Ana Teresa Capucho

• Leasi, Francesca; Álvaro, Nuno V.; Andrade, Luiz F.; Araújo, Thiago Q.; Aramayo, Víctor & Artois, Tom [Show all 41 contributors for this article] (2025). High meiofaunal diversity in the Azores revealed through DNA metabarcoding. Marine Biodiversity. ISSN 1867-1616. 56. doi: 10.1007/s12526-025-01615-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  To advance understanding of meiofauna, key components of marine benthic ecosystems, an international team conducted a morphology-based taxonomic survey and workshop around São Miguel, the largest Azorean island, in 2019. The survey yielded critical baseline data on meiofaunal diversity and, despite taxonomic challenges that limited identification of certain taxa, laid a solid foundation for further research. To expand these findings, additional samples were analyzed using DNA metabarcoding, a powerful tool that assesses multiple facets of biodiversity, including richness, community composition, and phylogenetic diversity. Metabarcoding identified 480 meiofaunal amplicon sequence variants across 14 phyla, more than doubling the 180 taxa recorded through morphology alone. Of these, 298 (approximately 62%) belonged to phyla targeted during the morphology-based workshop. A comparison between the two approaches, focusing on clades addressed during the workshop, revealed overlapping but expanded patterns of diversity relative to morphology-based taxonomy. This consistency supports the metabarcoding’s ability to uncover meiofaunal diversity and underscores the importance of integrating both methods to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of biodiversity and ecological patterns. As the first metabarcoding study in the Azores, this work establishes a biodiversity baseline for a remote and understudied region, indicating greater benthic diversity than previously recognized. By revealing the complexity of these understudied ecosystems, this research contributes to document and support conservation of biodiversity in the Azores and emphasizes the need for further exploration of meiofaunal communities in isolated oceanic environments.

• Koppetsch, Thore; Bagdonaite, Laima; Capucho, Ana Teresa; Tveit, Bjørn Olav & Johnsen, Arild (2025). First genetically confirmed record of a wild Marsh Tit × Willow Tit hybrid (Poecile palustris × P. montanus). Journal of Ornithology. ISSN 2193-7192. doi: 10.1007/s10336-025-02317-w. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Die Identifizierung unauffälliger Hybriden im Freiland ist oft problematisch und kann bei Arten, die sich phänotypisch ähneln, zu einer niedrigen Nachweisrate führen. Hier präsentieren wir den Nachweis eines Hybrids zwischen der Sumpfmeise ( Poecile palustris ) und der Weidenmeise ( P. montanus ) aus Südnorwegen, der anhand von Fotomaterial, Tonaufnahmen und molekularen Analysen verifiziert wurde. Dieser integrative Ansatz ermöglichte die Geschlechtsbestimmung des Hybridindividuums nebst Identifizierung beider Elternspezies. Unser Nachweis stellt den ersten genetisch bestätigten Fund einer Hybridisierung zwischen diesen beiden Arten in der freien Natur dar.

• Gracia, Alberto Valero; Roberts, Nickellaus G; Yap-Chiongco, Meghan; Capucho, Ana Teresa; Kocot, Kevin M & Matschiner, Michael [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). First Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of a Ribbon Worm from the Hoplonemertea Clade, Emplectonema gracile, and Its Structural Annotation. Genome Biology and Evolution (GBE). 16(7). doi: 10.1093/gbe/evae127. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Genome-wide information has so far been unavailable for ribbon worms of the clade Hoplonemertea, the most species-rich class within the phylum Nemertea. While species within Pilidiophora, the sister clade of Hoplonemertea, possess a pilidium larval stage and lack stylets on their proboscis, Hoplonemertea species have a planuliform larva and are armed with stylets employed for the injection of toxins into their prey. To further compare these developmental, physiological, and behavioral differences from a genomic perspective, the availability of a reference genome for a Hoplonemertea species is crucial. Such data will be highly useful for future investigations toward a better understanding of molecular ecology, venom evolution, and regeneration not only in Nemertea but also in other marine invertebrate phyla. To this end, we herein present the annotated chromosome-level genome assembly for Emplectonema gracile (Nemertea; Hoplonemertea; Monostilifera; Emplectonematidae), an easily collected nemertean well suited for laboratory experimentation. The genome has an assembly size of 157.9 Mb. Hi-C scaffolding yielded chromosome-level scaffolds, with a scaffold N50 of 10.0 Mb and a score of 95.1% for complete BUSCO genes found as a single copy. Annotation predicted 20,684 protein-coding genes. The high-quality reference genome reaches an Earth BioGenome standard level of 7.C.Q50.

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• Struck, Torsten H & Capucho, Ana Teresa (2024). Animal diversity of kelp forests and seagrass meadows. Full text in Research Archive
• Capucho, Ana Teresa (2024). MeioSkag - Meiofauna and interstitial fauna of four lophotrochozoan groups of the Skagerrak. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A substantial part of marine biodiversity occurs in the space between the sand grains, gravel and stones of sediments, the marine interstitium. Species that live here, also known as meiofauna, comprise a crucial link in the ecosystem between the bioproduction and consumption of microfauna and the macrofauna. Despite their importance, the knowledge about their taxonomy, distribution and ecology is poor and in dire need of improvement. In Norway particularly, meiofauna records are sparse and often only down to the phylum level. In this recently started project, funded by ArtsDatabanken, we are targeting meiofaunal and interstitial species of Gastrotricha, Gnathostomulida, Platyhelminthes and Annelida. Globally these taxa comprise about 3,700 species with only 31 species documented in Norwegian databases. Given the challenges and time-consuming processes of studying these tiny worms, we are focusing only on the Norwegian coastline of the Skagerrak, from the foot of the dunes to a depth of 50m. With morphological and molecular methods, we aim to determine species and learn more about their distribution and association with Norwegian nature types and different sediment types. We kicked off the project this summer with fieldwork around the Oslofjord. Primary results include the first records of the phylum Gastrotricha in the area and several potentially new species for Norway that are still being identified. In the next months, we will continue with molecular work, including genome-skimming and CO1 barcoding, develop keys, determine abiotic parameters of the sediment, and review existing literature. We also plan to promote this poorly studied group to the public, by integrating meiofauna into a planned museum exhibition.

• Capucho, Ana Teresa & Struck, Torsten H (2023). Group of the month: Nemertea – Blogs of the CEG research group. Full text in Research Archive
• Capucho, Ana Teresa (2023). Unraveling the tree of life: biodiversity in the animal kingdom. Full text in Research Archive
• Struck, Torsten H & Capucho, Ana Teresa (2022). Forsker på biodiversitet. [Internet]. Blog. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I sommer har studenter og forskere fra Universitetet i Oslo - Naturhistorisk Museum, Universitetet i Skövde, Sverige, Universitetet i Göteborg, Sverige og Humboldt Universitet i Berlin, Tyskland, vært på Havbruksstasjonen for å kartlegge biodiversiteten i det marine algebeltet i området rundt Tromsø.

• Capucho, Ana Teresa; Berggren, Matz; Haugen, Marianne Nilsen; Stach, Thomas; Valero-Gracia, Alberto & Döhren, Jörn von [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Assessing biodiversity in the marine algae belt. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The marine algae belt, more loosely interpreted, comprises kelp forests, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs with coralline red seaweeds. It is one of the most active primary producing environments in the sea and harbors a great diversity of animals including ascidians, nemerteans, entoprocts, serpulid worms, spionid worms and caprellids. The species of these groups occupy important ecological functions as herbivores, predators or filter feeding organisms and can be sessile or agile as well as solitary or colonial. Globally these taxa comprise more than 7,000 species with around 250 species documented from Norwegian waters. Despite this, the knowledge about their taxonomy and distribution in Norway is poor and in dire need of improvement. Specimens in museum collections are often quite old material, which additionally is often wrongly determined due to unresolved taxonomic issues including the high degree of cryptic species in these groups. Besides cryptic species, many of these taxa include invasive species causing high economic damage. This recently started project, funded by ArtsDatabanken, is focusing on the occurrence and habitat preferences of the above-mentioned taxa in the marine algae belt along the Norwegian coastline. Using both morphological and molecular methods, it aims to contribute to basic biosystematics, species distribution and nature conservation in groups that are still poorly understood and challenging to study. Fieldwork was conducted last summer in two locations: Oslofjord and Trondheim area. The Oslofjord sampling effort was carried out with the help of two students from the UiO:Life science project. First results include new records of species for both sampled locations and several high-quality barcodes (CO1 sequences) that will be uploaded to NorBOL. Revision of museum collections, species lists and popular and scientific papers will be prepared in the next months. We also hope for more exciting results following the DNA sequencing that will be carried out this autumn.

• Capucho, Ana Teresa (2021). Assessing biodiversity in the marine algae belt. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The marine algae belt, more loosely interpreted, comprises kelp forests, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs with coralline red seaweeds. It is one of the most active primary producing environments in the sea and harbors a great diversity of animals including ascidians, nemerteans, entoprocts, serpulid worms, spionid worms and caprellids. The species of these groups occupy important ecological functions as herbivores, predators or filter feeding organisms and can be sessile or agile as well as solitary or colonial. Globally these taxa comprise more than 7,000 species with around 250 species documented from Norwegian waters. Despite this, the knowledge about their taxonomy and distribution in Norway is poor and in dire need of improvement. Specimens in museum collections are often quite old material, which additionally is often wrongly determined due to unresolved taxonomic issues including the high degree of cryptic species in these groups. Besides cryptic species, many of these taxa include invasive species causing high economic damage. This recently started project, funded by ArtsDatabanken, is focusing on the occurrence and habitat preferences of the above-mentioned taxa in the marine algae belt along the Norwegian coastline. Using both morphological and molecular methods, it aims to contribute to basic biosystematics, species distribution and nature conservation in groups that are still poorly understood and challenging to study. Fieldwork was conducted last summer in two locations: Oslofjord and Trondheim area. The Oslofjord sampling effort was carried out with the help of two students from the UiO:Life science project. First results include new records of species for both sampled locations and several high-quality barcodes (CO1 sequences) that will be uploaded to NorBOL. Revision of museum collections, species lists and popular and scientific papers will be prepared in the next months. We also hope for more exciting results following the DNA sequencing that will be carried out this autumn.

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