Meeting Abstract

P3-246  Saturday, Jan. 6 15:30 – 17:30  Nemertean Diversity at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize SCHWARTZ, ML; MASLAKOVA, SA; PARTRIDGE, M*; STEBBINS, M; TILAHUN, T; HOLMAN, M; NORENBURG, J; University of Washington, Tacoma; Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon; University of Washington, Tacoma; University of Washington, Tacoma; University of Washington, Tacoma; University of Washington, Tacoma; National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution megansc@uw.edu

Current knowledge of distribution and biodiversity patterns of Caribbean nemerteans is exceedingly poor. There are 29 described Caribbean nemertean species, of which the majority (24) was described prior to the 1960s. However, in just two 2-week trips to Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, we could easily recognize at least 40 new and different morphospecies. This suggests that there is much greater nemertean diversity in the Caribbean than currently documented. We used visual identification and DNA barcoding, with both COI and 16S markers, to record the benthic macro-nemertean fauna around Smithsonian’s Field Station at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. Our results verify that there are many new nemertean species as well as several cryptic species complexes. Additionally, we were able to catalog prey items of several nemerteans in our barcoding efforts. These results will be combined with sampling efforts and DNA barcoding of nemerteans from Bocas del Toro, Panama to determine species boundaries and endemicity. Given the current climate change, the formidable amount of undocumented biodiversity, and dwindling funding for biodiversity and taxonomy studies, our combined approach of visual identification and DNA barcoding will accelerate efforts to catalog existing species.