Biology subjects

Panagopoulou, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Panagopoulou, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Mitogenome Diversity and Phylogenetic Insights of Aedes albopictus in Greece

The invasive mosquito species Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian Tiger Mosquito, is a significant global health concern due to its role as a vector for diseases such as Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya. In Greece, Ae. albopictus was first detected in 2005, with subsequent widespread establishment across the country. This study investigates the genetic diversity and phylogeography of Greek Ae. albopictus populations by analyzing mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences. A total of 488 female individuals were analyzed, revealing six haplotypes in samples collected from 2016 to 2018 using the LCO 1490 and HCO 2198 primer pair, including instances of identical haplotypes across years, while only one haplotype was consistently detected across all 2019 to 2022 samples using the UBC6 and UBC9 primer pair. These findings underscore the importance of molecular tools in understanding invasion dynamics and informing targeted surveillance and control measures. Further research is needed to assess additional worldwide populations and expand phylogeographic comparisons to elucidate global dispersal patterns.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2022

Surface microbiota of Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtles unravelled by 16S and 18S amplicon sequencing

Loggerhead sea turtle is considered a keystone species with major ecological role in Mediterranean marine environment. As with other wild reptiles, their outer microbiome is rarely studied. Although there are several studies on sea turtles macro-epibionts and endo-microbiota, there has been little research on epibiotic microbiota associated with sea turtles skin and carapace. Therefore, we provide the first identification of combined epibiotic eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbiota on Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtles. In this study, we sampled skin and carapace of 26 loggerheads from the Mediterranean Sea during 2018 and 2019. To investigate the overall microbial diversity and composition, amplicon sequencing of 16S and 18S rRNA genes was performed. We found that the Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtle epibiotic microbiota is a reservoir of a vast variety of microbial species. Microbial communities between samples mostly varied by different locations and seas, while within prokaryotic communities significant difference was observed between sampled body sites (carapace vs. skin). In terms of relative abundance, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota were the most represented phyla within prokaryotes, while Alveolata and Stramenopiles thrived among eukaryotes. This study, besides providing a first survey of microbial eukaryotes on loggerheads via metabarcoding, identifies fine differences within both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities that seem to reflect the host anatomy and habitat. Multi-domain epi-microbiome surveys provide additional layers of information that are complementary with previous morphological studies and enable better understanding of the biology and ecology of these vulnerable marine reptiles.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Social media reveals consistently disproportionate tourism pressure on a threatened marine vertebrate

Establishing how wildlife viewing pressure is distributed across individual animals within a population can inform the management of this activity, and ensure targeted individuals or groups are sufficiently protected. Here, we used social media data to quantify whether tourism pressure varies in a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) population and elucidate potential implications. Laganas Bay (Zakynthos, Greece) supports both breeding (migratory, and hence transient) and foraging (resident) turtles, with turtle viewing representing a major component of the tourism industry. Social media entries spanning two seasons (April to November, 2018 and 2019) were evaluated, and turtles were identified via photo-identification. For both years, 1684 and 2105 entries of 139 and 122 unique turtles were obtained from viewings, respectively (boats and underwater combined). However, while residents represented less than one-third of uniquely identified turtles, they represented 81.9% and 87.9% of all entries. Even when the seasonal breeding population was present (May to July), residents represented more than 60% entries. Of note, the same small number of resident turtles (<10), mostly males, were consistently viewed in both years; however, different individuals were targeted by boats versus underwater. Thus, turtles appear to use and remain in the area despite high viewing intensity, possibly indicating low disturbance. However, photo-identification records revealed a high risk of propeller and boat strike to residents (30%) leading to trauma and mortality. To reduce this threat and ease viewing pressure, we recommend the compulsory use of propeller guards for all boats and the creation of temporary "refuge" zones for resident animals at viewing hotspots, with these suggestions likely being relevant for other wildlife with similar population dynamics. In conclusion, social media represents a useful tool for monitoring individuals at a population scale, evaluating the pressure under which they are placed, and providing sufficient data to refine wildlife viewing guidelines and/or zoning.

ecology↗