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Lab |
Biogeographical Ecology and
Evolution (BEE) |
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Principal Investigator |
Maria
Ester Tavares Alvares Serrão |
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E-mail |
eserrao@ualg.pt |
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Location of Group |
CCMAR (Faro) |
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Keywords |
Biogeography, Reproductive ecology,
Population genetics, Dispersal
connectivity |
We aim at
understanding patterns and processes mediating
population biology from ecological to
evolutionary scales. Topics include
phylogeography, population dispersal/connectivity,
abiotic stress-driven evolution, reproductive
ecology and roles of mating systems in
population divergence and speciation. Biological
models include marine plants, algae, animals,
using a variety of approaches, from molecular to
experimental ecology and phylogenetic
reconstruction.
A large focus of
current research is the central question in
evolutionary ecology of the nature of environmental
barriers that limit gene flow and induce population
genetic divergence, a first step towards speciation.
We identify gene flow barriers in marine populations,
a subject particularly poorly understood for marine
taxa given the apparent continuity of marine
environments for dispersal, and we track genetic
imprints of ocean-climate cycles (lower temperatures
and sea levels) from Pleistocene ice ages, on
several taxa of pelagic and benthic marine species
across various oceans and seas, inferred from
genetic structure and molecular phylogenies.
In biogeographical
theory we also study evolutionary patterns of
archipelago colonizations and we empirically test
theoretical predictions from evolutionary ecology of
species´ranges, whereby distributional edges and
marginal habitats would be expected to have higher
clonality and inbreeding, selected for reproductive
assurance and local adaptation, and higher genetic
differentiation and lower genetic diversity which
trade-off with higher selective pressures for
stress-driven local adaptation at range edges.
We address leading
questions in marine ecology, such as maximizing
fertilization success in exposed shores by timing
broadcast spawning synchrony, comparing population
mating systems in order to understand their roles in
enabling species to respond to variable conditions
and eventually driving reproductive isolation and
speciation, maintaining species integrity in sister
taxa that can hybridize and introgress.
These objectives have
required significant effort into methodological
objectives, including development of various types
of molecular methods and molecular markers, novel
population genetics analyses methods, and specific
software.
Significant
advances in biogeography and marine reproductive
ecology (45 papers 2003-2007, already +14 in
2008):
 |
Population
structure and barriers to gene flow were
identified, with genetic imprints of
Pleistocene glacial periods on several
pelagic and benthic species, ranging from
beweeen oceans to within Atlantic and
Mediterranean basins. Marks of displacements,
vicariance, extinctions/recolonizations and
contemporary gene flow restrictions were
revealed in several fish, algae and seagrass
species. |
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Independent
colonizations events with remarkably
recurring biogeographical patterns of
diversification were discovered in endemic
gastropods (Conus) in Cape Verde archipelago.
Canary islands seagrasses show founder
effects during archipelago colonization from
a single source, decreasing genetic
diversity with distance to mainland. |
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Population
genetic structure at species biogeographical
distributional limits revealed high
inbreeding and clonality for seagrasses,
mangrove trees and algae. Secondary
evolution of asexual reproduction was
discovered in marginal Baltic populations of
algae. |
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Genetic
entities identified in a species complex (Fucus)
revealed hybridization/introgression but
divergent mating systems contribute to
species integrity, the self-compatible
hermaphroditic mostly selfing,, contrasting
to the outcrossing species, despite
biparental inbreeding from restricted gamete
dispersal. |
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Restricted
intra-population dispersal (sexual and
clonal) was shown (spatial autocorrelation
analyses, microsatellites) in several
seagrass and algal species, associated with
inbreeding and outbreeding depression,
dependent on outcrossing distance. |
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Complex
network analysis revealed the contribution
of different reproductive and dispersal
processes to population structure. |
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Coast/estuary
habitat linked population differentiation
and convergent adaptation to marginal
habitats, including by hybridization and
polyploidy, were revealed in Fucus algae
across European and Pacific shores.
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Synchronous
spawning patterns and physiological signals
were identified in fucoid algae, restricting
gamete release to periods promoting
reproductive success. |
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We reviewed
and developed novel molecular and
statistical methods for clonal population
genetics. |
EU funds:
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LIFE 06 NAT/P/000192.
(BIOMARES) 2007-2010 (891.160 EUR)
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NEST-2005-Path-COM/043251. (EDEN) 2007- 2009
(295.908 EUR) |
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EVK3-CT-2000-00044. (M&MS) 2001-2005
(330.000 EUR) |
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Plus various
projects in MARBEF and MGE networks
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FCT:
As
coordinators:
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POCI/MAR/61105/2004.
(ADAPT) 2006-2009 (86.400 EUR)
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POCI/MAR/60179/2004.
DIVSTAB) 2006-2009 (82.800 EUR)
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POCI/MAR/57499/2004.
(MATING) 2006-2008 (89.100 EUR)
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POCI/MAR/57342/2004.
2005-2007 (NETWORK) (45.000 EUR)
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POCI/MAR/60044/2004. (DIVIDE) 2005-2008
(41.400 EUR) |
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POCTI/39431/BSE/2001.
(GAMETE) 2002-2005 (45.000 EUR)
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POCTI/BSE/48317/2002.
(STRESSREG) 2004-2007 (105.491 EUR)
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POCTI/38863/BSE/2001.
(CHLORGEN) 2002-2005 (61.632 EUR)
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POCTI/BSE/35045/99.
(GENFUCUS) 2001-2004 (150.000 EUR)
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PNAT/1999/BIA/15003/C.
(SEAGRASSRIA) 2001-2004 (75.000 EUR)
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PDCTM/P/MAR/5292/1999.
(BIOPORT) 2001-2004 (225.000 EUR)
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As
partners:
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POCI/MAR/58837/2004.
2005-2008 (32.500 EUR)
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POCI/MAR/56149/2004.
(LIMITS) 2006-2009 (25.020 EUR)
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Subcontracts:
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(ECOKELP),
ANR, France, 2007-2009 (30.000 EUR)
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ICCM, Spain
2006-2009 (8.500 EUR)
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