Nathan Delcour Email & Phone Number

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8203-9301

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  Master'S Thesis

  Università Degli Studi Dell'Aquila

  Feb 2024 - Sep 2024 - L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy

  Title: Alien oysters in the Mediterranean Sea: a DNA barcoding and phylogeographic approach. Abstract: In the last decades, the number of alien marine species in the Mediterranean Sea is significantly increasing. Alien oysters (Ostreidae Rafinesque, 1815) introduced for aquaculture, or through accidental pathways such as ballast water and ships, could have a negative impact on native oysters and on benthic ecosystems due to competition and the introduction of new pathogens. Moreover… Show more Title: Alien oysters in the Mediterranean Sea: a DNA barcoding and phylogeographic approach. Abstract: In the last decades, the number of alien marine species in the Mediterranean Sea is significantly increasing. Alien oysters (Ostreidae Rafinesque, 1815) introduced for aquaculture, or through accidental pathways such as ballast water and ships, could have a negative impact on native oysters and on benthic ecosystems due to competition and the introduction of new pathogens. Moreover, invasive oysters can affect the production of commercial oysters in local aquaculture economies. To date, it’s not clear how many oyster species have been introduced in the Mediterranean Sea, and how many species are naturalized. Taxonomic identification of alien oysters in the Mediterranean Sea can be challenging due to high morphological variability and the occurrence of cryptic species complexes. The aim of this project is to implement a DNA barcoding approach to identify non-native oysters occurring in the Mediterranenan Sea and to perform a phylogeographic assessment to infer their introduction history and pathways. These information will allow clarifying the patterns and process underlying the occurrence of non-native oysters in the Mediterraenan Sea and will contribute baseline knowledge to understand their impact on Mediterranean ecosystems and to set mitigation strategies. Show less