New insights into the biodiversity and generic relationships of foliose Bangiales (Rhodophyta) in Iceland and the Faroe Islands

Abstract

Foliose species of the Bangiales (Porphyra sensu lato) have a long history of study in the N Atlantic, but there are still regions, especially in the northern parts of the N Atlantic that need more attention. A molecular study using rbcL and cox1 sequences was undertaken to assess the diversity of foliose Bangiales species in Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Herbarium collections from the intertidal and subtidal of Iceland (summer and winter) and the Faroe Islands (all seasons) revealed a total of 13 species (11 common to both areas), which were referred to four of the genera recognized in a recent two-gene global phylogeny. Boreophyllum birdiae, Porphyra dioica, P. linearis, P. purpurea, P. umbilicalis, Pyropia 'leucosticta' A, Pyropia njordii Mols-Mortensen, J. Brodie & Neefus, sp. nov., Wildemania amplissima and W. miniata were common to both areas, while Pyropia thulaea and Wildemania abyssicola (Kjellman) A. Mols-Mortensen & J. Brodie, comb. nov. (¼Porphyra abyssicola Kjellman) were reported from Iceland but not from the Faroe Islands; Porphyra sp. FO and Pyropia elongata were reported from the Faroe Islands but not from Iceland. Boreophyllum birdiae is reported for the first time for Iceland and Porphyra sp. FO is reported for the first time for the Faroe Islands. Pyropia njordii is described from the Faroe Islands and is also recorded for Iceland, Greenland, New England, USA and Nova Scotia, Canada. A total of 25 foliose Bangiales species are now reported from the N Atlantic and these results demonstrate the importance of investigating as many areas as possible to reach a more complete understanding of species diversity and distribution.

A collections-based approach to the species and their distribution based on the bladed Bangiales (Rhodophyta) of Iceland

“…It seems to be an arctic species confined to the coldest region in Iceland. Pyropia njordii is a newly described species from the area (Mols-Mortensen et al 2012). It is conspicuous, therefore that the lack of specimens prior to 2005 and its abundance during this period suggests that it could be a new arrival in Iceland.…”

“…After that the bulk of the collections were made by Munda between 1963 and1980, and our sampling from 158 stations in Iceland as part of a general macroalgal survey initiated in 1999 (southwest coast) and continued in 2005 (west/northwest coasts), 2006 (north coast) and 2007 (northeast and east coasts). Additional details can be found in Mols-Mortensen et al (2012). Most of these collections were made during the summer months.…”

“…Morphological identification was reassessed for all the specimens with reference to those for which molecular data were obtained by Mols-Mortensen et al (2012). Initial identifications were either confirmed or revised.…”

“…In this paper, we have used the results of Mols-Mortensen et al (2012) to re-evaluate morphological identification of all the species based on all the bladed Bangiales specimens that have been collected from Iceland since the first expeditions in the 19th century and used that as a basis to describe those species distributions.…”

“…Here, we use the example of how collections can be used from a defined area, in this case the island of Iceland, to construct reliable distributions based on a robust understanding of species concepts in that region. We have based our taxonomy on a molecular study of the bladed Bangiales in Iceland undertaken to assess their diversity and based on rbcL and cox1 sequences selected from a collection of c. 750 specimens from 158 stations (Mols-Mortensen et al 2012). This study revealed that there were 11 species (Table 1), five more than the number previously reported by Gunnarsson and Jónsson (2002): Porphyra amplissima, P. dioica, P. linearis, P. miniata, P. purpurea, P. umbilicalis), and belonging to four of the nine genera of bladed Bangiales: Boreophyllum, Porphyra, Pyropia and Wildemania.…”