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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Antarctic Peninsula soil carbon stock and efflux: A complex interplay of soil properties and heavy metals.

This study establishes a quantitative framework for understanding surface soil carbon dynamics and ecosystem connectivity in Fildes Peninsula and Ardley Island, King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula. The mean soil organic carbon (SOC) stock across all study sites was 1.10 ± 1.93 kg C/m². Restricting net carbon balance analysis to Fildes Peninsula, where soil respiration (Rs) data were available, yielded a site-specific SOC stock of 0.45 ± 0.45 kg C/m². Scaling Rs to a realistic 120-day active season and assuming stable SOC stocks resulted in estimated annual carbon loss of 15 g C/(m2·yr), equivalent to 3.3 % of standing SOC. Comprehensive sensitivity analyses spanning plausible winter respiration (0 %-20 % of summer rates) and annual change in SOC stocks (-1 %-2 %) consistently supported a net carbon sink, with turnover rates constrained to 3.3 %/yr-4.7 %/yr. Principal component analysis showed that ornithogenic processes as the dominant control on SOC, total nitrogen (TN), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and cadmium (Cd) provide a clear multivariate signature of marine-derived nutrient, while Pb was decoupled from this gradient and associated instead with fine-particle size controls. These results reveal dual but independent drivers of soil metal enrichment in this region. Despite their limited spatial extent, ornithogenic soils store disproportionately large carbon pools. Overall, this integrated analysis reveals how marine-terrestrial subsidies regulate Antarctic carbon cycling and provides a quantitative and reproducible framework for assessing carbon dynamics under ongoing climate change.

Antarctic Regions↗
PubMed2026

Beyond survival: microbial dispersion via aerosolization as an evolutionary trait.

Airborne dispersion of microorganisms is a constant ecologically significant global process. However, the initial stage of this process, the uplift of microbes to the atmosphere, remains poorly understood as an ecological filter. Differential aerosolization could serve as a potent selector allowing a subset of microorganisms to disperse via air more efficiently, providing potential advantages in establishment in new environments. While traits associated with atmospheric survival and deposition are well documented, microbial aerosolization is still generally presumed to be stochastic, primarily due to the small size of microorganisms and their lack of active biological ejection mechanisms like those found in seeds and larger fungal spores. However, emerging evidence suggests that uplift into the atmosphere is a dynamic interaction between physical forces in the environment and specific biological traits. This review synthesizes observations from genomic source tracking studies and laboratory experiments that describe how preferential enrichment of certain taxa into the atmosphere is based on intrinsic properties including extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) mediated aggregation, cell surface hydrophobicity, surfactant production, and other potentially relevant microbial traits. Additional candidate traits that may contribute to enhanced aerosolization are identified along with the potential mechanistic basis by which they might influence uplift. Future work with controlled chamber studies on single organisms and integration of atmospheric flux measurements with trait-based microbial uplift can provide a mechanistic basis for more accurate models of bioaerosol flux. Improving our comprehension of bioaerosol aerosolization behavior and flux is critical to understanding the dispersal of microorganisms across diverse habitats and their subsequent impacts on ecosystems, global climate, and the spread of diseases.

atmospheric microbiology↗
PubMed2026

Navigating Social Media: Balancing Connectivity With Media Literacy to Combat Misinformation and Protect Mental Well-Being.

BACKGROUND: The pervasive use of social media has created a complex digital ecosystem where high connectivity coexists with significant challenges, including the rapid spread of misinformation, particularly regarding mental health, and documented negative impacts on psychological well-being. Platform architectures designed for engagement maximization have been identified as central factors in both issues. OBJECTIVE: This paper critically analyzes the interconnected relationships between social media use, misinformation dissemination, and mental health impacts, with particular attention to psychiatric misinformation across diagnostic categories (e.g., depression, anxiety, ADHD). A primary objective is to evaluate the potential of advanced critical digital literacy frameworks to serve as protective mechanisms against these dual threats. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines across APA PsycInfo, PubMed, JSTOR, and Google Scholar for literature published between January 2018 and March 2026 (updated from the original 2023 search). The search yielded 2672 records. After removing 624 duplicates, 2048 records underwent title and abstract screening, with 1802 excluded. The remaining 246 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, resulting in 86 studies included in the final qualitative synthesis. Inter-rater reliability was established (Cohen's κ = 0.82). Quality assessment was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist, AXIS, and CASP tools, with findings weighted by methodological quality. A thematic analysis was undertaken to synthesize findings. RESULTS: The analysis reveals that core architectural features of social media platforms, algorithmic curation and engagement-based metrics, simultaneously foster environments ripe for misinformation spread and contribute to psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and harmful social comparison. Psychiatric misinformation specifically (e.g., inaccurate claims about treatment effectiveness, diagnostic criteria, and medication side effects) represents a growing concern, particularly on image- and video-based platforms. The findings indicate that conventional media literacy approaches focused solely on fact-checking are insufficient. Instead, a critical digital literacy framework encompassing algorithmic awareness, data literacy, and emotional awareness is essential for building user resilience, with evidence from high-quality systematic reviews supporting this approach. CONCLUSIONS: Navigating the complexities of modern social media requires an integrated approach combining "pedagogies of play" for experiential skill development with advocacy for structural change (e.g., algorithmic transparency, well being by design principles). This dual strategy empowers individual users to critically engage with digital content while advocating for ethical platform design, thereby safeguarding both mental well-being and democratic discourse. Implications for educators, mental health professionals (including competencies for addressing patient encounters with psychiatric misinformation), policymakers, and platform designers are discussed.

Humans↗
PubMed2025

Picocyanobacteria in the Chesapeake Bay: isolation, diversity, and adaptation.

Tiny unicellular cyanobacteria or picocyanobacteria (0.5-3 µm) are important due to their ecological significance. Chesapeake Bay is a temperate estuary that contains abundant and diverse picocyanobacteria. Studies of Chesapeake Bay picocyanobacteria in the past 20 years led to the finding of new members of subcluster 5.2 Synechococcus. They laid the foundation for revealing the ecophysiology, biogeography, genomics, and molecular evolution of picocyanobacterial in the Chesapeake Bay and other coastal estuaries. The Bay picocyanobacteria are known to better tolerate the changes in temperature, salinity, and heavy metals compared to their coastal and open-ocean counterparts. Many picocyanobacteria isolated from the Bay contain rich toxin-antitoxin (TA) genes, suggesting that the TA system may provide them with a genetic advance to cope with variable estuarine environments. Distinct winter and summer picocyanobacteria are present in the Bay, suggesting a dynamic seasonal shift of the picocyanobacterial community in the temperate estuary. While the Bay contains subcluster 5.2 Synechococcus, it also contains freshwater Synechococcus, Cyanobium, and marine Synechococcus due to river influx and the ocean's tidal influence. Some Chesapeake Bay picocyanobacterial clades were found in the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, showing a link between the Bay and polar picocyanobacteria. Genomic sequences of estuarine picocyanobacteria provide new insight into the taxonomy and evolution of freshwater, estuarine, and marine unicellular cyanobacteria. Estuaries connect freshwater and marine ecosystems. This overview attempts to extend what we learned from Chesapeake Bay picocyanobacteria to picocyanobacteria in freshwater and marine waters.

Chesapeake Bay↗
PubMed2026

Open and sustainable AI: challenges, opportunities and the road ahead in the life sciences.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has seen transformative breakthroughs in the life sciences, expanding possibilities to interpret biological information at an unprecedented capacity. To maximize return on growing investments and accelerate progress, it is urgent to address long-standing research challenges arising from the rapid adoption of AI methods. We review the erosion of trust in AI outputs driven by poor reusability and reproducibility, and highlight their impact on environmental sustainability. Furthermore, we discuss the fragmented components of the AI ecosystem and lack of guiding pathways to support open and sustainable AI model development. In response, this Perspective introduces practical open and sustainable AI recommendations mapped to over 300 ecosystem components and provides guiding implementation pathways. Our work connects researchers with relevant AI resources, facilitating the implementation of sustainable, reusable and reproducible AI. Built upon community consensus and aligned to existing efforts, these outputs will aid future policy development and structured pathways for guiding AI implementation.

Artificial Intelligence↗
PubMed2026

Genomic detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in Antarctic seabirds reveals connectivity with South American viral lineages.

Emerging avian viruses increasingly threaten Antarctic wildlife, raising concerns about ecosystem health and biodiversity. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of avian influenza virus (influenza A virus, IAV) in both resident and migratory birds inhabiting the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. During the 2024-2025 austral summer, 278 samples were collected and screened using real-time RT-PCR targeting the IAV M gene. IAV RNA was detected in 30 samples, and eight of these were found to be positive for H5. Complete genome sequencing was performed on samples from a gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) and a southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus), revealing the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1, clade 2.3.4.4b. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that these viral genomes closely cluster with contemporary South American strains, indicating a direct connectivity between Antarctic seabirds and the broader H5N1 transmission network. Our findings highlight the heightened vulnerability of Antarctic ecosystems to emerging infectious diseases and emphasize the critical need for sustained genomic surveillance. These efforts are essential to monitor wildlife health, inform conservation strategies, and implement effective biosecurity measures to safeguard Antarctic biodiversity.

Animals↗
PubMed2025

Contrasting Patterns of Connectivity Between Populations of Euphotic and Mesophotic Hydroids in Reunion Island Support the Deep Reef Refuge Hypothesis.

In the context of coral reef decline, mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs, 30-150 m) offer hope for the recovery of degraded euphotic reefs. The Deep Reef Refuge Hypothesis (DRRH) postulates the potential of mesophotic reefs to reseed euphotic reefs. This hypothesis needs to be further tested by estimating connectivity along the depth gradient. Mesophotic data are lacking worldwide, particularly in the southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO). Here, using a total of 2218 samples collected at depths ranging from 10 to 103 m, we estimated the connectivity of 7 hydroid species sampled at euphotic, upper, and lower mesophotic depths around Reunion Island using a multi-species comparative framework. Population genetic analyses using 8-17 microsatellite markers per species (80 markers in total) as well as Bayesian inference were performed to estimate population structure and contemporary migration rates to highlight connectivity patterns and directionality of gene flow between depths. The results revealed three main genetic patterns depending on the species: a horizontal stepping stone pattern between areas around the island, a vertical stepping stone pattern between adjacent depths, and a quasi-panmictic pattern. Each species showed some specificity within these patterns, but overall, at least 4 of the 7 species support the assumption of vertical connectivity from the Deep Reef Refuge Hypothesis, highlighting the importance of studying multiple species. The existence of vertical connectivity between euphotic and mesophotic depths in the southwestern Indian Ocean confirms the importance of mesophotic coral ecosystems for conservation efforts and our global understanding of coral reef ecosystem dynamics.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Mathematical model of a two level ecosystem].

The model which consists of two trophical levels is developed. The species here are connected by "pray--predator" relationship. If one supposes rather narrow specialisation of predator and introduces the "ecological space", the model which was preliminary recorded as a system of common differential equations of great dimension can be modified to the system of two non-linear equations in partial derivatives. Linear approach was investigated analytically, the previous nonlinear problem was calculated on a computer. The most interesting result here is an appearance of space--time oscillations in the system, which can be regarded as the first stages of ecological succession.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Elements on the move: How ungulate migration expands Alpine biogeochemical footprints.

Through depositing waste products, animals influence the spatial distribution of elements across landscapes. Yet the relationship between animal movement and element distribution remains poorly characterized. We developed a spatially explicit agent-based model to test how migratory versus resident red deer (Cervus elaphus) influence nitrogen redistribution across an alpine landscape in the Central-Eastern Italian Alps. Specifically, we asked how both local-scale and landscape-scale movement alter the spatial extent and magnitude of nitrogen deposition. We parameterized our model with GPS telemetry from 2021 to 2024 and remotely sensed vegetation data. We simulated four different scenarios which allowed us to disentangle the relative effects of large-scale (migration persisting) and fine-scale (resident behaviour) movement: (i) mixed migratory-resident (300 deer), (ii) fully resident (300 deer), (iii) reduced resident (150 deer) and (iv) reduced migratory (150 deer). The potential for nitrogen intake, assimilation, and excretion occurred hourly across a seasonally dynamic landscape. Across all scenarios, tree cover density and slope consistently emerged as positive predictors of nitrogen transport. Thus, regardless of resident or migratory status, red deer act as mediators of local element transport. Similarly, proximity to roads/trails reduced nitrogen inputs and created closed systems, indicating that barriers constrain both local and landscape-scale element transport. Migration substantially expanded the spatial extent of nitrogen redistribution and enabled the upward movement of elements, both locally upslope and into higher elevation habitats, effectively transporting elements against gravitational forces. Consequently, the loss of migration is likely to weaken these large-scale element linkages and reduce associated ecosystem functions. Our results demonstrate that different animal movement patterns play distinct and complementary roles in connecting element pools across landscapes. While both resident and migrant foraging redistribute elements locally, migratory movements link lowland and alpine habitats, expanding the spatial reach of element redistribution. Thus, loss of migration not only reduces the spatial extent of element distribution but also alters the topographic pathways through which elements are cycled. These findings highlight the broader ecosystem consequences of declining animal movement extent, and migration in particular, and underscore the importance of conserving behavioural diversity to maintain element heterogeneity and ecosystem functioning in mountain systems.

animal ecology↗
PubMed2026

Fine-Scale Population Genomics Reveals Genetic Differentiation in the Brooding Amphipod Cheirimedon femoratus Across the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.

Antarctic marine ecosystems are sensitive to environmental change, and impacts on processes such as population connectivity will play a fundamental role in future population dynamics and persistence, affecting short-term demography and long-term evolution. We investigated the population genomics of the common benthic brooding Antarctic amphipod Cheirimedon femoratus (Pfeffer, 1888), using 8837 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 87 individuals collected at 4 sites in the South Shetland Islands, separated by up to 200 km: Deception Island, King George Island, Livingston Island, and Snow Island. While Admixture, F ST, principal component analysis (PCA), and demographic (Ne) analyses revealed a generally weak population genetic structure, Livingston Island emerged as a distinct population, especially compared to King George Island. All populations showed a heterozygote deficit with positive inbreeding coefficients (F IS), particularly high in the Snow Island population (~0.55). Tajima's D test suggested overall neutral evolution, although slight variation was observed among sites. Despite the limited dispersal potential of this brooding species, the observed connectivity may be maintained through passive dispersal, likely via floating macroalgae or ice-rafted debris, facilitated by prevailing regional ocean currents. This may enhance the population resilience of Antarctic benthic communities under environmental change, including regional warming and shifts in ocean circulation, compared to more isolated populations. Our findings underscore the complex interplay between passive connectivity and fine-scale differentiation in shaping Antarctic benthic invertebrate diversity.

Amphipoda↗
PubMed2026

Soil erosion and landscape elevation as unnoticed determinants of environmental antibiotic resistance distribution.

Climate change is reshaping the global antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) landscape through geomorphological processes that remain largely overlooked in the One Health framework. This critical review synthesises evidence on how soil erosion and landscape elevation gradients redistribute, select for, and disseminate ARGs across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Erosion physically removes and transports ARG-bearing microbes, depletes nutrients, and co-selects for resistance via heavy metal exposure and horizontal gene transfer, creating source-sink dynamics that connect eroding hillslopes to downstream water bodies and food systems. Elevation gradients impose abiotic stressors-declining temperature, elevated UV radiation, and shifting pH-that drive microbial community reassembly through environmental selection and dispersal limitation, with emerging evidence linking bacterial competition at high altitude to enhanced multidrug efflux and resistome complexity. The review identifies critical knowledge gaps, including unquantified ARG mass fluxes across erosion-deposition gradients, unresolved dispersal-versus-selection mechanisms along elevation transects, and the absence of integrated One Health surveillance linking environmental ARG reservoirs to clinical outcomes. A synthesis of global case studies illustrates how these processes converge across diverse landscapes. The review concludes with a mechanistic research agenda-including reciprocal transplant experiments, landscape connectivity modelling, and cross-sectoral surveillance-needed to translate these emerging drivers into actionable climate-AMR mitigation policy.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗
PubMed2025

Microbiota and kidney disease: the road ahead.

More than 850 million individuals worldwide, accounting for 10-15% of the adult population, are estimated to have chronic kidney disease. Each of these individuals is host to tens of trillions of microorganisms that are collectively referred to as microbiota - a dynamic ecosystem that both influences host health and is itself influenced by changes in the host. Available evidence supports the existence of functional connections between resident microorganisms and kidney health that are altered in the context of specific kidney diseases, including acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease and renal stone disease. Moreover, promising data from preclinical studies suggest that targeting of gut microbial pathways may provide new therapeutic opportunities for the treatment of kidney disease. This Roadmap describes current understanding of the mechanisms by which microorganisms regulate host organ function, the effects of kidney disease on the gut microbiome, and how these insights may contribute to the development of microbe-targeted therapeutics. We highlight key knowledge gaps that remain to be addressed and strategies for addressing these, outlining both the promise and the potential pitfalls of leveraging our understanding of the gut microbiota to better understand and treat kidney disease.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Genome-wide SNP data reveal geographic structure and landscape-associated genomic differentiation in a widespread lizard in arid Eastern Central Asia.

Arid landscapes provide important systems for examining how geographic structure and environmental heterogeneity shape genomic differentiation. In topographically complex desert regions, however, it remains challenging to determine whether population structure primarily reflects landscape resistance, geographic distance, or contemporary environmental variation. Here, we use genome-wide SNP data to investigate population structure, phylogenetic relationships, historical gene flow, demographic history, and landscape correlates of genomic differentiation in the variegated racerunner (Eremias vermiculata), a widespread lacertid lizard across arid Eastern Central Asia. Analyses of 164 individuals recovered six geographically structured nuclear clusters associated with major desert basins and mountain-bounded regions. Nuclear phylogenies resolved two broad regional clades corresponding to northeastern and southwestern parts of the species' range, while PCA and ADMIXTURE analyses recovered six finer-scale genetic clusters. Mitochondrial phylogenies, based on combined NCBI-derived Cyt b and COI sequences from the same individuals, recovered four deeper maternal lineages. These patterns indicate overall phylogeographic agreement between nuclear and mitochondrial datasets, with genome-wide SNPs providing finer-scale resolution of population structure. Demographic reconstructions further uncovered regionally heterogeneous Late Pleistocene histories among clusters, including signals of expansion, stability, and decline. Landscape genomic analyses revealed that genomic differentiation is primarily associated with landscape resistance, particularly elevation and land cover, as well as geographic distance, whereas contemporary environmental variables explained comparatively little variation after controlling for spatial structure. Together, our results suggest that genomic differentiation in E. vermiculata reflects the interplay of persistent landscape configuration, historical connectivity, and region-specific demographic histories across arid Eastern Central Asia. More broadly, this study highlights the value of integrating phylogeographic and landscape genomic approaches for understanding population differentiation and evolutionary history in topographically heterogeneous desert ecosystems.

Arid Eastern Central Asia↗
PubMed2026

Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) population genetics map onto geographic distance and oceanographic features across coastal Maine.

Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima; order Laminariales) plays a vital role in kelp forest ecosystems, as well as an expanding kelp aquaculture industry, in the Gulf of Maine, United States. However, ocean warming is eroding the resilience of Maine's kelp forests and may be compromising their local genetic diversity, with impacts on population structure and gene flow. Here, we used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data to assess the genetic diversity, structure, and connectivity of S. latissima populations at 11 outer coastal sites spanning the historical range of kelp forests in Maine. Our analyses identified moderate genetic diversity and limited inbreeding within sites (average heterozygosity: 0.27). Further, they revealed that three clusters comprising four genetically distinct populations exist across the study region. Population structure was strongly associated with geographic distance and oceanographic features, as supported by principal coordinate analysis, FST calculations, Bayesian clustering, and spore dispersal modeling. Lastly, our outlier analysis identified genes potentially under selection. Thus, our findings highlight distinct, genetically unique kelp populations along Maine's coast and emphasize the need for regional management strategies that support both ecosystem resilience and sustainable aquaculture under climate change.

Gulf of Maine↗
PubMed2025

Genome sequence analysis provides evidence that a boreal crustacean colonised Svalbard well before the ongoing Atlantification of the Arctic.

The study of present-day species distributions often raises questions about historical demography. A particularly interesting phenomenon to put in historical context is contemporary human-induced atlantification and its role in reshaping Arctic ecosystems. Despite this, the colonisation history of the Arctic remains generally understudied. In this study, we investigated the demographic history of the northern acorn barnacle, Semibalanus balanoides, a typically boreal species on the Svalbard Archipelago. Our focus was to determine the source and timing of its colonisation of this Arctic archipelago. Using low-coverage whole-genome sequence data, we evaluated two competing hypotheses: whether S. balanoides populations colonised Svalbard through ancient natural processes before the Anthropocene, or if their appearance is more recent, either natural or a consequence of growing anthropogenic influences, such as increased connectivity and global warming. Our results suggest that this boreal species expanded into the Arctic during the later phase of the Holocene Thermal Optimum, well before human-induced climate change.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Beyond the clinic: a community-embedded, multidomain framework for early detection of glaucoma.

Glaucoma remains one of the leading causes of acquired irreversible blindness worldwide, with normal-tension glaucoma representing the dominant subtype in Japan and several East Asian populations. The insidious, asymptomatic progression of this condition, combined with the demonstrated inadequacy of intraocular pressure alone as a screening criterion, creates a critical gap between disease burden and case detection. Population-based epidemiological studies consistently reveal that the majority of individuals with glaucoma are undiagnosed. Two responses have been suggested: incorporation of retinal imaging into annual health checkups, which warrants formal prospective evaluation, and characterization of individuals at higher risk - integrating genomic risk, oxidative stress biomarkers, systemic lifestyle factors, and ocular blood flow dynamics - which may help identify those in whom damage is most likely to occur. The principal contribution of this Perspective is therefore the implementation model rather than the individual screening components. We introduce the Living Lab ('neighborhood health lab'), a community co-creation platform established under the Japan Science and Technology Agency COI-NEXT 'Vision to Connect' hub at Tohoku University, as a scalable model for operationalizing this framework. Embedded within commercial retail environments, the Living Lab integrates non-invasive screening, longitudinal health data collection, and evidence-based health product development-exemplified by the Ronbun Recipe® concept-within a stakeholder-aligned ecosystem encompassing citizens, researchers, industry, and municipal authorities. Conceived as a platform for well-being rather than as a disease-specific screening service, it engages individuals who are asymptomatic, undiagnosed, and outside existing screening pathways, and who would not otherwise be assessed at all.

Humans↗
PubMed2025

Eco-Evolutionary Genomics Reveal Mountain Range-Specific Adaptation and Intraspecific Variation in Vulnerability to Climate Change of Alpine Endemics.

Alpine plants restricted to rocky habitats exhibit intraspecific diversification due to range fragmentation during Holocene warming, complicating predictions of their climate vulnerability. A lack of understanding of eco-evolutionary mechanisms driving their response to climate change results in ineffective conservation efforts. To uncover the genomic basis of their diversification and explain spatial patterns of their vulnerability, we combine landscape genomics and species distribution modelling. Our model, the Campanula lehmanniana complex, occurs in three distinct central Asian mountain ranges, considered both a biodiversity hotspot and a vascular plant diversity darkspot. Genome-environment association confirmed the adaptive basis of intraspecific diversification, driven by numerous loci of small effect. Genomic and ecological data indicate mountain range-specific climate sensitivity driven by altitude, temperature and precipitation. The cold-dry adapted group from Zeravshan-Hissar Mts will face niche decline but show a higher degree of preadaptation to future climate, while the temperate-humid group from Tian Shan shows an opposite response, with a higher risk of maladaptation despite predicted niche expansion. Maladapted populations at northern margins may require an influx of adaptive variation to cope with predicted changes. However, limited landscape connectivity between island-like habitats, combined with long migration distances required to minimise genotype-environment disruption, highlights the role of human-assisted migration in enabling evolutionary rescue. These results underscore the need to facilitate gene flow from pre- to maladapted populations and the importance of population-specific approaches to inform effective conservation strategies in heterogeneous mountain ecosystems. The results may be relevant to numerous Central Asian mountain species that show similar phylogeographic patterns.

Climate Change↗
PubMed2025

Contrasting Genomic Responses of Hydrothermal Vent Animals and Their Symbionts to Population Decline After the Hunga Volcanic Eruption.

Genetic bottlenecks are evolutionary events that reduce the effective size and diversity of natural populations, often limiting a population's ability to adapt to environmental change. Given the accelerating human impact on ecosystems worldwide, understanding how populations evolve after a genetic bottleneck is becoming increasingly important for species conservation. Ash deposits from the 2022 Hunga volcanic eruption in the Southwest Pacific led to a drastic decline of animal symbioses associated with hydrothermal vents in this region, allowing insights into the effects of population bottlenecks in the deep sea. Here, we applied metagenomic sequencing to pre- and post-eruption samples of mollusc-microbial symbioses from the Lau Basin to investigate patterns of genetic variation and effective population size. Our data indicate that animal host populations currently show only small changes in genome-wide diversity but in most cases experienced a long-term decline in effective size that was likely intensified by the volcanic impact. By contrast, host-associated symbiont populations exhibited a notable decrease in genomic variation, including potential loss of certain habitat-specific strains. However, detection of environmental sequences resembling mollusc symbionts suggests that lost host-associated symbiont diversity might be recovered from the free-living symbiont pool. The differences between host and symbiont populations might be related to their contrasting genetic structures and pre-existing levels of connectivity, although the full extent of population bottlenecks in the host animals might only be recognisable after a few generations. These results add to our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of animal-microbe populations following a natural disturbance and help assess their resilience to both natural and anthropogenic impacts.

Animals↗