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Inproceedings Reference A raven (Corvus corax) from medieval Brussels with pathologies: was it truly free as a bird?
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Inproceedings Reference Environmental Archaeology in Brussels (Belgium): The development of a framework
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Inproceedings Reference Un cheval du Bruxelles médiéval, souffrant d'un trouble de la colonne vertébrale
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Inproceedings Reference Investigating the Gill-Oxygen Limitation Theory (GOLT) in the context of gill parasite diversification
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Inproceedings Reference The changing ecosystem of East Africa’s Mare Nostrum: Using ichthyology collections to identify the changes in the Lake Victoria region
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2024
Article Reference infraFADA: Upgrading the taxonomic backbone of global freshwater animal biodiversity research infrastructures
The current Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment (FADA) comprises an extensive set of global taxa lists for freshwater animal groups. At present, more than 125 thousand described freshwater animal species in more than 11 thousand genera have been documented. However, taxonomy is a living scientific discipline, where new taxa are continuously being described, and existing taxa are being placed in new taxonomic positions. Therefore, after a period of relative inactivity, the BELSPO (Belgian Science Policy) project “infraFADA” (2023-2026) re-establishes the global FADA consortium of taxonomic experts, so that all taxa lists will be brought up to date, both technically and in terms of content. infraFADA will develop a living, updated, and global FADA database, fully in open access and according to the FAIR principles. The infraFADA database is intended for use and consultation by the scientific freshwater community, as well as for interested stakeholders, for example, freshwater ecosystem managers, biodiversity conservationists, and others. Most importantly, FADA will also serve as a taxonomic backbone for other global biodiversity data infrastructures, such as the Catalogue of Life (CoL), the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the Freshwater Information Platform (FIP), and others. As such, FADA will provide a digital and living heritage of freshwater data, building bridges between science and society and helping to sustainably maintain freshwater resources.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2024
Article Reference Exploring co-invasion dynamics: parasitic interactions in the wake of Nile perch invasion in Lake Victoria and its impact on the parasite fauna of haplochromine cichlids
Biological invasions represent a significant threat to global biodiversity, impacting ecosystems and altering ecological dynamics. The introduction of the Nile perch (Lates niloticus) into Lake Victoria (East Africa), has led to ecological transformations, influencing the native fish communities. While much attention has been devoted to studying the ecological impacts of the Nile perch invasion on the native fish fauna and socio-economic consequences, little is known about the co-introduction dynamics of its potentially co-invasive parasites, as well as the impact on the gill macroparasite fauna of the native fishes impacted by the invasion (e.g. haplochromine cichlids). To investigate the co-introduction dynamics, we assessed the genetic and morphological diversity of Dolicirroplectanum lacustre, the only flatworm (Monogenea) parasite that infects lates perches across Africa. We found that D. lacustre was co-introduced with L. niloticus. In Lake Victoria, we found a reduction in the genetic and morphological diversity of D. lacustre compared with its native range, indicating a founder effect. To examine the broader ecological consequences of Nile perch invasion and human-induced eutrophication, we compared gill macroparasite communities of 13 native haplochromine cichlid species before and after these perturbations. We observed a reconfiguration of the host-parasite network that buffers the impacts of perturbations, indicating resilience. However, we observe a decrease in parasite-host range and infection parameters, highlighting the vulnerability of parasite communities to ongoing environmental changes associated with biological invasions. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the intricate dynamics of host-parasite interactions in the context of biological invasions and environmental change. By integrating insights from the invasive species dynamics and ecological perturbations, we provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for conservation efforts to preserve ecosystem health and resilience in the face of global change.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2024
Article Reference Parasitic monogenean flatworms as tags for invasive aquatic vertebrates in africa, using mitochondrial markers and historical collections
Reasons why introduced alien species are major risks to biodiversity include parasite co-introduction and lateral transfer to local hosts, but this parasitological impact is understudied. The origins and identities of introduced organisms are often unknown, including those of their parasite fauna. Recent species monitoring only provides partial answers for want of baseline data: especially in the Global South and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular, where native parasite biodiversity is poorly known. We studied introduced vertebrates (cichlids, sardines, frogs) in Central and Southern African inland waters, and parasitic flatworms (monogeneans) infecting them. Given their obligate one-host lifestyle, these parasites are thought to be more easily co-introduced with their hosts, and to be used as “tags” for the origin and introduction pathway of host populations. Parasites were isolated from hosts sampled from historical collections and in recent fieldwork. Monogenean parasites were morphologically identified to species level, and characterised using nuclear and mitochondrial markers. Using historical fish collections to reconstruct pre-introduction baselines for cichlid parasite communities, we distinguished between native and co-introduced parasite species, and detected parasite transmission to native cichlids. Monogeneans helped identify origins and introduction pathways of invasive sardines. For the notoriously invasive Nile tilapia and African clawed frog, these parasites provided a higher resolution than host genetics. This a proof-of-concept of biodiversity infrastructure and parasites as information sources for invasion biology. Nevertheless, a review of the state-of-the-art of parasitological research on Nile tilapia, an invasive f ish of global economic and ecological importance, shows that work on its parasites mostly overlooks their indicator potential. We recommend more scientific consideration to the parasites of invasive species, using a more integrative approach than is currently often taken.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2024
Article Reference Detection of invasive and alien land planarians as threats to agriculture and ecosystem stability
Alien land planarians are considered potential threats to European agriculture and ecosystem stability. Severe impact of alien land planarian species in Europe but also worldwide was reported including depletion of local and native soil invertebrates and possible detrimental changes at the ecosystem level. Given the increasing number of studies reporting non-native and potentially invasive species of geoplanid planarians, further action in first response related to worldwide plant trade is called for. To date, the only flatworm on the list of “Invasive Alien Species of European Union Concern” is the New Zealand flatworm Arthurdendyus triangulatus. To help authorities detect and prevent introduction of the New Zealand flatworm, we designed an experiment in order to develop a species-specific barcoding protocol to check possible contamination by A. triangulatus of containerised flowerpots, identified as the most probable source of its co-introduction to non-native region. Based on our results, specific behavior of A. triangulatus staying restricted to the surface and upper layer of the flowerpot determines accessibility of DNA in the soil. Therefore, water-based eDNA methodology combined with a newly established qPCR protocol is preferred as it provides a sensitive approach for detection of A. triangulatus in the flowerpots. Further testing is needed to determine sensitivity of the persistence of eDNA following the flatworm’s removal, to estimate the risk of false positives. The newly designed barcoding protocols provide species-specific diagnosis of one invasive and three non-native land planarians currently being assessed for their invasion risks. However, the species-specificity of the developed barcoding protocols might need to be re-evaluated in case of introduction of new planarian species, and in view of apparent misidentifications regarding published genetic resources. Instead, general protocols requiring genetic sequence analyses would offer a more robust approach to assess species diversity of introduced and potentially invasive land planarians.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2024
Article Reference High-resolution description of insular and fjordic benthic food webs along the West Antarctic Peninsula
The West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is one of the most rapidly warming region on Earth. In this context, it is crucial to improve our understanding of the consequences of future changes in the local biotic and abiotic environments on marine ecosystem functioning. Here, we focused on food web structure of shallow-water benthic communities. In February 2023, the TANGO1 expedition, using a sailboat, brought nine Belgian scientists to the WAP. To assess the importance of environmental changes on local food web dynamics, five benthic communities were investigated, focusing on macroalgae forests (n=2) and sedimentary soft bottoms (n=3). These stations were distributed between two contrasted environments, Dodman Island (Grandidier Channel, 66°S) & Blaiklock Island (Bigourdan Fjord, 67.5°S). These two locations differed markedly in terms of sea-ice cover, and in terms of general hydrography (small island exposed to the Grandidier Channel’s currents VS fjord system surrounded by active glaciers). At each station, basal food sources (i.e. sediment-associated POM, water-column POM, macroalgae, microphytobenthos) as well as benthic invertebrates (435 individuals, 64 morphospecies) were sampled quantitatively to assess their biomass, and for later stable isotope analysis. Using stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur, and Bayesian tools, we aim to formally represent the communities in isotopic space, and to compare their topologies along the environmental gradient studied. These representations will then be used to test whether differences in food web structure reflect general community characteristics, such as the higher biomass of organisms measured in macroalgae forests, which also display the greatest species diversity.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2024