Kransalger är en viktig nyckelart i Östersjön. De förökar sig med hjälp av oosporer och denna studie har syftat till att urskilja morfologisk differentiering mellan oosporer inom och mellan individer och populationer. Främst ställde jag mig frågan huruvida skillnader och likheter i morfologi kan associeras med skillnader mellan olika geografiska avstånd och habitat samt i vilken mån oosporer kan återföras till korrekt population och individ. Kransalger av arten Chara aspera har insamlats på lokaler i östra Svealand och elliptiska Fouriertransformationer har använts för att med hjälp av vågfunktioner beskriva oosporernas konturer. Parametrarna i vågfunktioner har sedan använts för statistiska analyser. Resultaten visade att de olika populationerna kunde separeras morfologiskt när oosporernas populationstillhörighet varit känd för analysen. Däremot var det svårare att separera individer från varandra men det fungerade bra i den population där flest oosporer insamlats. Då oosporernas identitet varit okänd för analysen återfördes endast hälften av dem till rätt population. Det gick inte att återföra okända oosporer till individer. De tre populationerna från bräckt vatten grupperades tillsammans i diskriminantanalysen, skilda från de två sötvattenpopulationerna som i sin tur var tydligt skilda från varandra. En spridning mellan de olika populationerna i brackvatten är trolig. Däremot är en spridning mellan populationerna i sött vatten inte sannolik. Det finns inte heller något som talar för en spridning mellan habitaten. Slutligen kan jag konstatera att det finns tillräckligt mycket information att hämta i oosporerna morfologi för att mäta relativa skillnader mellan individer och grupper liksom för att skatta variabilitet. / Charophytes are an important key species in the Baltic Sea. They reproduce by using oospores and this study aims at distinguish morphological differentiation between oospores within and between individuals and populations. Mainly I asked myself the question whether the differences and similarities in morphology could be associated with differences between geographic distance and habitat, and to what extent oospores could be reassigned to the correct population and individual. Charophytes of the genus Chara aspera were collected in eastern Svealand and harmonics from elliptic Fourier transforms have been used to describe the contours of the oospores. The parameters of the harmonics were then used for statistical analyses. The results showed that the different populations could be separated morphologically when the population affiliation of the oospores has been known to the analysis. It was difficult to separate individuals from each other, but it worked well in the population in which most oospores were collected. When the identity of the oospores was unknown to the analysis only half of them were returned to the correct population, and it did not work to reassign unknown oospores to individuals. The three populations from brackish water grouped together in the discriminant analysis, separated from the two freshwater populations, which, in turn, were clearly distinct from one another. Dispersal between the different populations in brackish water is likely. However, dispersal between the populations in fresh water is not likely. There is nothing to indicate dispersal between brackish and freshwater habitats. I can conclude that there is enough information in the morphology of the oospores to measure relative differences between individuals and groups, as well as to estimate variability.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo principal compreender a dinâmica populacional de Mugil curema em duas regiões distintas, tanto sob o ponto de vista oceanográfico como no de ocupação humana, e os possíveis impactos antrópicos no ciclo de vida da espécie. As amostras foram coletadas mensalmente no período de março/09 a fevereiro/10 no estuário de Santos e no período de maio/08 a abril/2009 no sistema costeiro Cananéia-Iguape, utilizando rede de abalo, rede de tarrafa e cerco fixo. Em laboratório os indivíduos coletados foram medidos (mm), pesados (g) e dissecados, para a retirada das gônadas, fígado, rim e otólitos para futuras analises. Os indivíduos de Mugil curema do estuário de Santos e do sistema costeiro Cananéia-Iguape, litoral do estado de São Paulo, Brasil, foram classificadas como pertencentes ao mesmo estoque, não existindo diferenças na estrutura em tamanho, na estrutura etária e na época de desova desses indivíduos. Também foi constatado altos valores do índice de lesões histológicas e da atividade EROD no tecido do fígado e altos níveis de bioacumulação de metais (bromo, cobre, cromo, ferro e zinco) nos tecidos do fígado e rim da espécie nas duas áreas estudadas. Todas as variáveis estimadas não apresentaram diferenças significativas entre as duas áreas de estudo. / The present study has mainly aimed at understanding the population dynamic of Mugil curema from two distinct areas at coast of the state of São Paulo (Brazil), both from oceanographic and human occupation point of view. Samples were collected monthly between March/09 and February/10 of the Santos estuary and between May/08 and April/09 of the Cananéia-Iguape coastal system using gillnet, seine net and fish trap. Collected individuals were measured (mm), weighted (g) and dissected for removal of gonads, liver, kidney and otoliths for further analysis. Specimens of Mugil curema from Santos estuary and Cananéia-Iguape costal system were classified as belonging to the same stock, since the results showed no difference in structure, size, age structure and spawning season. High values of the histological lesions index and EROD activity in the liver tissue as well as increased levels of bioaccumulation of metals (bromine, copper, chromium, iron and zinc) in the liver and kidney tissues were also found. All of the estimated variables for Mugil curema were not significantly different between the two regions.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo principal compreender a dinâmica populacional de Mugil curema em duas regiões distintas, tanto sob o ponto de vista oceanográfico como no de ocupação humana, e os possíveis impactos antrópicos no ciclo de vida da espécie. As amostras foram coletadas mensalmente no período de março/09 a fevereiro/10 no estuário de Santos e no período de maio/08 a abril/2009 no sistema costeiro Cananéia-Iguape, utilizando rede de abalo, rede de tarrafa e cerco fixo. Em laboratório os indivíduos coletados foram medidos (mm), pesados (g) e dissecados, para a retirada das gônadas, fígado, rim e otólitos para futuras analises. Os indivíduos de Mugil curema do estuário de Santos e do sistema costeiro Cananéia-Iguape, litoral do estado de São Paulo, Brasil, foram classificadas como pertencentes ao mesmo estoque, não existindo diferenças na estrutura em tamanho, na estrutura etária e na época de desova desses indivíduos. Também foi constatado altos valores do índice de lesões histológicas e da atividade EROD no tecido do fígado e altos níveis de bioacumulação de metais (bromo, cobre, cromo, ferro e zinco) nos tecidos do fígado e rim da espécie nas duas áreas estudadas. Todas as variáveis estimadas não apresentaram diferenças significativas entre as duas áreas de estudo. / The present study has mainly aimed at understanding the population dynamic of Mugil curema from two distinct areas at coast of the state of São Paulo (Brazil), both from oceanographic and human occupation point of view. Samples were collected monthly between March/09 and February/10 of the Santos estuary and between May/08 and April/09 of the Cananéia-Iguape coastal system using gillnet, seine net and fish trap. Collected individuals were measured (mm), weighted (g) and dissected for removal of gonads, liver, kidney and otoliths for further analysis. Specimens of Mugil curema from Santos estuary and Cananéia-Iguape costal system were classified as belonging to the same stock, since the results showed no difference in structure, size, age structure and spawning season. High values of the histological lesions index and EROD activity in the liver tissue as well as increased levels of bioaccumulation of metals (bromine, copper, chromium, iron and zinc) in the liver and kidney tissues were also found. All of the estimated variables for Mugil curema were not significantly different between the two regions.

The sap beetle genus Carpophilus Stephens (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is a large genus consisting of over 200 species and are found worldwide. Several species are important pests of crops and stored products, and are frequently intercepted as part of biosecurity operations. The genus is poorly known taxonomically, and there are several species groups that are challenging to identify by morphological methods. In particular, two species found across the Pacific, C. maculatus Murray and C. oculatus Murray are frequently confused with each other. These two species are similar in size and colour, but differ primarily by the shape of the colour pattern on their elytra. However, this colour pattern is highly variable within both species, leading to ambiguity in the indentification of these species. Within C. oculatus, three subspecies have been described based on differences in the male genitalia and pronotal punctation: C. o. oculatus and C. o. gilloglyi Dobson are distributed widely across the Pacific, while C. o. cheesmani Dobson is known only from Vanuatu. A search of literature records and specimen collections revealed 32 species of Carpophilus recorded from the Pacific region. In addition there remain several unidentified specimens representing at least four species, two of which will be described subsequent to this research. A number of species recorded in the literature may have been misidentified, and these require further field collections and inspection of museum specimens to confirm their presence in the Pacific. To test the validity of the subspecies of C. oculatus, and its distinctiveness from C. maculatus, a phylogeny of available specimens of Carpophilus was inferred from one mitochondrial gene (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI)), and two nuclear genes (28S ribsomal RNA (28S) and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2)). These data show large genetic distances between the three subspecies of C. oculatus of 7-12%. Given these distances are similar to those between other species in the genus, this indicates these subspecies may be elevated to full species. The data also consistently support a monophyletic relationship between C. o. oculatus and C. o. gilloglyi. Nuclear genes also support C. o. cheesmani as part of a clade with the other subspecies, but these relationships are unresolved in COI. Carpophilus maculatus was not supported as being the sister taxon of the C. o. oculatus and C. o. gilloglyi clade. Other relationships within Carpophilus were unresolved, possibly due to a combination of incomplete taxon sampling, and saturation of substitutions within the COI gene. Phylogeographic analysis of specimens collected from several localities within the range of C. oculatus showed that, with only one exception, there were no shared haplotypes between archipelagoes. This result suggests it may be possible to determine the provenence of intercepted specimens, providing further information regarding potential invasion pathways. A degree of geographic structuring was also present within C. o. gilloglyi, being separated into a western clade found in Fiji and Rotuma and an eastern clade distributed from the Kermadec Islands and Tonga to French Polynesia. This separation was most profound in COI data, with a mean pairwise distance between the clades of 7%. ITS2 data also demonstrates a degree of differentiation between the two clades, based on differences in the insertions and deletions between the clades. The variability in the shape and colour of the elytral pattern of C. oculatus was also investigated. Colour was quantified using a method based on Red-Green-Blue (RGB) colour values derived from digital photographs, while an outline analysis of the elytral pattern was conducted using elliptic Fourier analysis (EFA). Principal Components Analysis of the RGB values and EFA coefficients showed no clear separation between subspecies, nor were any trends correlated with host fruit or collection localities. Variation at all levels and all measures studied in this thesis show that this geographic region and this genus of beetles offer intruiging insights into speciation, biogeography and biological invasions. There is much scope for further research on the causes and consequences of this variation and the lives of these interesting insects.