In the marine environment Species Distribution Models (SDMs) have been used in hundreds of papers for predicting the present and future geographic range and environmental niche of species. We have analyzed ways in which SDMs are being applied to marine species in order to recommend best practice in future studies. This systematic review was registered as a protocol on the Open Science Framework: https:// osf.io/tngs6/. The literature reviewed (236 papers) was published between 1992 and July 2016. The number of papers significantly increased through time (R 2 = 0.92, p < 0.05). The studies were predominantly carried out in the Temperate Northern Atlantic (45%) followed by studies of global scale (11%) and studies in Temperate Australasia (10%). The majority of studies reviewed focused on theoretical ecology (37%) including investigations of biological invasions by non-native organisms, conservation planning (19%), and climate change predictions (17%). Most of the studies were published in ecological, multidisciplinary, or biodiversity conservation journals. Most of the studies (94%) failed to report the amount of uncertainty derived from data deficiencies and model parameters. Best practice recommendations are proposed here to ensure that novice and advanced SDM users can (a) understand the main elements of SDMs, (b) reproduce standard methods and analysis, and (c) identify potential limitations with their data. We suggest that in the future, studies of marine SDMs should report on key features of the approaches employed, data deficiencies, the selection of the best explanatory model, and the approach taken to validate the SDM results. In addition, based on the literature reviewed, we suggest that future marine SDMs should account for uncertainty levels as part of the modeling process.

The name Mesophyllum erubescens has been applied to protuberant rhodolith specimens which sometimes occur abundantly, as well as to encrusting specimens in tropical and temperate waters in the Western Pacific, Indian and Western Atlantic Oceans. A DNA sequence, representing about 20% of the rbcL gene, was obtained from the 140 year old holotype specimen collected in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago by the Challenger Expedition. This sequence was identical to field-collected topotype specimens as well as to specimens ranging south along the coast of Brazil. Sequences for psbA from these same Brazilian specimens and specimens from the east coast of Mexico were identical or differed by 1 base pair. In contrast, specimens called M. erubescens based on morpho-anatomical characters in the Pacific Ocean differed from Western Atlantic Ocean specimens by 2.5-13.1%, indicating that these represent numerous distinct species. All reports of non-geniculate coralline species said to be widely distributed across different oceans or in different biogeographic provinces based on morpho-anatomical characters need to be verified by DNA sequences.

Plastid-encoded rbcL and psbA sequences from branched, Caribbean Sea Lithophyllum specimens indicate that four species are present, not one. Short (263 base pairs) rbcL sequences from an isolectotype of L. kaiseri (Gulf of Suez) and the holotypes of L. congestum, L. daedaleum and L. platyphyllum (Caribbean Sea) show that L. congestum and L. daedaleum are conspecific with L. kaiseri, the last having nomenclatural priority. Lithophyllum platyphyllum, currently considered a synonym of L. congestum, is recognised as a valid species. Lithophyllum stictaeforme, originally described from the Mediterranean Sea, is not conspecific with L. kaiseri (as L. congestum) as previously suggested. Lithophyllum neocongestum sp. nov. and L. pseudoplatyphyllum sp. nov. are proposed. Together with L. platyphyllum, these three branched species are so far endemic to the Caribbean Sea. This is the first report, documented by DNA sequence data, of a coralline species (L. kaiseri) widespread through the tropical Indo-West Pacific Oceans, Red Sea and Caribbean Sea.

Se presentan las descripciones de 21 especies de algas rojas colectadas en marzo y noviembre de 2008 y junio de 2010. Estas se consideran nuevos registros para el arrecife Cabezo ubicado en la parte sureste del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano (PNSAV) en el suroeste del Golfo de México, y pertenecen a los géneros Amphiroa, Bryothamnion, Ceramium, Ceratodictyon, Colaconema, Galaxaura, Hypnea, Jania, Laurencia, Liagora, Neosiphonia, Pneophyllum, Polysiphonia, Porolithon, Stylonema, Titanophycus y Yuzurua.Las familias Rhodomelaceae y Corallinaceae son las mejor representadas en cuanto al número de especies (6 y 5, respectivamente). Las descripciones incluyen datos morfométricos y biológicos y están acompañadas con fotografías y dibujos a línea para cada especie. Se presenta la distribución geográfica de estas algas en el estado de Veracruz, el parque y el Golfo de México. Polysiphonia pseudovillum es nuevo registro para el Golfo de México, mientras queColaconema hallandicum y Ceratodictyon planicaule lo son para el parque. Nueve especies se encontraron como epífitas principalmente de algas verdes y rojas. Las estructuras reproductoras que predominaron en las algas estudiadas tanto en la época de lluvias como en la de secas fueron los tetrasporangios. Los talos vegetativos y reproductivos de 10 especies del PNSAV fueron usualmente más pequeños comparados con los de los mismos taxa encontrados en el Caribe.