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Here we present a formal description of Biremis panamae Barka, Witkowski et Weisenborn sp. nov., which was isolated from the marine littoral environment of the Pacific Ocean coast of Panama. The description is based on morphology (light and electron microscopy) and the rbcL, psbC and SSU sequences of one clone of this species. The new species is included in Biremis due to its morphological features; i.e. two marginal rows of foramina, chambered striae, and girdle composed of numerous punctate copulae. The new species also possesses a striated valve face which is not seen in most known representatives of marine littoral Biremis species. In this study we also present the relationship of Biremis to other taxa using morphology, DNA sequence data and observations of auxosporulation. Our results based on these three sources point to an evolutionary relationship between Biremis, Neidium and Scoliopleura. The unusual silicified incunabular caps present in them are known otherwise only in Muelleria, which is probably related to the Neidiaceae and Scoliotropidaceae. We also discuss the relationship between Biremis and the recently described Labellicula and Olifantiella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored δ15N compound-specific amino acid isotope data (CSI-AA) in filter-feeding intertidal mussels (Mytilus californianus) as a new approach to construct integrated isoscapes of coastal primary production. We examined spatial δ15N gradients in the California Upwelling Ecosystem (CUE), determining bulk δ15N values of mussel tissue from 28 sites between Port Orford, Oregon and La Jolla, California, and applying CSI-AA at selected sites to decouple trophic effects from isotopic values at the base of the food web. Bulk δ15N values showed a strong linear trend with latitude, increasing from North to South (from ∼7‰ to ∼12‰, R2 = 0.759). In contrast, CSI-AA trophic position estimates showed no correlation with latitude. The δ15N trend is therefore most consistent with a baseline δ15N gradient, likely due to the mixing of two source waters: low δ15N nitrate from the southward flowing surface California Current, and the northward transport of the California Undercurrent (CUC), with15N-enriched nitrate. This interpretation is strongly supported by a similar linear gradient in δ15N values of phenylalanine (δ15NPhe), the best AA proxy for baseline δ15N values. We hypothesize δ15NPhe values in intertidal mussels can approximate annual integrated δ15N values of coastal phytoplankton primary production. We therefore used δ15NPhe values to generate the first compound-specific nitrogen isoscape for the coastal Northeast Pacific, which indicates a remarkably linear gradient in coastal primary production δ15N values. We propose that δ15NPhe isoscapes derived from filter feeders can directly characterize baseline δ15N values across major biochemical provinces, with potential applications for understanding migratory and feeding patterns of top predators, monitoring effects of climate change, and study of paleo- archives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]