Final Report Summary - BENTHIC CILIATES (The Biodiversity, Systematics and Guide to the Identification of Marine Benthic Ciliates)
The Benthic Ciliates project dealt with three main tasks:
1) To increase knowledge of species diversity of marine benthic ciliates.
2) To provide molecular sequence data for selected taxa.
3) To develop a web-based guide to the identification of marine benthic ciliates.
-Sample collection of different sediments (sandy beach, muddy flats, salt marshes etc.) was mainly undertaken during 14 field trips to various locations along the east, south and west coasts of the UK. Additionally some ciliate samples were obtained from various Chinese benthic biotopes. After isolation, raw and/or pure cultures were established. Live ciliates were observed and photographed. Ciliates were stained using silver impregnation methods in order to reveal infraciliature and silverline system. A total of 248 permanent slides were prepared, 12 of which were added to the NHM collection after publication. Based on morphological and statistical data from live and stained specimens, 82 species of marine benthic ciliates have been identified to date. Morphogenesis was investigated for eight species.
-Genomic DNA of 68 species and 96 populations of marine benthic ciliates was preserved on Whatman FTA microcards. So far, DNA extractions and PCR amplification have been carried out for 40 species and sequence data were obtained for 15 species. Phylogenetic analyses have been carried out for 8 species.
-A literature search was carried out and data assembled for the construction of a web-based guide to marine benthic ciliates. About 50 % of data collection was completed. The guide is being constructed within a Scratchpad which is a tool developed at the NHM within the EU-funded EDIT programme that allows biodiversity and systematics data to be made available on the web. Although the Scratchpad has been constructed, work on populating the database will not be complete until the end of the return phase of the project.
The significant findings included:
1. This is by far the most comprehensive sampling survey of marine benthic ciliates of the UK for the past 50 years. Furthermore it is the only one that utilises all three of the main criteria on which the modern taxonomy of ciliates is based, namely morphological, morphogenetic and molecular. This has so far resulted in the discovery of two new genera, five new species and 20 new records for the UK. To put this into context, prior to this study only one new species of marine ciliates has been described from UK waters in the past 20 years. In addition, 15 species of ciliates from Chinese biotopes were investigated including descriptions of 2 new genera and 5 new species. The current work therefore constitutes a significance advance in knowledge of UK and Chinese biodiversity and will help both the UK and China to fulfil their obligations to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
2. Molecular sequence data are available for the first time for at least 15 species, several of which were previously of uncertain taxonomic affinity. The present study therefore helps to determine their systematic position and thus provide the basis for a more robust taxonomy. In other cases the molecular data will allow the genetic relatedness between morphospecies from geographically distant localities to be assessed thereby informing the debate on whether such taxa are cosmopolitan or are geographically restricted.
3. The web-based guide to marine benthic ciliates will be a valuable resource for researchers and other users worldwide. The main advantages of publishing the guide on-line as a Scratchpad are: (1) Scratchpads are essentially infinitely expandable so there is effectively no limit to amount or type of data that can be included; (2) the site can be constantly updated so there is no need for it ever to be out of date; (3) Scratchpads are designed in such a way that communities of users can make contributions in order to improve the utility of the site; (4) the site will be freely available to anyone with an internet connection. One of the major impediments in assessing biodiversity, and in using organisms such marine benthic ciliates for monitoring environmental quality, is the lack of modern identification guides. Once completed, this web-based guide will provide a valuable resource that will enable countries in the European Union and worldwide to increase their capacity to monitor marine benthic species diversity and marine water quality
1) To increase knowledge of species diversity of marine benthic ciliates.
2) To provide molecular sequence data for selected taxa.
3) To develop a web-based guide to the identification of marine benthic ciliates.
-Sample collection of different sediments (sandy beach, muddy flats, salt marshes etc.) was mainly undertaken during 14 field trips to various locations along the east, south and west coasts of the UK. Additionally some ciliate samples were obtained from various Chinese benthic biotopes. After isolation, raw and/or pure cultures were established. Live ciliates were observed and photographed. Ciliates were stained using silver impregnation methods in order to reveal infraciliature and silverline system. A total of 248 permanent slides were prepared, 12 of which were added to the NHM collection after publication. Based on morphological and statistical data from live and stained specimens, 82 species of marine benthic ciliates have been identified to date. Morphogenesis was investigated for eight species.
-Genomic DNA of 68 species and 96 populations of marine benthic ciliates was preserved on Whatman FTA microcards. So far, DNA extractions and PCR amplification have been carried out for 40 species and sequence data were obtained for 15 species. Phylogenetic analyses have been carried out for 8 species.
-A literature search was carried out and data assembled for the construction of a web-based guide to marine benthic ciliates. About 50 % of data collection was completed. The guide is being constructed within a Scratchpad which is a tool developed at the NHM within the EU-funded EDIT programme that allows biodiversity and systematics data to be made available on the web. Although the Scratchpad has been constructed, work on populating the database will not be complete until the end of the return phase of the project.
The significant findings included:
1. This is by far the most comprehensive sampling survey of marine benthic ciliates of the UK for the past 50 years. Furthermore it is the only one that utilises all three of the main criteria on which the modern taxonomy of ciliates is based, namely morphological, morphogenetic and molecular. This has so far resulted in the discovery of two new genera, five new species and 20 new records for the UK. To put this into context, prior to this study only one new species of marine ciliates has been described from UK waters in the past 20 years. In addition, 15 species of ciliates from Chinese biotopes were investigated including descriptions of 2 new genera and 5 new species. The current work therefore constitutes a significance advance in knowledge of UK and Chinese biodiversity and will help both the UK and China to fulfil their obligations to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
2. Molecular sequence data are available for the first time for at least 15 species, several of which were previously of uncertain taxonomic affinity. The present study therefore helps to determine their systematic position and thus provide the basis for a more robust taxonomy. In other cases the molecular data will allow the genetic relatedness between morphospecies from geographically distant localities to be assessed thereby informing the debate on whether such taxa are cosmopolitan or are geographically restricted.
3. The web-based guide to marine benthic ciliates will be a valuable resource for researchers and other users worldwide. The main advantages of publishing the guide on-line as a Scratchpad are: (1) Scratchpads are essentially infinitely expandable so there is effectively no limit to amount or type of data that can be included; (2) the site can be constantly updated so there is no need for it ever to be out of date; (3) Scratchpads are designed in such a way that communities of users can make contributions in order to improve the utility of the site; (4) the site will be freely available to anyone with an internet connection. One of the major impediments in assessing biodiversity, and in using organisms such marine benthic ciliates for monitoring environmental quality, is the lack of modern identification guides. Once completed, this web-based guide will provide a valuable resource that will enable countries in the European Union and worldwide to increase their capacity to monitor marine benthic species diversity and marine water quality