Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group - MPB

 Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group Universidade dos Açores Departamento de Biologia e Departamento de Geologia http://www.mpb.uac.pt/workshop2011_1.html International Workshop "Life in a colony: an introduction to the Bryozoa" http://www.mpb.uac.pt/workshop2011_1.html
Organization: Ricardo Piazza Meireles 1,3,5
Paulo Amaral Borges 2
Sérgio Ávila 1,3,4
1
Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, PORTUGAL. 2 Departamento de Geologia, Universidade dos Açores, PORTUGAL. MPB ‐ Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group (University of the Azores), PORTUGAL. 4 CIBIO‐Açores (University of the Azores), PORTUGAL. 5 IMAR (Centro do IMAR da Universidade dos Açores), PORTUGAL. 3 Lecturers: •
•
PhD. Andrei Ostrovsky PhD. Björn Berning Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, Geozentrum, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; and: Geowissenschaftliche Sammlungen, Oberösterreichische Landesmuseen, Welser Str. 20, 4060 Leonding, Linz, Austria. Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Soil Science, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia. Dates: 20th‐25th June 2011 Site: Department of Biology, University of the Azores, 9501‐801 Ponta Delgada, Azores (PORTUGAL). Hours: 30 hours. Contact: [email protected]
Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group Universidade dos Açores Departamento de Biologia e Departamento de Geologia Objectivo: Conhecer e aprofundar os estudos acerca dos Briozoários. Metodologia: O workshop tem duas componentes principais: uma componente Teórica onde serão expostos e discutidos os conteúdos, utilizando projector de multimédia (Power Point) e quadro para escrever; e outra componente Prática, onde os participantes poderão aprimorar e praticar os conteúdos que lhe foram apresentados, fazendo uso principalmente de amostras e microscópios para melhor explicação e compreensão dos conteúdos. Também terão a oportunidade de manipular alguns dos exemplares fósseis e recentes que se encontram na Colecção de Referência do MPB no Departamento de Biologia (DBUA‐F e DBUA), bem como participar nas sessões de análise de dados informáticos, durante as quais serão analisados um ou mais conjuntos de dados. Proposta do Workshop: A proposta principal é a de introduzir ao participante uma visão, como Cientista Natural (Biólogos, Geólogos, Oceanógrafos e afins), das particularidades e generalidades do modo de vida colonial, em particular no Filo Bryozoa Ehremberg, 1813. No Arquipélago dos Açores, estes organismos são encontrados em todas as ilhas, principalmente sobre superfícies sólidas submersas (ex: substrato rochoso, conchas e algas). A sua importância vai para além dos conhecimentos da sua anatomia e ciclo de vida. Habitam em praticamente todos os ambientes aquáticos, desde água‐doce até às regiões marinhas abissais. São importantes para os estudos dos processos biogeográficos de dispersão‐colonização em ilhas oceânicas, bem como na caracterização de massas de água, tanto modernas como paleoceanográficas, visto que estes organismos aparecem bem representados no registo fóssil. Outro ponto importante é o input de carbonato de cálcio das colónias no oceano. “The aim of the workshop is to introduce the participants to the peculiar mode of life of colonial animals in general, and to the evolution, ecology and physiology of the phylum Bryozoa (moss animals) in particular. Bryozoans occur ubiquitously in both freshwater and marine benthic environments from the tropics to arctic regions, and from the intertidal down to abyssal depths. The actively filter‐feeding bryozoans contribute significantly to the biodiversity and carbonate production, particularly on temperate‐water continental shelves. However, the c. 6,000 known Recent species are only a fraction of the true diversity as, even in seemingly well‐known regions, dozens of new species are being described every year. Due to their chiefly calcitic skeletons, bryozoans also have a good fossil record stretching back to the Early Ordovician, allowing to identify large‐scale ecological changes as well as macroevolutionary innovations and trends. However, due mainly to their relatively small size and apparently difficult morphology and systematics, bryozoans are largely neglected, or are at least not adequately covered, by major biology or palaeontology textbooks and in university Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group Universidade dos Açores Departamento de Biologia e Departamento de Geologia lectures. Their ecologic and economic value, but also the damage they can cause, is therefore largely unknown to the general natural scientist. For instance, the three‐dimensional colonies form nursing grounds for commercial fish stocks on many continental shelves; bryozoans are also targeted by the pharmaceutical industry in their search for substances for medical treatment. On the other hand, serious economic damage may be caused by mass occurrences of invasive coastal bryozoan species, or by excessive growth of freshwater bryozoans plugging cooling pipes of industrial (power) plants. Within five days of theoretical and practical lessons the workshop participants will gain a profound knowledge of the life history and systematics of one of the most intriguing animal phyla. The participants are invited to bring their own bryozoan samples for identification during the course” (Ostrovsky & Berning, in comunicação pessoal). Programa: 1. General introduction to colonial organisms In this introductory section the special characteristics of colonial organisms are contrasted with those of solitary ones. This includes the aspects modularity, ontogeny and astogeny, sexual and asexual reproduction, polymorphism and genetics, as well as emergent properties at the colony‐level. 2. Introduction to the Bryozoa This section begins with a simple overview of bryozoans and how they are distinguished from other organisms in the field and in a biological/sediment sample. Zooid and colony morphology of the most common taxa as well as their general occurrence and habitats are presented. In a practical lesson during the afternoon, the participants will pick bryozoans from a bulk sample taken from off São Miguel, and roughly sort the taxa according to gross morphological differences using a stereo‐microscope. The selected species will be identified to generic or species‐level later during the workshop. 3. Anatomy and physiology of the bryozoan zooid and zoarium The soft tissue and functioning of the polypide are introduced, including the tentacles, digestive tract, gonads and nervous system, as well as the different hydrostatic mechanisms by which the tentacle sheath is everted and retracted, and means of calcite secretion of the skeleton. Special emphasis will be placed on interzooidal communication that result in emergent behavioural properties at the colony level. Moreover, bacterial symbionts and their role in producing secondary metabolites are discussed, which prevent the bryozoans (and their larvae) from being fouled and predated. Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group Universidade dos Açores Departamento de Biologia e Departamento de Geologia 4. Sexual reproduction This section delves into oogenesis, fertilisation, the cyphonautes and trochophoran larval types, and the reproductive strategies of bryozoans. In particular, various types of parental care and structures analogous to a placenta that have evolved several times will be treated in detail. During a practical lesson, histological preparation and staining techniques will be demonstrated. Reproductive and other physiological structures will then be examined in thin section using an optical microscope. 5. Life history The life cycle of a bryozoan colony will be explained, comprising larval release, behaviour and settlement, continuing with metamorphsis of the larva into an ancestrula, as well as growth and ageing of the zooid (ontogeny) and of the colony (astogeny). Consequences of ageing and seasonality experienced by the colony, which is reflected in polypide recycling and larval production, and differential investment in asexual growth (cloning of buds) and sexual reproduction (larvae), are demonstrated. The special case of polymorphism, the formation of differently shaped zooids that fulfil other functions than normal feeding zooids, is also introduced in this section. 6. Bryozoan ecology In this section we outline the food and feeding behaviour of bryozoans, and the feeding currents in relation to colony shape. Other topics include the settlement and growth of the colonies on hard, soft and flexible substrates, adaptations to high‐energy and cryptic habitats, predators and defensive mechanisms, the relationship between bryozoans and micobial mats, and large scale eco‐
morphological trends along shallow‐to‐abyssal and tropical‐to‐polar gradients. Special emphasis will then be placed on intracolonial phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental fluctuations, and the use of bryozoans in palaeoenvironmental interpretations. 7. Bryozoan evolution Here we introduce the participants to the origination and diversification of the phylum Bryozoa in the Paleozoic, while we will treat the Mesozoic evolution of the modern fauna in greater detail. The major evolutionary innovations and trends in cheilostome bryozoans such as the development of ovicells, the trochophoran larva, different means of calcifying the frontal wall, and origination of avicularia will be particularly addressed. On this basis, the students will be taught the systematics of modern bryozoans, including existing problems and pitfalls in establishing monophyletic groups, and will be confronted with the most common and important taxa, particularly those occurring around the Azores. Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group Universidade dos Açores Departamento de Biologia e Departamento de Geologia In the afternoon practical session we will teach the participants how to identify the previously sorted samples, as well as the bryozoans brought by the participants, to genus or species level using a stereo‐microscope. 8. Historical biogeography This section will embrace the origin of the modern patterns of geographic species distribution, which have their roots in the Cretaceous and Cenozoic. Special reference will be given to northeastern Atlantic island and seamount bryozoans, particularly those of the Azores and Macaronesian Islands. Ecologic and economic problems that are encountered with invasive species are addressed. 9. Discussion and questions The afternoon will be reserved for an open discussion of problems and remaining questions, or in‐depth coverage of certain topics. 10. Conclusions Certificado de Participação: Conferido pelo MPB ‐ Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group da Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores.