Dear colleagues, I am pleased to announce the publication of the following paper: Amaral AR, Beheregaray LB, Bilgmann K, Boutov D, Freitas L, Robertson KM, Sequeira M, Stockin KA, Coelho MM, Möller LM (2012) Seascape genetics of a globally distributed, highly mobile marine mammal: the short-beaked common dolphin (genus Delphinus). PLoS ONE 7(2): e31482. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031482. Abstract Identifying which factors shape the distribution of intraspecific genetic diversity is central in evolutionary and conservation biology. In the marine realm, the absence of obvious barriers to dispersal can make this task more difficult. Nevertheless, recent studies have provided valuable insights into which factors may be shaping genetic structure in the world's oceans. These studies were, however, generally conducted on marine organisms with larval dispersal. Here, using a seascape genetics approach, we show that marine productivity and sea surface temperature are correlated with genetic structure in a highly mobile, widely distributed marine mammal species, the short-beaked common dolphin. Isolation by distance also appears to influence population divergence over larger geographical scales (i.e. across different ocean basins). We suggest that the relationship between environmental variables and population structure may be caused by prey behaviour, which is believed to determine common dolphins' movement patterns and preferred associations with certain oceanographic conditions. Our study highlights the role of oceanography in shaping genetic structure of a highly mobile and widely distributed top marine predator. Thus, seascape genetic studies can potentially track the biological effects of ongoing climate-change at oceanographic interfaces and also inform marine reserve design in relation to the distribution and genetic connectivity of charismatic and ecologically important megafauna. The article is available online at: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0031482 Best Regards, Ana Rita Amaral .. Ana Rita Amaral, PhD Postdoctoral Researcher Centre for Environmental Biology Faculty of Sciences University of Lisbon Campo Grande 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street New York, NY 10024 USA E-mail: aramaral@fc.ul.pt ..