Subantarctic Region Research Articles

Unveiling species diversity within the toxic diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia from the fjords and channels of Magallanes (48°- 51° S), Chile

Species of the potentially toxic diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia are common components of the phytoplankton community in the fjords and channel systems of the Magallanes Subantarctic region. Despite Pseudo-nitzschia species forming recurrent harmful algal blooms (HABs) in this region, Chilean monitoring programs have historically simply grouped species of this genus into two groups (P. group seriata and P. group delicatissima) according to basic cell morphology under light microscopy, or as Pseudo-nitzschia spp. Based on ultrastructural features obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), this study revealed more diversity within the genus than previously thought, identifying six Pseudo-nitzschia species in the Magallanes Subantarctic region (48°-56°S) from samples collected during a 11-year period (2006–2017). Most importantly, the study: 1) represent the first report on diversity and distribution of Pseudo-nitzschia species in this Patagonian region; 2) expanded the known distribution of P. australis and P. fraudulenta along the Chilean coast (down to 50° S); 3) confirmed previous records of P. pungens and P. cf. delicatissima; and 4) formally confirm the presence of P. heimii and P. calliantha in subantartic waters.

Physical and biogeochemical responses in the Southern Ocean to a simple parameterization of Langmuir circulation

Langmuir circulation (LC) plays an important role in deepening the mixed layer, especially when the ocean is weakly stratified. LC parameterization has been known to improve the accuracy of the mixed-layer depth, sea surface temperature, and ocean ventilation in the Southern Ocean. However, changes in ocean dynamics and biogeochemical processes owing to LC mixing have rarely been investigated. In this study, we implemented LC parameterization to a physical–biogeochemical coupled model and examined the changes in water properties and circulation and their effects on biogeochemical processes in the Southern Ocean. The LC effect enhances the turbulent mixing length scale and turbulent kinetic energy, especially in the subantarctic region, resulting in the deepening of the mixed layer. Increased vertical mixing causes deeper warm and saline water to reach the surface layer and weakens the surface meridional velocity by transferring momentum deeper. The weakening of the meridional velocity decreases equatorward freshwater transport, causing the surface water to become saltier and denser north of 50°S adjacent to the formation site of Subantarctic Mode Water, which enhances ocean ventilation eventually. Additionally, the weak equatorward velocity drives the retreat of sea-ice south of 60°S, leading to cooler and fresher water in the southern region of 60°S. Changes in the sea-ice distribution, mixed-layer depth, and dissolved inorganic carbon distribution alter the air-sea CO2 exchange, suggesting that the LC parameterization in the model can ameliorate 10% of the air-sea CO2 exchange. The LC effects on biogeochemical tracers, such as iron (Fe) and dissolved inorganic carbon, are mainly determined by changes in ocean circulation, and the modest improvement in primary productivity is mainly attributed to the changes in the Fe distribution in the high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll region, where Fe availability limits primary production. Although the direct LC effects occur near the surface, the altered meridional circulation spreads the effects to a deeper layer and improves the overall representation of physical, biogeochemical tracers and air-sea CO2 exchange in the Southern Ocean, suggesting that a simple LC parameterization can improve the ocean model.

The next frontier: assessing the feasibility of eradicating mammalian pests from Auckland Island

Auckland Island, the fifth largest island in New Zealand, is the only island in New Zealand’s subantarctic region where introduced mammalian pests remain (pigs, Sus scrofa; mice, Mus musculus; cats, Felis catus). The island has unique biodiversity and is a key site for progressing New Zealand’s goal to be free of several introduced predators by 2050. Recent island eradication successes have rekindled interest in eradicating pests from Auckland Island, and for the first time considering all three pests in one project.

Eradication confirmation of mice from Antipodes Island and subsequent terrestrial bird recovery

Antipodes Island is part of New Zealand’s World Heritage subantarctic region and hosts special biodiversity values and significant species endemism. Invasive house mice were the only introduced mammal and detrimentally impacted invertebrate and native bird communities. Eradication of mice from Antipodes Island was undertaken in 2016 and confirmed in 2018. We present the monitoring used to confirm eradication of mice and the ecological outcomes measured over the 6 years since the eradication.

Restoration of New Zealand subantarctic islands

New Zealand manages five island groups in the Southern Ocean New Zealand subantarctic region: The Snares (Tini Heke), Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands (Motu Maha or Maungahuka) and Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku. Charted by Europeans in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, their preservation commenced in the early 20th century and restoration in the late 20th century.

Monitoring and detection of feral cats on Auckland Island

In order to conserve important biodiversity values, eradication of feral cats (Felis catus) is planned on Auckland Island in the New Zealand subantarctic region. This eradication will require detailed knowledge of the abundance, distribution, movement behaviour and detection probability of cats on the island. We investigated these parameters on a peninsula at the northern end of the island using live trapping, camera trapping, and scat searches with and without detection dogs. Here, we compare the results of these methods, and discuss their utility for the planned eradication.

H6N8 avian influenza virus in Antarctic seabirds demonstrates connectivity between South America and Antarctica.

Wild aquatic birds are the natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). It is estimated that 100 million seabirds live in the Antarctic Peninsula and adjacent islands, regularly encountering migratory birds that use the islands to nest. Between 2010 and 2013, we collected samples from 865 seabirds in Elephant, King George and Livingston islands, around Antarctica Peninsula: chinstrap penguin (n = 143); gentoo penguin (n = 208); Adelie penguin (n = 46); brown skua (n = 90); Cape petrel (n = 115) and southern giant petrel (n = 263). Serum (n = 673) samples were analysed by competitive ELISA and swabs (n = 614) were tested by one step real-time RT-PCR for avian influenza virus (AIV). Sera from 30 chinstrap penguins, 76 brown skuas and a single Adelie penguin were seropositive for AIV. Thirteen swab samples were AIV positive by RT-PCR, and complete genome sequences of H6N8 AIVs isolated from brown skua and chinstrap penguin in 2011 were obtained. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that all gene segments of the H6N8 viruses were closely related to Argentinian and Chilean AIVs. The prevalence with which we identified evidence for AIVs infection in various Antarctic seabirds suggest viral circulation in Antarctic avifauna and interspecies viral transmission in the sub-Antarctic region.

What is the menu today in a subantarctic kelp food web from the Kerguelen Islands? Phytodetritus, phytoplankton and phytobenthos; not living kelp

Kelp forests dominated by Macrocystis pyrifera are widely distributed in coastal waters from boreal, temperate and subantarctic regions. This widespread distribution may result in regional differences in food web structure and functioning. In temperate northern regions, where most studies on kelp forest benthic food webs have been conducted, kelp grazing is a well-documented phenomenon and can lead to the overgrazing of M. pyrifera by sea urchins when their predators (e.g., sea otters) are absent. In contrast, little is known about their counterparts in subantarctic areas. The present study aimed to reconstruct the benthic food web of a kelp forest dominated by M. pyrifera in a subantarctic environment using stable isotope analysis. Stable carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope ratios were measured from food sources (macrophytobenthos, suspended particulate organic matter SPOM, and sediment) and consumers (sponges, bivalves, gastropods, sedentary and mobile polychaetes, arthropods and echinoderms) which were sampled in a kelp forest of the Kerguelen archipelago. Mixing models highlighted two interconnected trophic pathways which were either supported by SPOM and resuspended macrophytobenthos detritus (bentho-pelagic), or by live micro/macrophytobenthos (phytobenthos-based). No major prey were highlighted for several consumers, indicating the existence of potential supplementary trophic pathways. No consumer relying primarily on living M. pyrifera was highlighted by the mixing models. The investigated kelp forest is hence a complex ecosystem supporting multiple trophic pathways, and direct consumption of M. pyrifera is limited. Nonetheless, M. pyrifera and other macrophytobenthos species may constitute a pool of detritus supporting several trophic pathways.

Variation in Thermal Tolerance of the Giant Kelp’s Gametophytes: Suitability of Habitat, Population Quality or Local Adaptation?

The giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera is a cosmopolitan species of cold-temperate coasts. Its South-American distribution ranges from Peru to Cape Horn and Argentina, encompassing a considerable temperature gradient, from 3 to 20°C. Temperature is known to strongly affect survival, growth and reproduction of many kelp species, and ongoing global warming is already eroding their range distribution. Their response to thermal variability was shown to vary among genetically differentiated regions and populations, suggesting a possible adaptive divergence in thermal tolerance traits. This study aimed at testing the existence of local adaptation in the giant kelp, in regions separated by up to 4000km and strong thermal divergence. Two complementary experiments mimicked reciprocal transplants through a common garden approach, each habitat being represented by a given temperature corresponding to the regional average of the sampled populations. Several proxies of fitness were measured in the haploid stage of the kelp, and sympatric versus allopatric conditions (i.e. individuals at the temperature of their region of origin versus in a different temperature and versus individuals from other regions in that temperature) were compared. Additionally, a heat wave at 24°C was applied to measure the tolerance limits of these gametophytes. A significant interaction between experimental temperature and region of origin revealed that temperature tolerance varied among regions. However, depending on the fitness parameter measured, high latitude populations from the sub-Antarctic region were not always less heat resilient than populations from the warmer region of Peru. Even at 24°C, a temperature that is exceptionally reached in the southernmost part of the kelp’s natural habitat, all the gametophytes survived, although with strong differences in other traits among regions and populations within regions. This large range of temperature tolerance supports the idea of kelp gametophytes being a resistant stage. Finally, local adaptation sensu stricto was not detected. Fertility was more influenced by the geographic origin than by temperature, with possible effects of marginal conditions at the extremes of the distribution range. The latter results also suggest that stochastic dynamics such as genetic drift restricts adaptive processes in some populations of M. pyrifera.

Spatial and temporal variability of the physical, carbonate and CO2 properties in the Southern Ocean surface waters during austral summer (2005-2019)

In situ measurements of sea surface temperature (SST), salinity (SSS), Total Alkalinity (AT) and Total Carbon (CT) were obtained during austral summer (mid-February to mid-March) from 2005 to 2019 in the Southern Ocean (SO), along a transect between Hobart, Tasmania and Dumont d’Urville French Antarctic Station. The studied transect is divided in four regions from North to South: the Subtropical Zone (STZ), the Subantarctic Region (SAR), the Antarctic Region (AAR) and the Coastal Antarctic Zone (CAZ). Latitudinal distribution of measured SST, SSS, AT, CT as well as calculated pH, CO2 parameters (seawater fugacity of CO2 (fCO2sw), difference between seawater and atmospheric fCO2 (ΔfCO2), CO2 flux (FCO2)) and satellite-derived Chlorophyll a (Chl-a) are discussed. We show that the variability of physical and carbonate parameters in the STZ and north of the SAR are related to the mesoscale activity. In the CAZ, the freshwater inputs from sea-ice melting strongly impact the variability of all parameters. The comparison between physical and carbonate parameters highlights that AT and CT are directly related to the latitudinal variability of SST and SSS. Study of the CO2 parameters shows that the transect is a sink of CO2 during February and March, with a mean FCO2 of −4.0 ± 2.8 mmol m−2 d−1. The most negative values of FCO2 are found in the STZ and SAR north of 50°S and in the AAR south of 62°S, where biological activity is high. New simple empirical relationships are developed for AT from SST and SSS and for CT using SST, SSS and atmospheric fCO2 (fCO2atm) for the austral summer in the studied area. Using high resolution SSS and SST from the SURVOSTRAL program, trends of AT and CT are determined in the SAR and the AAR from 2005 to 2019. SST, SSS and AT increase over this period in the SAR, which might be explained by the southward migration of the Subtropical Front. In the AAR, no clear trend is detected. CT increases by 1.0 ± 0.2 and 0.8 ± 0.3 μmol kg−1 yr−1 in the SAR and AAR respectively. The trend in the AAR is attributed to the increase in anthropogenic CO2 emissions in the atmosphere while, in the SAR, hydrographic changes also contribute to the increase. Using the coefficient associated with fCO2atm in the equation of CT, we estimate the impact of atmospheric CO2 increase on CT at 1.18 ± 0.14 μmol kg−1 yr−1 and 1.07 ± 0.13 μmol kg−1 yr−1 in the SAR and AAR respectively. Decreases in pH are observed in both regions (−0.0018 ± 0.0001 and −0.0026 ± 0.0003 yr−1 in the SAR and AAR respectively), indicating the sensitivity of surface waters in the area towards the development of ocean acidification processes under rising anthropogenic emissions.

Bioavailable iron titrations reveal oceanic Synechococcus ecotypes optimized for different iron availabilities

The trace metal iron (Fe) controls the diversity and activity of phytoplankton across the surface oceans, a paradigm established through decades of in situ and mesocosm experimental studies. Despite widespread Fe-limitation within high-nutrient, low chlorophyll (HNLC) waters, significant contributions of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus to the phytoplankton stock can be found. Correlations among differing strains of Synechococcus across different Fe-regimes have suggested the existence of Fe-adapted ecotypes. However, experimental evidence of high- versus low-Fe adapted strains of Synechococcus is lacking, and so we investigated the transcriptional responses of microbial communities inhabiting the HNLC, sub-Antarctic region of the Southern Ocean during the Spring of 2018. Analysis of metatranscriptomes generated from on-deck incubation experiments reflecting a gradient of Fe-availabilities reveal transcriptomic signatures indicative of co-occurring Synechococcus ecotypes adapted to differing Fe-regimes. Functional analyses comparing low-Fe and high-Fe conditions point to various Fe-acquisition mechanisms that may allow persistence of low-Fe adapted Synechococcus under Fe-limitation. Comparison of in situ surface conditions to the Fe-titrations indicate ecological relevance of these mechanisms as well as persistence of both putative ecotypes within this region. This Fe-titration approach, combined with transcriptomics, highlights the short-term responses of the in situ phytoplankton community to Fe-availability that are often overlooked by examining genomic content or bulk physiological responses alone. These findings expand our knowledge about how phytoplankton in HNLC Southern Ocean waters adapt and respond to changing Fe supply.

The identity of Eunotia paludosa Grunow 1862 (Eunotiaceae, Bacillariophyta), a revision, and the description of three new species of Eunotia Ehrenberg

Eunotia paludosa is an abundant and frequent diatom species in ombrotrophic, Sphagnum-dominated bog ponds in Europe. Analysis of the type material from Mandling, Austria, revealed that our currently accepted concept of E. paludosa, based on morphology, was incorrect. The valves in the type population of E. paludosa possess distinct, relatively large, acute spines on the dorsal margin, which are not present in what is currently understood under E. paludosa. Based on the comparison with the E. paludosa type material, three new Eunotia species are described. Eunotia sphagnicola encompasses all European populations formerly and thus incorrectly identified as E. paludosa. The former E. paludosa populations in the sub-Antarctic region are described as E. insularum, a widespread species on almost all sub-Antarctic islands. Finally, E. zackenbergensis was described from Greenland. The three new species differ from each other in valve dimensions, valve outline and shape of the apices.

Anthropogenic microfibers are highly abundant at the Burdwood Bank seamount, a protected sub-Antarctic environment in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Microplastics debris in the marine environment have been widely studied across the globe. Within these particles, the most abundant and prevalent type in the oceans are anthropogenic microfibers (MFs), although they have been historically overlooked mostly due to methodological constraints. MFs are currently considered omnipresent in natural environments, however, contrary to the Northern Hemisphere, data on their abundance and distribution in Southern Oceans ecosystems are still scarce, in particular for sub-Antarctic regions. Using Niskin bottles we've explored microfibers abundance and distribution in the water column (3–2450 m depth) at the Burdwood Bank (BB), a seamount located at the southern extreme of the Patagonian shelf, in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. The MFs detected from filtered water samples were photographed and measured using ImageJ software, to estimate length, width, and the projected surface area of each particle. Our results indicate that small pieces of fibers are widespread in the water column at the BB (mean of 17.4 ± 12.6 MFs.L−1), from which, 10.6 ± 5.3 MFs.L−1 were at the surface (3–10 m depth), 20 ± 9 MFs.L−1 in intermediate waters (41–97 m), 24.6 ± 17.3 MFs.L−1 in deeper waters (102–164 m), and 9.2 ± 5.3 MFs.L−1 within the slope break of the seamount. Approximately 76.1% of the MFs were composed of Polyethylene terephthalate, and the abundance was dominated by the size fraction from 0.1 to 0.3 mm of length. Given the high relative abundance of small and aged MFs, and the oceanographic complexity of the study area, we postulate that MFs are most likely transported to the BB via the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Our findings imply that this sub-Antarctic protected ecosystem is highly exposed to microplastic pollution, and this threat could be spreading towards the highly productive waters, north of the study area.

Taxonomy and distribution of deep benthos collected in and around the Southern Ocean during the 30th Anniversary expeditions of R/V Hakuho Maru: Annelida, Mollusca, Ostracoda, Decapoda, and Echinodermata

The Southern Ocean is widely recognized for its unique benthic ecosystems, but benthic sampling has been largely restricted to shallower continental zones and much remains to be learned about the biodiversity in the bathyal and abyssal zones. In this study, we collected and investigated the deep-sea benthic habitat using geological dredges, a multiple corer, and a bait trap on-board the R/V Hakuho Maru in bathyal to abyssal depths between the latitude of 39°38.16′S–66°36.03′S and the longitude of 62°19.55′W–67°37.95′E in the Southern Ocean and the surrounding subantarctic region, focusing on West Antarctica. We carried out 20 geological dredges, 14 multiple corers, and a bait trap survey. Here, we present the taxonomic and distributional records of 180 species of Annelida, Mollusca, Ostracoda, Decapoda, and Echinodermata identified from our samples, including species-level identifications and detailed occurrence information where possible. Although West Antarctica is a highly investigated area for benthic biodiversity around Antarctica, our collection includes the annelid Flabelligena hakuhoae Jimi et al. 2020 which was new to science at the time of collection, and other potentially undescribed species of Annelida, Ostracoda, Asteroidea, and Holothuroidea. Several specimens collected updated the distribution ranges of their species.

Taxonomic and biogeographical analysis of diatom assemblages from historic bryophyte samples from Campbell Island (sub-Antarctic)

Background and aims – The past two decades, the non-marine diatom flora in the sub-Aantarctic region has been intensively revised. Historic collections provide excellent tools for answering taxonomic, community-related, and biogeographical questions. This study analysed the moss-inhabiting diatom flora from sub-Antarctic Campbell Island in samples collected in 1969–1970 and retrieved from the British Antarctic Survey herbarium (Cambridge, UK). With this study we attempt to expand our, till now sparse, knowledge on the moss-inhabiting diatom flora in the southern Pacific Ocean.Material and methods – In total, the diatom composition in 32 moss samples has been analysed using Light Microscopy (LM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). A biogeographical analysis and community analysis of the Campbell Island diatom flora were conducted.Key results – Analysis of the Campbell Island diatom flora revealed the presence of 141 taxa belonging to 45 genera. The species composition in the dominant genera Planothidium, Humidophila, and Psammothidium, the presence of Epithemia, Rhopalodia, Cocconeis, uncommon in the sub-Antarctic region, and many unidentified taxa point to the uniqueness of the Campbell Island diatom flora. The biogeographical analysis showed an overall low similarity with the other sub-Antarctic and the Maritime Antarctic islands. Four different diatom assemblages were distinguished following the community analysis. Moisture level and habitat type seem to be the main factors shaping the Campbell Island diatom assemblages.Conclusion – The results of the Campbell Island diatom analysis highlight the importance of historic herbarium material. Since the examined flora is largely composed of unknown (presumably new) species, it is vital to analyse additional (historic) samples to complete the assessment of the moss diatom assemblages from Campbell Island.

Positive selection over the mitochondrial genome and its role in the diversification of gentoo penguins in response to adaptation in isolation

Although mitochondrial DNA has been widely used in phylogeography, evidence has emerged that factors such as climate, food availability, and environmental pressures that produce high levels of stress can exert a strong influence on mitochondrial genomes, to the point of promoting the persistence of certain genotypes in order to compensate for the metabolic requirements of the local environment. As recently discovered, the gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) comprise four highly divergent lineages across their distribution spanning the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. Gentoo penguins therefore represent a suitable animal model to study adaptive processes across divergent environments. Based on 62 mitogenomes that we obtained from nine locations spanning all four gentoo penguin lineages, we demonstrated lineage-specific nucleotide substitutions for various genes, but only lineage-specific amino acid replacements for the ND1 and ND5 protein-coding genes. Purifying selection (dN/dS < 1) is the main driving force in the protein-coding genes that shape the diversity of mitogenomes in gentoo penguins. Positive selection (dN/dS > 1) was mostly present in codons of the Complex I (NADH genes), supported by two different codon-based methods at the ND1 and ND4 in the most divergent lineages, the eastern gentoo penguin from Crozet and Marion Islands and the southern gentoo penguin from Antarctica respectively. Additionally, ND5 and ATP6 were under selection in the branches of the phylogeny involving all gentoo penguins except the eastern lineage. Our study suggests that local adaptation of gentoo penguins has emerged as a response to environmental variability promoting the fixation of mitochondrial haplotypes in a non-random manner. Mitogenome adaptation is thus likely to have been associated with gentoo penguin diversification across the Southern Ocean and to have promoted their survival in extreme environments such as Antarctica. Such selective processes on the mitochondrial genome may also be responsible for the discordance detected between nuclear- and mitochondrial-based phylogenies of gentoo penguin lineages.

Response to Cold: A Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis in Eight Cold-Adapted Yeasts

Microorganisms have evolved to colonize all biospheres, including extremely cold environments, facing several stressor conditions, mainly low/freezing temperatures. In general, terms, the strategies developed by cold-adapted microorganisms include the synthesis of cryoprotectant and stress-protectant molecules, cold-active proteins, especially enzymes, and membrane fluidity regulation. The strategy could differ among microorganisms and concerns the characteristics of the cold environment of the microorganism, such as seasonal temperature changes. Microorganisms can develop strategies to grow efficiently at low temperatures or tolerate them and grow under favorable conditions. These differences can be found among the same kind of microorganisms and from the same cold habitat. In this work, eight cold-adapted yeasts isolated from King George Island, subAntarctic region, which differ in their growth properties, were studied about their response to low temperatures at the transcriptomic level. Sixteen ORFeomes were assembled and used for gene prediction and functional annotation, determination of gene expression changes, protein flexibilities of translated genes, and codon usage bias. Putative genes related to the response to all main kinds of stress were found. The total number of differentially expressed genes was related to the temperature variation that each yeast faced. The findings from multiple comparative analyses among yeasts based on gene expression changes and protein flexibility by cellular functions and codon usage bias raise significant differences in response to cold among the studied Antarctic yeasts. The way a yeast responds to temperature change appears to be more related to its optimal temperature for growth (OTG) than growth velocity. Yeasts with higher OTG prepare to downregulate their metabolism to enter the dormancy stage. In comparison, yeasts with lower OTG perform minor adjustments to make their metabolism adequate and maintain their growth at lower temperatures.

Biogeography and systematics ofCarexsubgenusUncinia(Cyperaceae): A unique radiation for the genusCarexin the Southern Hemisphere

AbstractCarexsubg.Uncinia(Cyperaceae) constitutes one of six currently recognizedCarexsubgenera. This subgenus is mainly distributed on the American continent and in the Pacific region, and it is the only subgenus almost entirely absent from the Old World and primarily diversified in the Southern Hemisphere. It includes some of the fewCarexspecies with clear epizoochoric traits: the representatives ofC. sect.Unciniapossess utricles with an exserted and hooked rachilla that allows the diaspores to attach to feather or hair. We performed phylogenetic (ITS, ETS‐1f,matK), biogeographic, and ancestral state reconstruction analyses to elucidate the systematic structure, origin and dispersal routes, and major morphological evolutionary patterns of the different lineages within the subgenus. Our phylogenetic reconstructions revealed that the subgenus comprises seven different clades that mostly match previously recognized sections. One of the clades, however, represents a new section described herein asC. sect.Wheelerianae. Unispicate lineages evolved repeatedly from ancestors bearing multispicate inflorescences, while the presence of a rachilla, often pictured as a plesiomorphy inCarex, seems to have developed four independent times in the evolution ofC. subg.Uncinia. The origin of the subgenus dates back to the beginning of the Miocene, probably in North America from where it colonized the Southern Hemisphere. It first dispersed to South America during the Early Miocene. Later, in the Middle Miocene, representatives ofC. sect.Unciniawould reach the Pacific Southwest region (New Zealand, Australasia) from South America in at least two independent dispersal events. The vast majority of the biogeographic events seem to be explained by long‐distance dispersal. The remarkable dispersal ability ofC. sect.Unciniaenabled by the hooked rachilla has allowed it to reach remote archipelagos in the Pacific and Subantarctic regions, probably bird‐mediated.

Pivotal discrepancy measures for Bayesian modelling of spatio-temporal data

Within the field of geostatistics, Gaussian processes are a staple for modelling spatial and spatio-temporal data. Statistical literature is rich with estimation methods for the mean and covariance of such processes (in both frequentist and Bayesian contexts). Considerably less attention has been paid to developing goodness-of-fit tests for assessment of model adequacy. Jun et al. (Environmetrics 25(8):584–595, 2014) introduced a statistical test that uses pivotal discrepancy measures to assess goodness-of-fit in the Bayesian context. We present a modification and generalization of their statistical test. The initial method involves spatial partitioning of the data, followed by evaluation of a pivotal discrepancy measure at each posterior draw to obtain a posterior distribution of pivotal statistics. Order statistics from this distribution are used to obtain approximate p-values. Jun et al. (Environmetrics 25(8):584–595, 2014) use arbitrary partitions based on pre-existing spatial boundaries. The partitions are made to be of equal size. Our contribution is two-fold. We use K-means clustering to create the spatial partitions and we generalise Jun et al.’s approach to incorporate unequal partition sizes. Observations from a spatial or spatio-temporal process are partitioned using an appropriate feature vector that incorporates the geographic location of the observations into subsets (not necessarily of the same size). The method’s viability is illustrated in a simulation study, and in an application to hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae) catch data from a survey of the sub-Antarctic region.

Marine food webs are more complex but less stable in sub-Antarctic (Beagle Channel, Argentina) than in Antarctic (Potter Cove, Antarctic Peninsula) regions

Food web structure plays an important role in determining ecosystem stability against perturbations. High-latitude marine ecosystems are being affected by environmental stressors and biological invasions. In the West Antarctic Peninsula these transformations are mainly driven by climate change, while in the sub-Antarctic region by anthropogenic activities. Understanding the differences between these areas is necessary to monitor the changes that are expected to occur in the upcoming decades. Here, we compared the structure and stability of Antarctic (Potter Cove) and sub-Antarctic (Beagle Channel) marine food webs. We compiled species trophic interactions (predator-prey) and calculated complexity, structure and stability metrics. Even if both food webs presented the same connectance, we found important differences between them. The Beagle Channel food web is more complex, but less stable and sensitive to the loss of its most connected species, while the Potter Cove food web presented lower complexity and greater stability against perturbations.