Mark E. Torchin
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View article: A DNA Barcode Dataset for the Aquatic Fauna of the Panama Canal: Novel Resources for Detecting Faunal Change in the Neotropics
A DNA Barcode Dataset for the Aquatic Fauna of the Panama Canal: Novel Resources for Detecting Faunal Change in the Neotropics Open
DNA metabarcoding is a powerful biodiversity monitoring tool, enabling simultaneous assessments of diverse biological communities. However, its accuracy depends on the reliability of reference databases that assign taxonomic identities to …
View article: Geography is a stronger predictor of diversification of monogenean parasites (Platyhelminthes) than host relatedness in characin fishes of Middle America
Geography is a stronger predictor of diversification of monogenean parasites (Platyhelminthes) than host relatedness in characin fishes of Middle America Open
Host-parasite associations have historically been considered compelling examples of coevolution and useful in examining cospeciation. However, modern molecular methods have revealed more complex dynamics than previously assumed, with host-…
View article: New fish migrations into the Panama Canal increase likelihood of interoceanic invasions in the Americas
New fish migrations into the Panama Canal increase likelihood of interoceanic invasions in the Americas Open
Maritime shipping is vital for commercial trade and well recognized as a main pathway for the spread of non-native species.1 For over a century, the Panama Canal in Central America has played a major role in global trade, connecting the At…
View article: Geography is a stronger predictor of diversification of monogenean parasites (Platyhelminthes) than host relatedness in characid fishes of Middle America
Geography is a stronger predictor of diversification of monogenean parasites (Platyhelminthes) than host relatedness in characid fishes of Middle America Open
Host-parasite associations have historically been considered compelling examples of coevolution and useful in examining cospeciation. However, modern molecular methods have revealed more complex dynamics than previously assumed, with host-…
View article: Biogeographic variation in environmental and biotic resistance modifies predicted risk of marine invasions by ships
Biogeographic variation in environmental and biotic resistance modifies predicted risk of marine invasions by ships Open
Introduction Global shipping has accelerated the spread of non-native species. Factors such as environmental filtering and interactions with local biota can affect invasion likelihood, yet their relative contribution to predicting invasion…
View article: Biogeographic and seasonal differences in consumer pressure underlie strong predation in the tropics
Biogeographic and seasonal differences in consumer pressure underlie strong predation in the tropics Open
Biotic interactions play a critical role in shaping patterns of global biodiversity. While several macroecological studies provide evidence for stronger predation in tropical regions compared with higher latitudes, results are variable eve…
View article: Expanding the phylogeography and connectivity of <i>Perkinsus</i> species across North and Central America
Expanding the phylogeography and connectivity of <i>Perkinsus</i> species across North and Central America Open
Aim Parasites in the genus Perkinsus infect marine molluscs globally, with novel detections expanding and reshaping our knowledge of their biogeographic patterns and the factors influencing those patterns. Here, we aimed to characterize th…
View article: Biological invasions alter the structure of a tropical freshwater food web
Biological invasions alter the structure of a tropical freshwater food web Open
Biological invasions are expected to alter food web structure, but there are limited empirical data directly comparing invaded versus uninvaded food webs, particularly in species‐rich, tropical systems. We characterize for the first time t…
View article: Environmental <scp>DNA</scp> (<scp>eDNA</scp>) reveals potential for interoceanic fish invasions across the Panama Canal
Environmental <span>DNA</span> (<span>eDNA</span>) reveals potential for interoceanic fish invasions across the Panama Canal Open
Interoceanic canals can facilitate biological invasions as they connect the world's oceans and remove dispersal barriers between bioregions. As a consequence, multiple opportunities for biotic exchange arise and the resulting establishment…
View article: Compressed raw data files.rar
Compressed raw data files.rar Open
Compressed raw sequencing data generated from eDNA collected from the Panama Canal.
View article: metadata
metadata Open
Metadata to run the R Script
View article: R Markdown Script
R Markdown Script Open
R Markdown document describing all steps of the data analysis
View article: Environmental DNA (eDNA) reveals potential for interoceanic fish invasions across the Panama Canal
Environmental DNA (eDNA) reveals potential for interoceanic fish invasions across the Panama Canal Open
Interoceanic canals can facilitate biological invasions as they connect the world’s oceans and dissolve dispersal barriers between bioregions. As a consequence, multiple opportunities for biotic exchange arise and the resulting establishme…
View article: Natural experiments and long-term monitoring are critical to understand and predict marine host–microbe ecology and evolution
Natural experiments and long-term monitoring are critical to understand and predict marine host–microbe ecology and evolution Open
Marine multicellular organisms host a diverse collection of bacteria, archaea, microbial eukaryotes, and viruses that form their microbiome. Such host-associated microbes can significantly influence the host’s physiological capacities; how…
View article: Microbiome divergence of marine gastropod species separated by the Isthmus of Panama
Microbiome divergence of marine gastropod species separated by the Isthmus of Panama Open
The rise of the Isthmus of Panama ~3.5 mya separated populations of many marine organisms, which then diverged into new geminate sister species currently living in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. However, we know very little a…
View article: DIRECT AND INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF ENEMIES AND MUTUALISTS ON PLANT PERFORMANCE: A META-ANALYSIS
DIRECT AND INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF ENEMIES AND MUTUALISTS ON PLANT PERFORMANCE: A META-ANALYSIS Open
Plants engage in multiple, simultaneous interactions with other species; some (enemies) reduce and others (mutualists) enhance plant performance. Moreover, effects of different species may not be independent of one another; for example, en…
View article: Do invasive species perform better in their new ranges?
Do invasive species perform better in their new ranges? Open
A fundamental assumption in invasion biology is that most invasive species exhibit enhanced performance in their introduced range relative to their home ranges. This idea has given rise to numerous hypotheses explaining "invasion success" …
View article: Invasion history shapes host transcriptomic response to a body‐snatching parasite
Invasion history shapes host transcriptomic response to a body‐snatching parasite Open
By shuffling biogeographical distributions, biological invasions can both disrupt long‐standing associations between hosts and parasites and establish new ones. This creates natural experiments with which to study the ecology and evolution…
View article: Invasion of the body snatchers: the role of parasite introduction in host distribution and response to salinity in invaded estuaries
Invasion of the body snatchers: the role of parasite introduction in host distribution and response to salinity in invaded estuaries Open
In dynamic systems, organisms are faced with variable selective forces that may impose trade-offs. In estuaries, salinity is a strong driver of organismal diversity, while parasites shape species distributions and demography. We tested for…
View article: Asymmetry of marine invasions across tropical oceans
Asymmetry of marine invasions across tropical oceans Open
Understanding the mechanisms of spatial variation of biological invasions, across local‐to‐global scales, has been a major challenge. The importance of evolutionary history for invasion dynamics was noted by Darwin, and several studies hav…
View article: eDNA reveals widespread presence of marine fish in the Panama Canal
eDNA reveals widespread presence of marine fish in the Panama Canal Open
Shipping corridors can be hotspots for biological invasions as they connect the world’s oceans and dissolve dispersal barriers between these aquatic systems. As a consequence, multiple opportunities for biotic exchange arise and the result…
View article: Variable host responses mediate host preference in marine flatworm−snail symbioses
Variable host responses mediate host preference in marine flatworm−snail symbioses Open
Host preference of symbionts evolves from fitness trade-offs. However, it is often unclear how interspecific variations in host response traits influence this evolutionary process. Using the association between the polyclad flatworm Parapr…
View article: A global parasite conservation plan
A global parasite conservation plan Open
Found throughout the tree of life and in every ecosystem, parasites are some of the most diverse, ecologically important animals on Earth-but in almost all cases, the least protected by wildlife or ecosystem conservation efforts. For decad…
View article: Strong genetic structure in a widespread estuarine crab: A test of potential versus realized dispersal
Strong genetic structure in a widespread estuarine crab: A test of potential versus realized dispersal Open
Aim Genetic structure has proven difficult to predict for marine and estuarine species with multi‐day pelagic larval durations, since many disperse far less than expected based on passive transport models. In such cases, the gap between po…
View article: Fluid preservation causes minimal reduction of parasite detectability in fish specimens: A new approach for reconstructing parasite communities of the past?
Fluid preservation causes minimal reduction of parasite detectability in fish specimens: A new approach for reconstructing parasite communities of the past? Open
Long‐term datasets are needed to evaluate temporal patterns in wildlife disease burdens, but historical data on parasite abundance are extremely rare. For more than a century, natural history collections have been accumulating fluid‐preser…
View article: Social trematode parasites increase standing army size in areas of greater invasion threat
Social trematode parasites increase standing army size in areas of greater invasion threat Open
Organisms or societies are resource limited, causing important trade-offs between reproduction and defence. Given such trade-offs, optimal allocation theory predicts that, for animal societies with a soldier caste, allocation to soldiers s…
View article: Predation shapes invertebrate diversity in tropical but not temperate seagrass communities
Predation shapes invertebrate diversity in tropical but not temperate seagrass communities Open
The hypothesis that biotic interactions are stronger at lower relative to higher latitudes has a rich history, drawing from ecological and evolutionary theory. While this hypothesis suggests that stronger interactions at lower latitudes ma…
View article: Recent introductions reveal differential susceptibility to parasitism across an evolutionary mosaic
Recent introductions reveal differential susceptibility to parasitism across an evolutionary mosaic Open
Parasitism can represent a potent agent of selection, and introduced parasites have the potential to substantially alter their new hosts' ecology and evolution. While significant impacts have been reported for parasites that switch to new …
View article: 100‐year time series reveal little morphological change following impoundment and predator invasion in two Neotropical characids
100‐year time series reveal little morphological change following impoundment and predator invasion in two Neotropical characids Open
Human activities are dramatically altering ecosystems worldwide, often resulting in shifts in selection regimes. In response, natural populations sometimes undergo rapid phenotypic changes, which, if adaptive, can increase their probabilit…