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Climate change threatens coastal benthic communities on a global scale. However, the potential effects of ongoing warming on mesophotic temperate reefs at the community level remain poorly understood. Investigating how different members of these communities will respond to the future expected environmental conditions is, therefore, key to anticipating their future trajectories and developing specific management and conservation strategies. Here, we examined the responses of some of the main components of the highly diverse Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages to thermal stress. We performed thermotolerance experiments with different temperature treatments (from 26 to 29°C) with 10 species from different phyla (three anthozoans, six sponges and one ascidian) and different structural roles. Overall, we observed species‐specific contrasting responses to warming regardless of phyla or growth form. Moreover, the responses ranged from highly resistant species to sensitive species and were mostly in agreement with previous field observations from mass mortality events (MMEs) linked to Mediterranean marine heat waves. Our results unravel the diversity of responses to warming in coralligenous outcrops and suggest the presence of potential winners and losers in the face of climate change. Finally, this study highlights the importance of accounting for species‐specific vulnerabilities and response diversity when forecasting the future trajectories of temperate benthic communities in a warming ocean. Investigating how different members of temperate coastal benthic communities will respond to warming is key to anticipating their future trajectories in the face of climate change and to developing specific management and conservation strategies. In this study, we examined the response of some of the main components of the highly diverse Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages to thermal stress and found highly contrasting responses mainly determined at the species level. We also explored the relation between species‐specific thermal tolerances in aquaria and their differential vulnerability in the field during previous Mediterranean marine heat waves. Finally, we discussed the response diversity as one of the mechanisms that could prevent temperate benthic communities such as the Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages from extremely shifting their functioning in the future in spite of climate change.

Aim: How historical and contemporary eco-evolutionary processes shape the patterns of genetic diversity and þÿdifferentiation across species distribution range remain Focusing on the orange stony coral, Astroides calycularis, we (a) characterized the pattern of neutral genetic diversity across the distribution range; (b) gave insights into the underlying processes; and (c) discussed conservation implications with emphasis on a national park located on a hotspot of genetic diversity. Location: South Mediterranean Sea and Zembra National Park. Methods: We combined new data from 12 microsatellites in 13 populations located in the Centre and in the Western Periphery of the distribution range with a published dataset including 16 populations from the Western and Eastern Peripheries. We analysed the relationship among parameters of genetic diversity (He, Ar(g)) and structure (population-specific FST) and two measures of geographic peripherality. We compared two estimators of pairwise genetic structure (GST, DEST) across the distribution range. The evolutionary and demographic history of the populations following the Last Glacial Maximum was reconstructed using approximate Bayesian computations and maximum-likelihood analyses. We inferred the contemporary connectivity among populations from Zembra National Park and with the neighbouring area of Cap Bon. Results: We demonstrate a decrease in genetic diversity and an increase in genetic differentiation from the Centre to the Eastern and Western Peripheries of the distribution range. Populations from Zembra show the highest genetic diversity reported in the species. We identified a spillover effect towards Cap Bon. Main conclusions: The patterns of genetic diversity and þÿdifferentiation are most likely explained by the postglacial range expansion hypothesis rather than the þÿ central peripheral hypothesis. Enforcement of conservation

Ocean warming and acidification, decreases in dissolved oxygen concentrations, and changes in primary production are causing an unprecedented global redistribution of marine life. The identification of underlying ecological processes underpinning marine species turnover, particularly the prevalence of increases of warm-water species or declines of cold-water species, has been recently debated in the context of ocean warming. Here, we track changes in the mean thermal affinity of marine communities across European seas by calculating the Community Temperature Index for 65 biodiversity time series collected over four decades and containing 1,817 species from different communities (zooplankton, coastal benthos, pelagic and demersal invertebrates and fish). We show that most communities and sites have clearly responded to ongoing ocean warming via abundance increases of warm-water species (tropicalization, 54%) and decreases of cold-water species (deborealization, 18%). Tropicalization dominated Atlantic sites compared to semi-enclosed basins such as the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, probably due to physical barrier constraints to connectivity and species colonization. Semi-enclosed basins appeared to be particularly vulnerable to ocean warming, experiencing the fastest rates of warming and biodiversity loss through deborealization.

Climate change threatens the structure and function of marine ecosystems, highlighting the importance of understanding the response of species to changing environmental conditions. However, thermal tolerance determining the vulnerability to warming of many abundant marine species is still poorly understood. In this study, we quantified in the field the effects of a temperature anomaly recorded in the Mediterranean Sea during the summer of 2015 on populations of two common sympatric bryozoans, Myriapora truncata and Pentapora fascialis. Then, we experimentally assessed their thermal tolerances in aquaria as well as different sublethal responses to warming. Differences between species were found in survival patterns in natural populations, P. fascialis showing significantly lower survival rates than M. truncata. The thermotolerance experiments supported field observations: P. fascialis started to show signs of necrosis when the temperature was raised to 25-26 °C and completely died between 28-29 °C, coinciding with the temperature when we observed first signs of necrosis in M. truncata. The results from this study reflect different responses to warming between these two co-occurring species, highlighting the importance of combining multiple approaches to assess the vulnerability of benthic species in a changing climate world.

The accurate delimitation of species boundaries in nonbilaterian marine taxa is notoriously difficult, with consequences for many studies in ecology and evolution. Anthozoans are a diverse group of key structural organisms worldwide, but the lack of reliable morphological characters and informative genetic markers hampers our ability to understand species diversification. We investigated population differentiation and species limits in Atlantic (Iberian Peninsula) and Mediterranean lineages of the octocoral genus Paramuricea previously identified as P. clavata. We used a diverse set of molecular markers (microsatellites, RNA‐seq derived single‐copy orthologues [SCO] and mt‐mutS [mitochondrial barcode]) at 49 locations. Clear segregation of Atlantic and Mediterranean lineages was found with all markers. Species‐tree estimations based on SCO strongly supported these two clades as distinct, recently diverged sister species with incomplete lineage sorting, P. cf. grayi and P. clavata, respectively. Furthermore, a second putative (or ongoing) speciation event was detected in the Atlantic between two P. cf. grayi color morphotypes (yellow and purple) using SCO and supported by microsatellites. While segregating P. cf. grayi lineages showed considerable geographic structure, dominating circalittoral communities in southern (yellow) and western (purple) Portugal, their occurrence in sympatry at some localities suggests a degree of reproductive isolation. Overall, our results show that previous molecular and morphological studies have underestimated species diversity in Paramuricea occurring in the Iberian Peninsula, which has important implications for conservation planning. Finally, our findings validate the usefulness of phylotranscriptomics for resolving evolutionary relationships in octocorals. Demarcating the transition between intraspecies lineages and speciation requires accurate delimitation of species boundaries, which in many marine invertebrates such as corals is notoriously difficult, leading to misinterpretations of their ecology and evolution. This study investigates species boundaries, taxonomic affinity, and lineage diversification for key structural species of branching octocorals in the genus Paramuricea across the Atlantic‐Mediterranean biogeographic regions. We combine species tree methods (using RNA‐seq data) with population genetics (clustering methods using microsatellites) and phylogenetics (mitochondrial barcode) to show that the Atlantic and Mediterranean clades studied are recently diverged sister species on separate evolutionary trajectories (Paramuricea cf. grayi and P. clavata), also revealing a second putative (or ongoing) speciation event within Atlantic P. cf. grayi.

Cardiac resynchronization improves left ventricular function and functional status in patients who have left ventricular systolic dysfunction and interventricular dyssynchrony due to a conduction delay. In a randomized trial comparing medical therapy alone with medical therapy plus cardiac resynchronization, combined therapy was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of death from any cause. In a randomized trial comparing medical therapy alone with medical therapy plus cardiac resynchronization, combined therapy was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of death from any cause. Despite improvements in pharmacologic treatment, many patients with heart failure have severe and persistent symptoms, and their prognosis remains poor. 1 , 2 Such patients commonly have regions of delayed myocardial activation and contraction, leading to cardiac dyssynchrony. In a series of trials lasting up to six months, cardiac resynchronization decreased symptoms and improved exercise capacity, the quality of life, and ventricular function. 3 – 7 The Comparison of Medical Therapy, Pacing, and Defibrillation in Heart Failure (COMPANION) trial showed that cardiac-resynchronization therapy alone or combined with an implantable defibrillator reduced the composite end point of death from any cause or hospitalization during a . . .

The aim of the study was to describe the rationale, design, and end points of a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial evaluating frequent systematic optimization of atrioventricular (AV) and interventricular (VV) delays in patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). One thousand five hundred eighty heart failure patients, with standard clinical indications for CRT, were enrolled at 178 sites in 16 countries. Within 2 weeks after implantation of a CRT system capable of using a new device-based algorithm for AV and VV optimization, patients were randomly assigned to frequent optimization arm versus empiric device programming or any other non–device-based method of CRT optimization (standard of care arm). In patients in the frequent optimization arm, the AV and VV delays were calculated, reevaluated, and, if necessary, reprogrammed every 3 months. In patients in the standard of care arm, device programming was left to the implanting physician's discretion and remained unchanged throughout the trial unless mandated by a change in clinical status. The primary end point of the trial is the heart failure clinical composite, which classifies patients as worsened, unchanged, or improved based on prespecified definitions. Secondary end points include hospitalizations for cardiovascular reasons and all-cause mortality. End points are adjudicated by an independent committee blinded to study assignment. The FREEDOM trial, expected to conclude late in 2009, will determine whether frequent optimization of CRT, using a new device-based algorithm, is associated with better clinical outcomes than current standard of care. In addition to improving patient care, this approach might alleviate the workload and economic burden imposed by current approaches to optimization of CRT devices.

Knowledge of habitat and species’ distributions and their conservation status is crucial to enhance their conservation and management plans, which is especially urgent in the current era of rapid environmental change driven by anthropogenic activities. Scientists have been collecting data for several decades on the coralligenous assemblages in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the most important habitats with high levels of associated biodiversity. However, the inconsistency, lack of harmonisation, and dispersion of data across different sources limit their applicability in sound, broad-scale strategies. Here, we present the CorMedNet database, a collaborative and open-access initiative designed to boost the acquisition of baseline information on the distribution, demography, and population genetics data of Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages. Through a literature review, the CorMedNet database compiled 8575 georeferenced records representing local populations of 418 macroinvertebrate species. Although currently limited to cnidarians, poriferans, and bryozoans, CorMedNet is designed to encompass the full diversity of coralligenous species, including other relevant taxa such as calcareous algae. This version represents the most comprehensive dataset available to date for macroinvertebrate species inhabiting coralligenous habitats. The analysis of the compiled data showed that records were mainly from a limited number (14) of species which are considered habitat-forming species. Moreover, information is geographically biased towards the NW Mediterranean and mainly related to species distribution. Demographic and population genetic studies represent only 26.7% of records. In addition, there is a lack of long-term demographic studies, hindering our ability to examine the conservation status of populations at relevant temporal scales. For that reason, the ultimate goal of the CorMednet initiative is to provide a common platform to foster continuous data integration while identifying the main gaps in knowledge. We therefore expect that CorMedNet will also become a key resource to guide research actions and support the design and implementation of effective conservation and management strategies for the unique Mediterranean coralligenous.

Aims Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease affecting 64 million people worldwide and places a severe burden on society because of its mortality, numerous re‐hospitalizations and associated costs. HeartLogic™ is an algorithm programmed into implanted devices incorporating several biometric parameters which aims to predict HF episodes. It provides an index which can be monitored remotely, allowing pre‐emptive treatment of congestion to prevent acute decompensation. We aim to assess the impact and security of pre‐emptive HF management, guided by the HeartLogic™ index. Methods and results The HeartLogic™ France Cohort Study is an investigator‐initiated, prospective, multi‐centre, non‐randomized study. Three hundred ten patients with a history of HF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%; or at least one episode of clinical HF with elevated NT‐proBNP ≥450 ng/L) and implanted with a cardioverter defibrillator enabling HeartLogic™ index calculation will be included across 10 French centres. The HeartLogic™ index will be monitored remotely for 12 months and in the event of a HeartLogic™ index ≥16, the local investigator will contact the patient for assessment and adjust HF treatment as necessary. The primary endpoint is unscheduled hospitalization for HF. Secondary endpoints are all‐cause mortality, cardiovascular death, HF‐related death, unscheduled hospitalizations for ventricular or atrial arrhythmia and HeartLogic™ index evolution over time. Blood samples will be collected for biobanking, and quality of life will be assessed. Finally, the safety of a HeartLogic™‐triggered strategy for initiating or increasing diuretic therapy will be assessed. A blind and independent committee will adjudicate the events. Conclusions The HeartLogic™ France Cohort Study will provide robust real‐world data in a cohort of HF patients managed with the HeartLogic™ algorithm allowing pre‐emptive treatment of heart failure exacerbations.

The accurate delimitation of species boundaries in nonbilaterian marine taxa is notoriously difficult, with consequences for many studies in ecology and evolution. Anthozoans are a diverse group of key structural organisms worldwide, but the lack of reliable morphological characters and informative genetic markers hampers our ability to understand species diversification. We investigated population differentiation and species limits in Atlantic (Iberian Peninsula) and Mediterranean lineages of the octocoral genus Paramuricea previously identified as P. clavata. We used a diverse set of molecular markers (microsatellites, RNA-seq derived single-copy orthologues [SCO] and mt-mutS [mitochondrial barcode]) at 49 locations. Clear segregation of Atlantic and Mediterranean lineages was found with all markers. Species-tree estimations based on SCO strongly supported these two clades as distinct, recently diverged sister species with incomplete lineage sorting, P. cf. grayi and P. clavata, respectively. Furthermore, a second putative (or ongoing) speciation event was detected in the Atlantic between two P. cf. grayi color morphotypes (yellow and purple) using SCO and supported by microsatellites. While segregating P. cf. grayi lineages showed considerable geographic structure, dominating circalittoral communities in southern (yellow) and western (purple) Portugal, their occurrence in sympatry at some localities suggests a degree of reproductive isolation. Overall, our results show that previous molecular and morphological studies have underestimated species diversity in Paramuricea occurring in the Iberian Peninsula, which has important implications for conservation planning. Finally, our findings validate the usefulness of phylotranscriptomics for resolving evolutionary relationships in octocorals.