https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/415 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:43:27 GMT 2026-06-02T16:43:27Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146965 Title: Distribution and microhabitat use of naturalised Common Chameleons, Chamaeleo chamaeleon (Linnaeus, 1758), in Malta Authors: Farrugia, Kristyl; Borg, Joseph A.; Schembri, Patrick J. Abstract: The Common Chameleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon, was introduced to Malta in the mid-19th century and is now fully naturalised, yet detailed ecological information for the Maltese archipelago remains very limited. This study provides the first integrated assessment of its spatial and seasonal distribution, microhabitat use, and age-related patterns of variation using systematic field surveys across 13 sites. Abundance varied markedly among regions, with northern sites supporting the highest densities, likely reflecting greater availability of semi-natural and suburban vegetation. Seasonal differences in abundance were minimal, although winter surveys indicated reduced detectability. Chameleons showed strong associations with coniferous vegetation and mid-height perches (101–300 cm), with seasonal shifts consistent with thermoregulatory demands. Ontogenetic patterns indicated partial niche partitioning, with smaller individuals occupying lower and occasional peripheral branches, while larger individuals used higher and more central positions. Overall, the species’ adaptability to fragmented landscapes and human-modified habitats explains its successful establishment in Malta, while emphasising the importance of maintaining tree-rich green spaces for long-term population persistence. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146965 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146818 Title: New records of marine biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea (April 2026) Authors: Zenetos, Argyro; Abd El-Gwaad, Fares Nasser; Al-Beak, Ahmed Mohamed; Antit, Mouna; Baldacchino, Yacopo; Barría, Claudio; Ćetković, Ilija; Costa, Maurizio; Crocetta, Fabio; Đorđević, Nikola; Fitori, Amani; Bella S., Galil; Galiya, Mohamad Younes; Golani, Daniel; Joksimović, Aleksandar; Leban, Neža; Leotta, Paola; Mačić, Vesna; Marković, Olivera; Orenes-Salazar, Víctor; Othman, Ranim Mohamad; Pujol, Juan A.; Rizgalla, Jamila; Sedano, Francisco; Stanić, Rino; Tanduo, Valentina; Taşkın, Ergün; Travaglini, Andrea; Tiralongo, Francesco; Trabelsi, Aya; Trkov, Domen; Ugarković, Pero; Vella, Adriana; Vella, Noel; Yazılan, Öznur Abstract: This collective article presents new information about 18 species occurring in 12 Mediterranean countries from the Alboran Sea to the Levantine Sea. Five lessepsian species namely Erugosquilla massavensis, Syrnola fasciata, Plocamopherus ocellatus, Maritigrella fuscopunctata and Siganus javus have spread within 2025 to neighbouring MSFD areas. Another five are here reported as first country records [Polyandrocarpa zorritensis (Malta), Gonioinfradens giardi (Italy), Istiblennius meleagris (Egypt), Epinephelus fasciatus (Israel), Lophocladia trichoclados (Montenegro)]. Cladophora patentiramea has spread from the Levantine to the Aegean Sea, while Pinctada radiata has reached Granada, and Cádiz. The Atlantic fish Enchelycore anatina and Synodus synodus have expanded their distribution to Montenegro and Syria respectively. Three rare native species are reported for first time at country level, while a fourth (Mobula birostris) has made an appearance more than a century after its first Mediterranean record. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146818 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146810 Title: The European reference genome atlas : piloting a decentralised approach to equitable biodiversity genomics Authors: Mc Cartney, Ann M.; Formenti, Giulio; Mouton, Alice; Panis, Diego De; Marins, Luísa S.; Leitão, Henrique G.; Diedericks, Genevieve; Kirangwa, Joseph; Morselli, Marco; Salces-Ortiz, Judit; Escudero, Nuria; Iannucci, Alessio; Natali, Chiara; Svardal, Hannes; Fernández, Rosa; Pooter, Tim De; Joris, Geert; Strazisar, Mojca; Wood, Jonathan M. D.; Herron, Katie E.; Seehausen, Ole; Watts, Phillip C.; Shaw, Felix; Davey, Robert P.; Minotto, Alice; Fernández, José M.; Böhne, Astrid; Alegria, Carla; Alioto, Tyler; Alves, Paulo C.; Amorim, Isabel R.; Aury, Jean-Marc; Backstrom, Niclas; Baldrian, Petr; Baltrunaite, Laima; Barta, Endre; BedHom, Bertrand; Belser, Caroline; Bergsten, Johannes; Bertrand, Laurie; Bilandija, Helena; Binzer-Panchal, Mahesh; Bista, Iliana; Blaxter, Mark; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Dias, Guilherme Borges; Bosse, Mirte; Brown, Tom; Bruggmann, Rémy; Buena-Atienza, Elena; Burgin, Josephine; Buzan, Elena; Cariani, Alessia; Casadei, Nicolas; Chiara, Matteo; Chozas, Sergio; Čiampor Jr., Fedor; Crottini, Angelica; Cruaud, Corinne; Cruz, Fernando; Dalen, Love; De Biase, Alessio; Campo, Javier del; Delic, Teo; Dennis, Alice B.; Derks, Martijn F. L.; Diroma, Maria Angela; Djan, Mihajla; Duprat, Simone; Eleftheriadi, Klara; Feulner, Philine G. D.; Flot, Jean-François; Forni, Giobbe; Fosso, Bruno; Fournier, Pascal; Fournier-Chambrillon, Christine; Gabaldon, Toni; Garg, Shilpa; Gissi, Carmela; Giupponi, Luca; Gomez-Garrido, Jessica; González, Josefa; Grilo, Miguel L.; Grüning, Björn; Guerin, Thomas; Guiglielmoni, Nadege; Gut, Marta; Haesler, Marcel P.; Hahn, Christoph; Halpern, Balint; Harrison, Peter W.; Heintz, Julia; Hindrikson, Maris; Höglund, Jacob; Howe, Kerstin; Hughes, Graham M.; Istace, Benjamin; Cock, Mark J.; Janžekovič, Franc; Jonsson, Zophonias O.; Joye-Dind, Sagane; Koskimäki, Janne J.; Krystufek, Boris; Kubacka, Justyna; Kuhl, Heiner; Kusza, Szilvia; Labadie, Karine; Lähteenaro, Meri; Lantz, Henrik; Lavrinienko, Anton; Leclère, Lucas; Lopes, Ricardo Jorge; Madsen, Ole; Magdelenat, Ghislaine; Magoga, Giulia; Manousaki, Tereza; Mappes, Tapio; Marques, Joao Pedro; Redondo, Gemma I. Martinez; Maumus, Florian; McCarthy, Shane A.; Megens, Hendrik-Jan; Melo-Ferreira, Jose; Mendes, Sofia L.; Montagna, Matteo; Moreno, Joao; Mosbech, Mai-Britt; Moura, Mónica; Musilova, Zuzana; Myers, Eugene; Nash, Will J.; Nater, Alexander; Nicholson, Pamela; Niell, Manuel; Nijland, Reindert; Noel, Benjamin; Noren, Karin; Oliveira, Pedro H.; Olsen, Remi-Andre; Ometto, Lino; Oomen, Rebekah A.; Ossowski, Stephan; Palinauskas, Vaidas; Palsson, Snaebjorn; Panibe, Jerome P.; Pauperio, Joana; Pavlek, Martina; Payen, Emilie; Pawlowska, Julia; Pellicer, Jaume; Pesole, Graziano; Pimenta, Joao; Pippel, Martin; Pirttilä, Anna Maria; Poulakakis, Nikos; Rajan, Jeena; Rego, Rúben M.C.; Resendes, Roberto; Resl, Philipp; Riesgo, Ana; Rodin-Morch, Patrik; Soares, Andre E. R.; Rodriguez Fernandes, Carlos; Romeiras, Maria M.; Roxo, Guilherme; Rüber, Lukas; Ruiz-Lopez, Maria Jose; Saarma, Urmas; da Silva, Luis P.; Sim-Sim, Manuela; Soler, Lucile; Sousa, Vitor C.; Santos, Carla Sousa; Spada, Alberto; Stefanovic, Milomir; Steger, Viktor; Stiller, Josefin; Stöck, Matthias; Struck, Torsten H.; Sudasinghe, Hiranya; Tapanainen, Riikka; Tellgren-Roth, Christian; Trindade, Helena; Tukalenko, Yevhen; Urso, Ilenia; Vacherie, Benoit; Van Belleghem, Steven M.; Van Oers, Kees; Vargas-Chavez, Carlos; Velickovic, Nevena; Vella, Noel; Vella, Adriana; Vernesi, Cristiano; Vicente, Sara; Villa, Sara; Pettersson, Olga Vinnere; Volckaert, Filip A. M.; Voros, Judit; Wincker, Patrick; Winkler, Sylke; Ciofi, Claudio; Waterhouse, Robert M.; Mazzoni, Camila J. Abstract: A genomic database of all Earth’s eukaryotic species could contribute to many scientific discoveries; however, only a tiny fraction of species have genomic information available. In 2018, scientists across the world united under the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), aiming to produce a database of highquality reference genomes containing all ~1.5 million recognized eukaryotic species. As the European node of the EBP, the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) sought to implement a new decentralised, equitable and inclusive model for producing reference genomes. For this, ERGA launched a Pilot Project establishing the first distributed reference genome production infrastructure and testing it on 98 eukaryotic species from 33 European countries. Here we outline the infrastructure and explore its effectiveness for scaling high-quality reference genome production, whilst considering equity and inclusion. The outcomes and lessons learned provide a solid foundation for ERGA while offering key learnings to other transnational, national genomic resource projects and the EBP. Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146810 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146809 Title: Integrating molecular taxonomy and genomics to strengthen marine biosecurity : a Mediterranean perspective Authors: Vella, Noel; Vella, Adriana Abstract: The introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) threatens marine biodiversity, ecosystem services and biosecurity worldwide. Rapid and accurate NIS identification is a fundamental first step in understanding biological introductions and managing invasive species. While traditional taxonomy remains invaluable, its reliance on morphological traits and taxon-specific expertise can significantly hinder the identification of cryptic species and early life stages. Molecular approaches, particularly DNA barcoding and eDNA metabarcoding, overcome these limitations by enabling reliable detection across diverse taxa and life stages, complementing classical methods. However, accurate molecular identification relies heavily on the integrity of curated reference databases, ideally sourced from native populations. Recent large-scale initiatives focusing on standardized genetic and genomic approaches are critical for establishing the reference libraries required for regulatory confidence. Furthermore, population-level genomic analyses are increasingly necessary to capture the complexity of marine introductions. These tools detect multiple introductions, population-level admixture and enhanced adaptive potential in novel environments. Genomic approaches also reveal complex dynamics, including intraspecific introgression between introduced populations, hybridization between closely related species and cryptic invasion of introduced alleles into native populations. This manuscript emphasizes the need for frameworks that integrate rigorous, standardized molecular taxonomy and population genomics into biosecurity frameworks providing practitioners with clear methodological guidance to enable well-informed management strategies. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146809 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z