1. Message from the Chair of FISH-BOL European Regional Working Group

Welcome to the first issue of the European Regional Working Group (ERWG) FISH-BOL newsletter, and Happy New Year. It was agreed at the FISH-BOL kick-off meeting in Palermo that we would produce an electronic newsletter to enhance networking among the European DNA barcoding community as well as profiling our activities to a broader readership. For various reasons, it has taken somewhat longer to produce the first issue than anticipated. I am pleased to say that we now have an effective framework for generating more regular updates, though clearly the value and scope of the newsletter will depend very much on the collective contributions that we receive from our membership.

Among the various developments impacting Euro FISH-BOL since the Palermo meeting has been a modification in the Scientific Steering Committee. Martin Taylor stood down as Deputy Chair in June 2009, and was replaced by a past Deputy Chair, Dr Filipe Costa from Minho University, Portugal who we are pleased to welcome once again. Our thanks are extended to Martin for his contributions to the ERWG, and in particular his support at the kick-off meeting and ongoing DNA barcoding activities.

Jan Albin continues as the European FISH-BOL Membership Secretary. As usual, for anybody interested in membership, or with any general enquiries, please contact Jan in the first instance (j.albin@bangor.ac.uk)

There have been many developments since the kick-off meeting, and far too many to mention here, in the general DNA barcoding arena, and applications to fish. Many new features of BOLD and new methods to analyze and display DNA barcode data were presented at the Third International Conference of the Barcode of Life, held last November in Mexico City. The project International Barcode of Life (iBOL – more on http://www.ibolproject.org/) will have its formal launch in July 2010.

An effective way of summarising at least a significant proportion of the activity in fish DNA barcoding since the kick-off meeting would be to refer you to the Special Issue of Molecular Ecology Resources, which published several papers focusing on DNA barcoding, including fish. In addition, a recent paper by Bob Ward, (review paper - Ward R D, Hanner R and Hebert, P.D.N (2009). The campaign to DNA barcode all fishes, FISH-BOL. Journal of Fish Biology Vol. 74. 2 p329 - 356) provides a timely overview of the progress and status of FISH-BOL- related activities.

As pressures continue to escalate on fish resources, there is an increasing requirement for a high throughput and robust method to confirm species identity and distribution, even among more familiar species such as a recent publication on skate (S. P. Iglé Sias, L. Toulhoat and D.Y. Sellos, 2009 Taxonomic confusion and market mislabelling of threatened skates: important consequences for their conservation status. Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst). Taxonomic ambiguity can have profound implications for recovery and sustainability of exploited populations. The continuing need to enhance Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) in relation to Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing remains a priority. A recent meeting at Chatham House in London for example estimated, based on various global studies, that up to 30% of the world’s marine fish catches fall into the IUU category. Naturally, against such a background, it becomes increasingly important to provide a framework for reliable taxonomic identification, as well as an appropriate forensic platform for both species and population-level identity.

Next year there will be a key European event for the DNA barcoding community, the Second Conference of the European Consortium for the Barcode of Life (ECBOL2): 2010 International Year of Biodiversity, to be held in Braga, Portugal, 2nd -4th June 2010 (http://ecbol2.bio.uminho.pt/). This event provides an excellent opportunity to organize the 2nd workshop of the European RWG of FISH-BOL, and indeed I am pleased to invite you to join us on the afternoon of the 1st of June 2010 at the University of Minho for that purpose. We will send more information about these events soon, but for now you may send an email to (ecbol2@bio.uminho.pt) stating which events you would like to participate (ideally both) and we will place you in the mailing list for updates and announcements.

I would also like to remind all members of the European RWG that in addition to the electronic newsletter, we have a regular updated Google Group. For any members or individuals interested in joining the RWG, who are not currently a member of the Google Group, please contact Jan so that she may update the mailing list. The Google Group provides a valuable networking system for simultaneous dissemination of relevant information such as recent publications, funding opportunities, conferences and workshops, etc., to the entire RWG membership. I would encourage you to use this system, where an archive of all such communication is automatically stored and retrievable.

I hope that you will find this first electronic newsletter of some value. I look forward to your future contributions. In the meantime, please do feel free to update us on your respective FISH-BOL activities, or of course feel free to disseminate any information using the FISH-BOL Google Group.

Gary Carvalho
Chair, FISH-BOL ERWG.

2. Species barcoding:

Gary and Filipe have a number of ongoing European BOLD projects in partnership with Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal and UK, results of which will be reported during the 2nd workshop in Braga.

A number of freshwater fish samples have been collected from North and Eastern Greece (Dr D.C Bobori and Dr I. Leonardos in charge respectively) to be barcoded when funding is available

Joana Marques and Henrique Cabral,
Instituto de Oceanografia, Portugal
Specimens: 255
Species: 58
Sequence: 13 species, 26 specimens (Solidae and Pleuronectidae only)
BOLD Project for these data: will be prepared soon

Gideon Hulata and Andrey Shirak,
Agricultural Research Centre, Volcani Organization
BOLD Code: FISH
BOLD Title: Tilapiine fish from Israel
Specimens: 104
Species: 9
Sequences: 104

Gideon Hulata’s laboratory in Israel with the assistance of Filipe Costa working on his BOLD project has barcoded the following cichlid species: Haplochromis flavijosephi , Oreochromis aureus, O. mossambicus, O, niloticus, O. urolepis hornorum, Sarotherodon galilaeus, Tilapia zillii, Tristramella simonis and two red tilapia hybrids - Florida Red Tilapia and Philippine Red Tilapia.

3. Specific barcoding projects:

ELASMOMED PROJECT:

The ELASMOMED network aims to develop a coordinated action of sampling and analysis of cartilaginous fish of the Mediterranean. ELASMOMED is a network of units of research (laboratories, groups and single researchers) that already operate individually or in other networks in the field of fisheries and marine resources biology in the Mediterranean.

The purpose is to create a referenced database of specimens (individuals + biological tissues for DNA analysis) and of associated DNA sequences of the Mediterranean cartilaginous fish species in the FISH-BOL framework.
For the molecular identification (DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing of the COI gene) the ELASMOMED network uses the internal service of the Consortium Barcoding Of Life. ELASMOMED has already established an agreement with the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding (http://www.dnabarcoding.ca/).Several colleagues (Fabrizio Serena, Sabrina Lo Brutto, Letizia Sion, Fabio Fiorentino, Germana Garofalo, Cecilia Mancusi, Rita Cannas, Andrea Belluscio, Najib Elouamari, Michel Bariche, Johann Mourier, Gabriel Morey, Arginis Kallianotis, Cengiz Deval, Alen Soldo, Charis Charilaou, Farid Hemida, Leyla knittweis and Dani Golani) have joined and effectively contributed to the ELASMOMED by collecting several elasmobranches specimens .

The following species that will be barcoded in the ELASMOMED project:

Alopias superciliosus, Alopias vulpinus, Carcharhinus brevipinna, Carcharhinus plumbeus, Carcharhinus altimus, Carcharhinus brachyurus, Carcharhinus limbatus, Carcharhinus melanopterus, Carcharhinus obscurus, Carcharodon carcharias, Centrophorus granulosus, Centrophorus uyato, Centroscymnus coelolepis, Chimaera monstrosa, Dalatias licha, Dasyatis centroura, Dasyatis chrysonota marmorata, Dasyatis pastinaca, Dasyatis tortonesei, Dipturus batis, Dipturus oxyrinchus, Echinorhinus brucus, Etmopterus spinax, Galeorhinus galeus, Galeus melastomus, Gymnura altavela, Heptranchias perlo, Hexanchus griseus, Hexanchus nakamurai, Himantura uarnak, Isurus oxyrinchus, Lamna nasus, Leucoraja fullonica, Leucoraja melitensis, Leucoraja circularis, Leucoraja naevus, Mobula mobular, Mustelus asterias, Mustelus mustelus, Mustelus punctulatus, Myliobatis aquila, Odontaspis ferox, Oxynotus centrina, Prionace glauca, Pristis pectinata, Pristis pristis, Pteromylaeus bovinus, Pteroplatytrygon violacea, Raja rondeleti, Raja miraletus, Raja asterias, Raja brachyura, Raja clavata, Raja montagui, Raja polystigma, Raja radula, Raja undulata, Rhinobatos cemiculus, Rhinobatos halavi, Rhinobatos rhinobatos, Rhinoptera marginata, Rostroraja alba, Scyliorhinus canicula, Scyliorhinus stellaris, Somniosus rostratus,S phyrna lewini, Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna tudes, Sphyrna zygaena, Squalus maximus, Squalus acanthias, Squalus blainville, Squatina aculeata, Squatina oculata, Squatina squatina, Taeniura grabata, Torpedo alexandrinsis, Torpedo marmorata, Torpedo nobiliana, Torpedo torpedo.

4. Reports on Meetings/Conferences:

i. Marine Barcoding of Life (MarBOL) workshop at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, Germany, 16.-17. April 2009 Presentation by Marc Kochzius “Identification of fishes by DNA barcodes and microarrays”.

ii. Ferrari A. - Sicurezza alimentare nei prodotti ittici e riconoscimento di specie (Salerno, 25 Giugno 2009 – “Un porto sul Mediterraneo”)

iii. Poster presentation in 11th ICZEGAR conference, 21-25 September 2009, Irakleio, Crete, Greece
Triantafyllidis A, Bobori DC, Gbandi E, Κoliamitra C. Identifying Greek freshwater fish species through DNA barcoding: the case study of Lake Kerkini

iv. Costa FO (2009). New insights into molecular evolution: prospects from the Barcode of Life Initiative (BOLI). Workshop: Evolution today and tomorrow: Darwin evaluated by contemporary evolutionary and philosophical theories. 23-24 April, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

v. I. Schiavetti, C.Campanella, M.Goria, V.Cannella, A.Ferrari – DNA Barcode: sicurezza alimentare nei prodotti ittici e riconoscimento di specie (XXII Congresso Internazionale Ordine dei Biologi – European countries biologists associations, Cervia (RA) 14-18 Ottobre 2009)

vi. DNA Barcoding Workshop, Centre of Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS), Muka Head, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang.

vii. 9th – 12th November 2009.
Martin Taylor and Gary Carvalho delivered a two-day workshop in Malaysia, introducing a diverse community of scientists and students to DNA barcoding and its application to fishes. The workshop comprised two components: the first two days focussed on aspects of DNA barcoding with particular reference to FISH-BOL and the BOLD database, and the second component included contributions from regional staff covering topics relating to taxonomy, distribution and population genetics of biodiversity in the Malaysian region. The European Working Group of FISH-BOL was introduced as a networking framework for coordinating regional DNA barcoding activities. Although the first part of the workshop concentrated on DNA barcoding of fishes, the second component included consideration of fishes, fungi, plants, mammals and insects. In addition to the general overviews of DNA barcoding, CBOL and associated global initiatives, and the BOLD database, we devoted some considerable time to hands on work with the BOLD database.

The workshop attracted 50 participants from at least ten institutions, including Bangor University, UK, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT),Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Fisheries Research Institute (FRI), Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN). Facilitators and Invited speakers came from Bangor University, UK, University Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). It was therefore possible during the workshop to explore in some detail the priorities and status of barcoding in related initiatives regionally, as well as profiling the approach as a core component of the management and conservation of natural resources. Such engagement is especially relevant to the European FISH-BOL community because several funding schemes exist for collaboration, as well as promoting opportunities for global comparisons of widely distributed fish species. The local contact for a new Malaysian Barcoding Working Goup is Prof. Dr Siti Azizah Mohd Nor (sazizah@usm.my), School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang.

vii. Conference, Palermo 22-23 June 2010: “Il contributo della ricerca scientifica al settore pesca:dalla attestazione di specificità alla commercializzazione”.

Symposia and conferences will be organized by Cultural Association “G.Dossetti”.

Presentation of finalized research at ISS (Superior Safety Institute).

5. Fish Barcoding and Related Publications:

5.1 Published papers

Tyler S. Zemlack, Ward R.D, Allan D. Connell L, Bronwyn H. Holmes, Herbert P. (2009) DNA barcoding reveals overlooked marine fishes. Mol. Ecol. Res. 9: 237-242.

Ward R D, Hanner R and. Hebert P. D. N (2009). The campaign to DNA barcode all fishes, FISH-BOL. Journal of Fish Biology Vol. 74. 2 p329 – 356

Shirak A, Cohen-Zinder M, Barossa RM, Serrousi M, Ron M and Hulata G. (2009).DNA Barcoding of Indigenous and Introduced Cichlids. The Israeli Journal of Aqauculture-Barmidgeh 61(2) 83-88.

Ward RD, Costa FO, Holmes BH, Steinke D (2008). DNA barcoding shared fish species from the North Atlantic and Australasia: minimal divergence for most taxa, but Zeus faber and Lepidopus caudatus each probably constitute two species. Aquatic Biology 3: 71-78.

Rock J, Costa FO, Hutchinson W, Walker D and Carvalho GR (2008). DNA barcodes of fish of the Antarctic Scotia Sea indicate priority groups for taxonomic and systematics focus. Antarctic Science 20: 253-262.

Kochzius M, Nölte M, Weber H, Silkenbeumer N, Hjöleifsdottir S, Marteinsson VP, Kappel K, Planes S, Tinti F, Magoulas A, Garcia Vazquez E, Turan C, Hervet C, Campo Falgueras D, Antoniou A, Blohm D (2008) DNA-microarrays for identifying fishes. Marine Biotechnology 10: 207-217

6. Funding

6.1 Grants from the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT)

PTDC/MAR/101795/2008 - METAFISHCODE: Fish genetic diversity and meta-species phylogeography at global and regional scales: implications for fisheries management. Expected to start May 2010.Total funding: 110K €

PTDC/MAR/69892/2006 – LUSOMARBOL: Integrating molecular approaches into marine biodiversity research in Portugal: implementing DNA barcoding and investigating phylogeographic patterns. Start date November 2008: Total funding: 189K €

Postdoctoral Fellowship granted to Monica Landi: Molecular biodiversity and meta-species phylogeography of fish from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean. Start date: January 2009. Total funding: 54K €

6.2 Other sources

A project proposal will be submitted in the Greek THALES funding programme on BARCODING GREEK FRESHWATER AND MARINE FISH coordinated by the group of Dr Alexandros Triantafyllidis in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and in collaboration with HCMR (Dr Antonis Magoulas) and the University of Ioannina (Dr Ioannis Leonardos)

7. Training Opportunities

2008 pre-graduate project thesis defended by Gbandi Emma, DNA BARCODING OF LAKE KERKINI FISH, Supervisors Triantafyllidis A & Bobori DC

8. Any Questions?

(Relevant questions that you would like answered by FISH-BOL members):

In the FISH-BOL framework are there any ongoing projects which analyse Mediterranean or Atlantic elasmobranches? If yes, could we get in contact and collaborate for the ELASMOMED project? Do you know anyone who could be interested in participating with ELASMOMED?

9. Other

If anybody is interested in collaborating in the ELASMOMED project (GenMAP Lab Interdept. Centre for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna) please contact Fausto Tinti (fausto.tinti@unibo.it) Alessia Cariani (alessia.cariani@unibo.it) or Alessandra Nero (alessandranero1@hotmail.com).