Defense Date

12-5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science

Degree Name

Marine Science

First Advisor

Timothy Swain, PhD.

Second Advisor

D. Abigail Renegar, PhD.

Third Advisor

Jose Lopez, PhD.

Keywords

Zoanthidea, deep-sea gorgonians, molecular parataxonomy, taxonomy, symbiosis

Abstract

Symbiotic marine invertebrates known as Zoanthidea, from the phylum Cnidaria, live on a wide diversity of other organisms. Deep-sea corals such as Gorgonians are one of these clades of hosts. These octocorals and their Zoanthidean symbionts are challenging to collect and consequently difficult to study. However, the Evolution of Marine Symbioses Laboratory at Nova Southeastern University has obtained several samples from the Yale Peabody Museum and other museums or universities with the goal of expanding our knowledge of the diversity of Zoanthideans. Until recently, the existing taxonomic system has been based on morphological characters. A competing molecular parataxonomic system has been erected but it is reliant on a separate set of molecular barcode characters and therefore cannot be integrated with the existing taxonomic system without further character collection. Integrative systematics attempts to assimilate multiple data streams from both systems and this study aims to bridge the molecular parataxonomic and existing taxonomic systems. That includes conducting phylogenetic analysis from DNA sequencing, and morphological analysis from histology, microscopy, and cytology and using these data to describe or redescribe species using integrative systematics. The findings include discovery of one potential new species of deep-sea Gorgonian, discovery, and description of one potential new species of Zoanthidean, likely a new species of Zibrowius, based on DNA results, and confirmation of two existing species through morphological identification (both Savalia savaglia). These outcomes will contribute to expanding taxonomic descriptions of deep-sea Gorgonian symbiotic Zoanthidean species, incorporating modern characters through integrative systematics.

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