Yaisel J. Borrell Pichs

• PhD
• Catedrático Genética at University of Oviedo

The European catfish (Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758) was introduced into the Ebro Basin in Spain in 1974 for recreational fishing. Since then, the species has spread throughout the country’s river basins, reaching the Iznájar Reservoir (Guadalquivir River Basin) in 2011. This area is of great ecological and economic relevance, especially as it incl...

An eco‐monitoring program to assess the biodiversity of insects affected by yellow‐legged hornet (Vespa velutina) trapping in the north of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain) revealed the first occurrence of the southern giant hornet Vespa soror (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) on the European continent. We present a detailed characterization, combining morpholog...

Rivers are crucial ecosystems supporting biodiversity and human well‐being, yet they face increasing degradation globally. Traditional river biomonitoring methods based on morphological identification of macroinvertebrates present challenges in terms of taxonomic resolution and scalability. This study explores the application of DNA metabarcoding a...

1. Rivers are crucial ecosystems supporting biodiversity and human well-being, yet they face increasing degradation globally. Traditional river biomonitoring methods based on morphological identification of macroinvertebrates present challenges in terms of taxonomic resolution and scalability. 2. This study explores the application of DNA metabarco...

Early detection of invasive species is crucial to deal effectively with biological invasions in ports, which are hotspots of species introductions. In this study, a simplified end-time PCR methodology conducted on eDNA from water samples was developed for rapid detection of the invasive seaweed Asparagopsis armata (four hours from water collection...

Simple Summary The common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, is a worldwide cetacean species essential for marine ecosystems’ health and balance. Understanding the genetic connectivity and structure of different populations is crucial for the correct management and conservation of a species, such as designing Special Areas of Conservation or M...

Water resources play a vital role in sustaining ecosystems, human life, food security, and biodiversity. However, these resources currently face serious threats caused primarily by human activities. Because of that, European Union have mandated that all its member states monitor the ecological status of their water bodies. One of the most commonly...

La Junta Permanente del RIDEA aprobó en su plan de Actividades para el curso 2022-2023 el ciclo de conferencias “La sostenibilidad de las pesquerías artesanales en el principado de Asturias: ciencia, gestión y participación en una agenda regional hacia el 2030” coordinado por los profesores Yaisel J. Borrell y Tomás E. Díaz González. El ciclo contó...

Simple Summary The artisanal octopus fishery is a great tradition and has a large economic impact in Northern Spain. Despite its importance, there is scarce genetic information for this exploited population. The uniqueness of an exploited population and the effects that exploitation may have on its long-term survival is essential information that c...

Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797) is a cephalopod species with great economic value. In western Asturias (northwest of Spain), O. vulgaris artisanal fisheries are relatively well monitored and conditionally eco-labeled by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Despite this, the Asturian octopus stocks have not been genetically assessed so far. In orde...

The fishing and aquaculture sectors are an important source of development around the globe. In Asturias (Spain), the diversity and richness of the fishing grounds of the Cantabrian Sea favored the historical settlement of a large number of communities closely linked to the marine environment and fishing resources, forming an integral part of the r...

River barriers affect river dynamics and aquatic biota, altering the entire ecosystem. Nevertheless, dams and reservoirs provide goods like water supply and low-carbon energy that are becoming increasingly critical under current climate change. To know to what extent dams and reservoirs are important to the population, we explored social attitudes...

Anthropogenic litter is considered a potential vector for the dispersal of non-indigenous species (NIS) in marine ecosystems. Using the bay of Gijon (Southwestern Bay of Biscay) as a case study, we studied the composition and potential transfer of the communities inhabiting three different environment components: 1) natural and artificial substrate...

El desarrollo de técnicas moleculares (basadas en el ADN) como el eDNA y el metabarcoding están permitiendo superar las limitaciones del biomonitoreo tradicional basado en la identificación morfológica gracias, entre otras cosas, a la escalabilidad de estas nuevas técnicas. Estas han demostrado su funcionamiento en otros países en el biomonitoreo d...

The stalked barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes inhabits rocky shores from the Atlantic coasts of Brittany (France) to Senegal. Because of the culinary traditions of southern Europe, stalked barnacles represent an important target species for local fisheries on the Iberian Peninsula. To manage this fishery sustainably, it is therefore important to asses...

1. Paracentrotus lividus is a sea urchin with an important ecological role in the Cantabrian Sea ecosystem, where its populations are in severe decline and the regional government has implemented a population restoration strategy with the aim of preserving this valuable marine resource. 2. In this study, genetic monitoring was conducted for the fir...

In January 2020, a stakeholder workshop was organized as a knowledge sharing strategy among European stalked barnacle fisheries. Management of this fishery differs greatly among regions and ranges from less organized and governed at large scales (>100 km, coasts of SW Portugal and Brittany in France) to highly participatory systems which are co-man...

Understanding public attitudes toward invasive species is crucial to curtail the reasons for their introduction and to increase the effectiveness of control measures. A questionnaire was distributed in three European countries (Italy, Spain and United Kingdom) to evaluate public attitudes on the problems posed by invasive species, their perception...

• The number of young conservationist movements is increasing worldwide, as new generations become more aware of the environmental problems that are having an impact on the planet. Consequently, young people appear to play a fundamental role in developing successful conservation strategies. • This research examines young citizens’ knowledge, attitu...

Derived from their great capacity of adaptation, microalgae have several industrial applications, including pigment production for nutraceutical sector. However, the scarcity of studies on the diversity and life histories from several environments, highlight the need for more research on new species and habitats. Based on this, the present study as...

Sustainable Sea is a strategy game developed for educational purposes in which players assume the role of fishermen while learning concepts related to the sustainable management of fishing resources. Players earn points as they apply sustainable policies. The game was tested on high-school students and students pursuing bachelor's and master's degr...

Whaling is currently a controversial practice and the focus of a relevant public debate. According to records, it represented an important socioeconomic activity in the North of Spain from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century. The North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) was the main target species of this activity. As a consequence of...

The status of aquatic ecosystems has historically been monitored by the use of biotic indices. However, few biotic measures consider the presence of non-indigenous species as a sign of anthropogenic pollution and habitat disturbance even when this may seriously affect the metric scores and ecological status classifications of an environment. Today,...

Invasive alien species (IAS) are currently considered one of the greatest threats to global marine ecosystems. Thus, ships and maritime activity have been identified as the main factors responsible for the vast majority of accidental species translocations around the world, implying that prevention should be the core of environmental port policies....

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) monitoring requires the use of stressor-specific Multimetric Indices, intercalibrated and validated at river basin level, such as the IBMWP, which is one of the most widely used indices for the biomonitoring of rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. This qualitative index is based on the identification mainly at family...

Pholas dactylus is a historically valuable species with a relevant role in both environmental and biotechnological fields. It has become scarce in Europe due to habitat destruction and human overuse. This species is currently undergoing steep population declines, which have caused local extinction and/or distribution range contraction. Six differen...

In this work, we identified non-crustose invasive (Codium fragile subsp. fragile) and native Codium spp. (Codium tomentosum and Codium vermilara) in the central Cantabrian Sea using DNA barcoding (tufA and rbcL genes). We designed a new FCOtufA genetic marker for identifying Codium spp. in fresh and herbarium material. The tufA and rbcL sequences r...

Working as an interdisciplinary team, from the departments of Education and Biology we organized a short experiential learning seminar followed by a hands-on workshop for the promotion of citizen scientific literacy. Participants were adult lifelong learners enrolled in University programs, and others were adults interested in scientific activities...

A multisource approach to assessing freshwater biodiversity reveals the first occurrence of the Asian freshwater snail Sinotaia cf. quadrata (Gastropoda, Viviparidae) in inland waters of the northern Iberian Peninsula (Spain) and southwestern France. We present a detailed characterization, combining morphological traits and molecular tools for a ge...

Recreational ports are known to be sources of pollution to the coastal marine environment due to the pouring of pollutants or the transfer of invasive species to neighboring areas. Nonetheless, the responsibility of protecting the marine environment does not lie solely on the users of the ports, but also affects the rest of citizens. Thus, an effec...

The introduction of non-native species and globalization have been affecting freshwater communities by changing community compositions, functional roles, traits occurrences, and ecological niche space. Reconstructing such changes over time is difficult, and often restricted by a limited data availability. Using the inner Florentine stretch of the A...

Food fraud involves both financial and health problems for consumers as well as conservation problems for target species worldwide. In Spain, the common name “zamburiña”, which officially only refers to the species Mimachlamys varia (the variegated scallop), is frequently mistakenly used to refer to other pectinid species, and this confuses consume...

Ballast water is one of the main vectors of transport of nuisance species among marine ports. Neither treatment nor interchange completely reduces the risk of ballast water containing DNA from harmful species, being a signal of potential threat. However, although there are some efficient treatments, they are not available on all ships and there mig...

Microplastics (MPs) attract ever-increasing attention due to environmental concerns. Nowadays, they are ubiquitous across ecosystems, and research demonstrates that the origin is mainly terrestrial. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a major source of MPs, especially fibres, in water masses. This review is focused on understanding the evolutio...

The correct labeling of seafood is important to protect nature and the rights of consumers. Given the certainty that the resources of the sea are not inexhaustible, only strict regulations and the implementation of sustainable fishing systems and reliable and traceable marketing systems can help ensure the long‐term sustainability of fishery resour...

Invasive species threaten worldwide biodiversity. Success in facing this problem may be possible through the engagement of younger audiences. Here, a game was designed to teach children how to recognize invasive seaweed and to encourage them to participate in marine citizen science. The game was first tested in a pilot study, and then carried out i...

The PERCEBES project aspires to answer questions regarding the effects of harvesting on the intertidal community and recovery potential of stalked barnacle populations after harvesting, for which a Human Exclusion Experiment has been deployed over 2 years in 4 regions: coast of Alentejo (Portugal), Atlantic Islands (Galicia, Spain), Western Asturia...

The invasive Crepidula fornicata caused major problems along the European Atlantic coast, especially in France and Netherlands where high densities leads on changes in the habitat, disturb native marine wildlife as well as it originates competition for space and food. Despite its dangerous invasive nature, regular monitoring to alert about its pres...

Aim: Codium fragile, an invasive seaweed, has spread widely during the last century, impacting on local seaweed communities through competition and disturbance. Early detection of C. fragile can help on its control and management. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has proved successful for early detection of aquatic invasive species but its potential use f...

El proyecto de innovación docente “Juegos didácticos para la enseñanzaaprendizaje en ciencias naturales” realizado en colaboración interdepartamental (Ciencias de la Educación-Biología) y en diferentes ciclos universitarios (Grados- Master), se llevó a cabo durante el año académico 2016/2017. Con el propósito de ampliar el repertorio de metodología...

Marine anthropogenic debris was sampled from two beaches on the remote South Pacific island Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Abundance, composition, and the attached fouling assemblages on stranded litter were analysed. Most litter (n = 172 items found) was composed of plastic material, and 34% of all litter items were fouled. The main fouling species was...

Rivers are a vital resource for human wellbeing. To reduce human impact on water bodies, the European Union has established an essential regulatory framework for protection and sustainable management (WFD; 2000/60/EC). In this strategy, reliable and economic bioindicators are a fundamental component. Benthic macroinvertebrates are the group most co...

COI OTU Table. Raw data obtained with COI marker clustered in family OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units). N_genus: Number of genus per family within sampling points. NA: non-asignment at that level. (XLSX)

18S OTU Table. Raw data obtained with 18S marker clustered in family OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units). N_genus: Number of genus per family within sampling points. NA: non-asignment at that level. (XLSX)

Anthropogenic plastic pollution is a global problem. In the marine environment, one of its less studied effects is the transport of attached biota, which might lead to introductions of non-native species in new areas or aid in habitat expansions of invasive species. The goal of the present work was to assess if the material composition of beached a...

Expected vs. observed numbers of each taxon of the community attached to stranded litter. (DOCX)

Barcode Bulletin December, 2017; Vol 8 issue 1.

Alpha rarefaction graphs found for Cytochrome oxidase I (a) and 18S rDNA genes (b) using as metric Observed- species (OTUS) in water samples collected within Asturian ports (x-axis: read number; y-axis: number of OTUS). (DOCX)

Taxa found in each port with 18S rDNA and Cytochrome Oxidase I metabarcodes. In red exotics species. (DOCX)

Taxa found from metabarcoding and barcoding in all the ports of the studied region. In red exotics species. (DOCX)

Biota monitoring in ports is increasingly needed for biosecurity reasons and safeguarding marine biodiversity from biological invasions. Present and future international biosecurity Directives can be accomplished only if the biota acquired by maritime traffic in ports is controlled. Methodologies for biota inventory are diverse and now rely princip...

A new species of holothurian of the genus Psolus Oken, 1815 is described. Psolus rufus sp. nov. was found in the central Cantabrian slope (Bay of Biscay) at 1500 m depth. The new species is characterized by having: ovoid body, reddish colour in vivo ; dorsal area enclosed in a complete test composed of imbricating scales; 10 triangular plates of th...

Aquatic Invasive Alien Species (AIAS) are increasing due to the synergistic effects of climate change and habitat destruction. AIAS can heavily impact biodiversity and human health, causing a loss of ecosystem services; therefore, their control and management have now become a priority, particularly in the light of the new EU regulation 1143/2014 o...

Additional Grateloupia sequences obtained from GenBank and used in downstream phylogenetic analyses

The raw sequences Montes et al Genbank sequences rbcl(2) + COI(2)

Environmental DNA (eDNA) can be a powerful method for assessing the presence and the distribution of aquatic species. We used this tool in order to detect and quantify eDNA from the elusive species Octopus vulgaris, using qPCRs (SybrGreen protocol). We designed species-specific primers, and set up an experimental aquarium approach to validate the n...

Background The introduction of exotic species can have serious consequences for marine ecosystems. On the shores of the Cantabrian Sea (North of Spain) there are no routine examinations of seaweeds that combine molecular and morphological methods for early detection of exotic species making it difficult to assess in the early stages their establish...

Genetic fingerprinting is important for both certifying authenticity and traceability of fish species. In the present study, three methodologies were developed for the identification of aquaculture and fisheries Egyptian fish: forensically informative nucleotide sequencing (FINS), single nucleotide polymorphism-based polymerase chain reaction-termi...

The gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) is one of the most important Sparid farmed in Europe, especially in the Mediterranean area. However, efficient breeding programs for this species are scarce and very little, and it is known concerning their population structure. The present study was mainly designed to genetically characterize, by microsate...

This study presents a species‐specific DNA‐based marker for detection of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha , recognized as one of the worst invasive species worldwide. The marker was developed in silico and experimentally tested on environmental samples. Gel and capillary electrophoreses for visualization of the PCR products were compared. Mark...

Plastic debris and other floating materials endanger severely marine ecosystems. When they carry attached biota they can be a cause of biological invasions whose extent and intensity is not known yet. This article focuses on knowledge gaps and research priorities needed for, first, understanding and then preventing dispersal of alien invasive speci...

A Citizen Science approach was implemented in the laboratory practices of Genetics at the University of Oviedo, related with the engaging topic of Food Control. Real samples of food products consumed by students at home (students as samplers) were employed as teaching material in three different courses of Genetics during the academic year 2014–201...

Introduction of nonindigenous species (NIS) via anthropogenic activities (i.e. shipping) has serious consequences for marine ecosystems. On shores of the Cantabrian Sea (northern Spain), there is no routine NIS screening combining molecular and anatomical methods. This makes the detection of inadvertent expansions of exotic species difficult. In th...

Estuaries are among the most important habitats of coastal areas. However, they are significantly affected by human activities worldwide, threatening their resources and the commercial uses depending on them. Fisheries and aquaculture are some of the main factors affecting the estuarine ecosystems today. In this work, we pursue the aims of genetica...

Today enormous research efforts are focused on alleviating the massive, adverse effects of obesity. Short peptides are key targets for research as they can be generated from natural proteins, like milk. Here we conducted Trypsinogen digestion of Beta-lactoglobulin (β-Lg), the major mammalian milk protein, to release the hexamer VY6. It was assayed...

The clam Ruditapes decussatus is commercially important in southwestern Europe, suffering from population decline and hybridization with exotic Manila clam (R. philippinarum). Previous studies with intronic markers showed a genetic subdivision of the species in three races (Atlantic, West Mediterranean, and Adriatic-Aegean). However, detailed popul...

Two mitochondrial markers (Cytochrome oxidase COI and 16S rDNA) were employed for species identification of commercial shellfish from two Mediterranean countries. New COI Barcodes were generated for six species: Pleoticus robustus, Metapenaeopsis barbata, Parapenaeus fissuroides, Hymenopenaeus debilis, Metapenaeus affinis and Sepia aculeata. Biodiv...

Ports are gateways for aquatic invasions. New arrivals from maritime traffic and disturbed environmental conditions can promote the settlement of exotic species. Molluscs fall into the most prevalent group of invasive species and can have a tremendous impact on aquatic ecosystems. Here we have investigated exotic molluscs in three ports with differ...

Introduction of exotic species may cause serious consequences for marine ecosystems. On the shores of the Cantabrian Sea (North of Spain) there is no routine examinations of seaweeds combining molecular and morphological methods for early detection of exotic species and thereby to assess in early stages their establishment and expansion processes a...

Estuaries are amongst the most productive habitats in Earth, producing more organic materia than forests, meadows or agricultural lands. In addition, estuaries exhibit high, and precious, biodiversity levels. In this study an environmental DNA analysis of the two most important estuaries in Asturias (Cantabrian Coast, north Iberia) in terms of food...

Maritime transport, in particular of ballast water, is considered to be one of the most important pathways of marine biological invasions worldwide. Here we provide the first molecular evidence of potential survival of the European mudsnail, Peringia ulvae, in ballast water on cross-latitudinal voyages. Ballast water from the RV Polarstern was samp...

Readers should note that in Lee-Montero et al. 2015, Dr. Yaisel Juan Borrell Pichs should be included in the list of co-authors as follows: Lee-Montero, A. Navarro, D. Negrın-Baez, M. J. Zamorano, Y. Borrell, C. Berbel, J. A. Sanchez, M. Garcıa-Celdran, M. Manchado, A. Estevez, E. Armero and J. M. Afonso.

The European carpet shell Ruditapes decussatus is among the most important shellfish species cultured in estuaries and bays of the northern Iberian Peninsula. Increased demand and overfishing of native R. decussatus, as well as irregular yields due in part to pollution and urban sprawl, have led to overexploitation of the species and to the import...

This study addresses two marine citizenship issues: Citizen engagement, and Improvement of societal understanding of marine conservation problems. The target problem was marine bioinvasions. Species move with climate change, aquaculture, maritime traffic, litter. Early detection is crucial for preventing invaders from spreading in new areas. Howeve...