation of vast amounts of organisms, altering natural patterns of dispersal and gene flow. Most research to date has focused on the consequences of anthropogenic transportation of nonindigenous species within introduced ranges, with little research focusing on native species. Here,we compared genetic...

Human activities are responsible for the translocation of vast amounts of organisms, altering natural patterns of dispersal and gene flow. Most research to date has focused on the consequences of anthropogenic transportation of non-indigenous species within introduced ranges, with little research focusing on native species. Here, we compared genet...

Recently evolved island lineages that exhibit a broad range of ecologies are particularly suitable model systems for addressing such issues. The 29 species of Echium endemic to Macaronesia display a diverse range of growth forms and occupy almost every ecological zone on the islands. The morphological and ecological diversity of this plant radiatio...

This file includes all the appendices (S1-S10), which provide further details of the methods and results obtained. In addition, this file contains supplementary tables (S1-S5) and figures (S1-S4), as well as a final reference list of the studies cited in the appendix

AimThe global sprawl of marine hard infrastructure (e.g. breakwaters, sea walls and jetties) can extensively modify coastal seascapes, but the knowledge of such impacts remains limited to local scales. We examined the regional-scale effects of marine artificial habitats on the distribution and abundance of assemblages of ascidians, a key group of e...

Background/Question/Methods Species distribution models can be used to understand species’ range limits as well as manage the spread of invasive species under current and future conditions. To date, numerous studies have used these models to predict species distributions, and several approaches have been developed. In addition, the availability o...

Over the last 15 years studies on invasion genetics have provided important insights to unravel cryptic diversity, track the origin of colonizers and reveal pathways of introductions. Despite all these advances, to date little is known about how evolutionary processes influence the observed genetic patterns in marine biological invasions. Here, fir...

1. Biotic resistance is the ability of communities to inhibit the establishment, spread or impact of novel species. However, the interactions that underlie biotic resistance depend heavily on the contexts in which species interact. Consequently, studies of biotic resistance that consider single processes, patches, species or life-history stages may...

The existence of globally-distributed species with low dispersal capabilities is a paradox that has been explained as a result of human-mediated transport and by hidden diversity in the form of unrecognized cryptic species. Both factors are not mutually exclusive, but relatively few studies have demonstrated the presence of both. Here we analyse th...

The existence of globally-distributed species with low dispersal capabilities is a paradox that has been explained as a result of human-mediated transport and by hidden diversity in the form of unrecognized cryptic species. Both factors are not mutually exclusive, but relatively few studies have demonstrated the presence of both. Here we analyse th...

Recurrent introductions of non-indigenous species generate novel interactions that vary with local conditions and the composition of the receiving community. Most studies examine relationships of newcomers with native species, but interactions among introduced species could also affect community shifts. As early ontogenetic stages are particularly...

Following the introduction to a new area (pre-border dispersal), post-border processes determine the success in the establishment of non-indigenous species (NIS). However, little is known on how these post-border processes shape the genetic composition of NIS at regional scales. Here, we analyse genetic variation in introduced populations along imp...

Cryptic diversity represents a major challenge to the accurate assessment of biodiversity, but the combined use of genetic and morphological analyses has proven to be a powerful approach to detect it. This is especially important for groups for which genetic information is not yet available. Here, we studied the highly conspicuous habitat-forming P...