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Salmona J, Dayon J, Lecompte E, Karamanlidis AA, Aguilar A, Fernandez de Larrinoa P, Pires R, Mo G, Panou A, Agnesi S, Borrell A, Danyer E, Öztürk B, Tonay AM, Anestis AK, González LM, Dendrinos P, Gaubert P. The antique genetic plight of the Mediterranean monk seal ( Monachus monachus). Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220846. [PMID: 36043283 PMCID: PMC9428542 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Disentangling the impact of Late Quaternary climate change from human activities can have crucial implications on the conservation of endangered species. We investigated the population genetics and demography of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), one of the world's most endangered marine mammals, through an unprecedented dataset encompassing historical (extinct) and extant populations from the eastern North Atlantic to the entire Mediterranean Basin. We show that Cabo Blanco (Western Sahara/Mauritania), Madeira, Western Mediterranean (historical range) and Eastern Mediterranean regions segregate into four populations. This structure is probably the consequence of recent drift, combined with long-term isolation by distance (R2 = 0.7), resulting from prevailing short-distance (less than 500 km) and infrequent long-distance dispersal (less than 1500 km). All populations (Madeira especially), show high levels of inbreeding and low levels of genetic diversity, seemingly declining since historical time, but surprisingly not being impacted by the 1997 massive die-off in Cabo Blanco. Approximate Bayesian Computation analyses support scenarios combining local extinctions and a major effective population size decline in all populations during Antiquity. Our results suggest that the early densification of human populations around the Mediterranean Basin coupled with the development of seafaring techniques were the main drivers of the decline of Mediterranean monk seals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Salmona
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique, IRD-CNRS-UPS, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - Julia Dayon
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique, IRD-CNRS-UPS, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
- CEFE, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Emilie Lecompte
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique, IRD-CNRS-UPS, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - Alexandros A. Karamanlidis
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk seal, Solomou Strasse 18, Athens 10682, Greece
| | - Alex Aguilar
- IRBio and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | | | - Rosa Pires
- Instituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza IP-RAM, Jardim Botânico da Madeira, Caminho do Meio, Bom Sucesso, Funchal, Madeira 9064-512, Portugal
| | - Giulia Mo
- Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, Rome 00144, Italy
| | - Aliki Panou
- Archipelagos - Environment and Development, Lourdata, Kefalonia 28100, Greece
| | - Sabrina Agnesi
- Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, Rome 00144, Italy
| | - Asunción Borrell
- IRBio and Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Erdem Danyer
- Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), PO Box 10, Beykoz, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bayram Öztürk
- Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), PO Box 10, Beykoz, Istanbul, Turkey
- Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Kalenderhane Mah. Onaltı Mart Şehitleri Cad. No: 2 Fatih 34134 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Arda M. Tonay
- Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), PO Box 10, Beykoz, Istanbul, Turkey
- Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Kalenderhane Mah. Onaltı Mart Şehitleri Cad. No: 2 Fatih 34134 Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Luis M. González
- Subdirección General de Biodiversidad Terrestre y Marina, Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, Pza. San Juan de la Cruz, 10, Madrid 28071, Spain
| | - Panagiotis Dendrinos
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk seal, Solomou Strasse 18, Athens 10682, Greece
| | - Philippe Gaubert
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique, IRD-CNRS-UPS, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
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Baker JD, Barbieri MM, Johanos TC, Littnan CL, Bohlander JL, Kaufman AC, Harting AL, Farry SC, Yoshinaga CH. Conservation translocations of Hawaiian monk seals: accounting for variability in body condition improves evaluation of translocation efficacy. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. D. Baker
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Protected Species Division Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program Honolulu HI USA
| | - M. M. Barbieri
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Protected Species Division Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program Honolulu HI USA
| | - T. C. Johanos
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Protected Species Division Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program Honolulu HI USA
| | - C. L. Littnan
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Protected Species Division Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program Honolulu HI USA
| | - J. L. Bohlander
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Protected Species Division Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program Honolulu HI USA
| | - A. C. Kaufman
- Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric ResearchUniversity of Hawai'i at Mānoa Honolulu HI USA
| | | | - S. C. Farry
- Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric ResearchUniversity of Hawai'i at Mānoa Honolulu HI USA
| | - C. H. Yoshinaga
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Protected Species Division Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program Honolulu HI USA
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Jahner JP, Matocq MD, Malaney JL, Cox M, Wolff P, Gritts MA, Parchman TL. The genetic legacy of 50 years of desert bighorn sheep translocations. Evol Appl 2019; 12:198-213. [PMID: 30697334 PMCID: PMC6346675 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation biologists have increasingly used translocations to mitigate population declines and restore locally extirpated populations. Genetic data can guide the selection of source populations for translocations and help evaluate restoration success. Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) are a managed big game species that suffered widespread population extirpations across western North America throughout the early 1900s. Subsequent translocation programs have successfully re-established many formally extirpated bighorn herds, but most of these programs pre-date genetically informed management practices. The state of Nevada presents a particularly well-documented case of decline followed by restoration of extirpated herds. Desert bighorn sheep (O. c. nelsoni) populations declined to less than 3,000 individuals restricted to remnant herds in the Mojave Desert and a few locations in the Great Basin Desert. Beginning in 1968, the Nevada Department of Wildlife translocated ~2,000 individuals from remnant populations to restore previously extirpated areas, possibly establishing herds with mixed ancestries. Here, we examined genetic diversity and structure among remnant herds and the genetic consequences of translocation from these herds using a genotyping-by-sequencing approach to genotype 17,095 loci in 303 desert bighorn sheep. We found a signal of population genetic structure among remnant Mojave Desert populations, even across geographically proximate mountain ranges. Further, we found evidence of a genetically distinct, potential relict herd from a previously hypothesized Great Basin lineage of desert bighorn sheep. The genetic structure of source herds was clearly reflected in translocated populations. In most cases, herds retained genetic evidence of multiple translocation events and subsequent admixture when founded from multiple remnant source herds. Our results add to a growing literature on how population genomic data can be used to guide and monitor restoration programs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marjorie D. Matocq
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNevada
| | - Jason L. Malaney
- Department of BiologyAustin Peay State UniversityClarksvilleTennessee
| | - Mike Cox
- Nevada Department of Wildlife, and Wild Sheep Working GroupWestern Association of Fish and Wildlife AgenciesRenoNevada
| | | | | | - Thomas L. Parchman
- Department of Biology, and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNevada
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Bowen BW. The Three Domains of Conservation Genetics: Case Histories from Hawaiian Waters. J Hered 2016; 107:309-17. [PMID: 27001936 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esw018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The scientific field of conservation biology is dominated by 3 specialties: phylogenetics, ecology, and evolution. Under this triad, phylogenetics is oriented towards the past history of biodiversity, conserving the divergent branches in the tree of life. The ecological component is rooted in the present, maintaining the contemporary life support systems for biodiversity. Evolutionary conservation (as defined here) is concerned with preserving the raw materials for generating future biodiversity. All 3 domains can be documented with genetic case histories in the waters of the Hawaiian Archipelago, an isolated chain of volcanic islands with 2 types of biodiversity: colonists, and new species that arose from colonists. This review demonstrates that 1) phylogenetic studies have identified previously unknown branches in the tree of life that are endemic to Hawaiian waters; 2) population genetic surveys define isolated marine ecosystems as management units, and 3) phylogeographic analyses illustrate the pathways of colonization that can enhance future biodiversity. Conventional molecular markers have advanced all 3 domains in conservation biology over the last 3 decades, and recent advances in genomics are especially valuable for understanding the foundations of future evolutionary diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian W Bowen
- From the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, PO Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744.
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Valtonen M, Palo JU, Aspi J, Ruokonen M, Kunnasranta M, Nyman T. Causes and consequences of fine-scale population structure in a critically endangered freshwater seal. BMC Ecol 2014; 14:22. [PMID: 25005257 PMCID: PMC4106222 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6785-14-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Small, genetically uniform populations may face an elevated risk of extinction due to reduced environmental adaptability and individual fitness. Fragmentation can intensify these genetic adversities and, therefore, dispersal and gene flow among subpopulations within an isolated population is often essential for maintaining its viability. Using microsatellite and mtDNA data, we examined genetic diversity, spatial differentiation, interregional gene flow, and effective population sizes in the critically endangered Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis), which is endemic to the large but highly fragmented Lake Saimaa in southeastern Finland. Results Microsatellite diversity within the subspecies (HE = 0.36) ranks among the lowest thus far recorded within the order Pinnipedia, with signs of ongoing loss of individual heterozygosity, reflecting very low effective subpopulation sizes. Bayesian assignment analyses of the microsatellite data revealed clear genetic differentiation among the main breeding areas, but interregional structuring was substantially weaker in biparentally inherited microsatellites (FST = 0.107) than in maternally inherited mtDNA (FST = 0.444), indicating a sevenfold difference in the gene flow mediated by males versus females. Conclusions Genetic structuring in the population appears to arise from the joint effects of multiple factors, including small effective subpopulation sizes, a fragmented lacustrine habitat, and behavioural dispersal limitation. The fine-scale differentiation found in the landlocked Saimaa ringed seal is especially surprising when contrasted with marine ringed seals, which often exhibit near-panmixia among subpopulations separated by hundreds or even thousands of kilometres. Our results demonstrate that population structures of endangered animals cannot be predicted based on data on even closely related species or subspecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Valtonen
- Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland.
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Durrant HMS, Burridge CP, Kelaher BP, Barrett NS, Edgar GJ, Coleman MA. Implications of macroalgal isolation by distance for networks of marine protected areas. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2014; 28:438-445. [PMID: 24373031 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2013] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The global extent of macroalgal forests is declining, greatly affecting marine biodiversity at broad scales through the effects macroalgae have on ecosystem processes, habitat provision, and food web support. Networks of marine protected areas comprise one potential tool that may safeguard gene flow among macroalgal populations in the face of increasing population fragmentation caused by pollution, habitat modification, climate change, algal harvesting, trophic cascades, and other anthropogenic stressors. Optimal design of protected area networks requires knowledge of effective dispersal distances for a range of macroalgae. We conducted a global meta-analysis based on data in the published literature to determine the generality of relation between genetic differentiation and geographic distance among macroalgal populations. We also examined whether spatial genetic variation differed significantly with respect to higher taxon, life history, and habitat characteristics. We found clear evidence of population isolation by distance across a multitude of macroalgal species. Genetic and geographic distance were positively correlated across 49 studies; a modal distance of 50-100 km maintained F(ST) < 0.2. This relation was consistent for all algal divisions, life cycles, habitats, and molecular marker classes investigated. Incorporating knowledge of the spatial scales of gene flow into the design of marine protected area networks will help moderate anthropogenic increases in population isolation and inbreeding and contribute to the resilience of macroalgal forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halley M S Durrant
- School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 5, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
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Baker JD, Harting AL, Littnan CL. A two-stage translocation strategy for improving juvenile survival of Hawaiian monk seals. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2013. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Lopez J, Boyd D, Ylitalo GM, Littnan C, Pearce R. Persistent organic pollutants in the endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) from the main Hawaiian Islands. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2012; 64:2588-2598. [PMID: 22884537 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2012] [Revised: 07/06/2012] [Accepted: 07/06/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about levels or effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Hawaiian monk seals (HMS) from the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) subpopulation. This study examined concentrations of a large suite of POPs in blubber and serum of juvenile and adult HMS from the MHI. Adult females have the lowest blubber levels of most POPs, whereas adult males have highest levels. POPs in serum were significantly different in adult males compared with adult females for chlordanes and summed dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs). Lipid-normalized concentrations of chlordanes, DDTs, polychlorinated biphenyls, and mirex in paired blubber and serum samples were significantly correlated. Contaminant levels from the MHI were at similar or lower levels than those from remote Northwestern Hawaiian Island populations. Determining initial ranges of POPs is an important step towards assessing one of the many potential health threats to this critically endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Lopez
- Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawaii, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd. Suite 1000, Honolulu, HI 96814, USA.
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Gaither MR, Jones SA, Kelley C, Newman SJ, Sorenson L, Bowen BW. High connectivity in the deepwater snapper Pristipomoides filamentosus (Lutjanidae) across the Indo-Pacific with isolation of the Hawaiian archipelago. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28913. [PMID: 22216141 PMCID: PMC3245230 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 11/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the tropical Indo-Pacific, most phylogeographic studies have focused on the shallow-water taxa that inhabit reefs to approximately 30 m depth. Little is known about the large predatory fishes, primarily snappers (subfamily Etelinae) and groupers (subfamily Epinephelinae) that occur at 100-400 m. These long-lived, slow-growing species support fisheries across the Indo-Pacific, yet no comprehensive genetic surveys within this group have been conducted. Here we contribute the first range-wide survey of a deepwater Indo-Pacific snapper, Pristipomoides filamentosus, with special focus on Hawai'i. We applied mtDNA cytochrome b and 11 microsatellite loci to 26 samples (N=1,222) collected across 17,000 km from Hawai'i to the western Indian Ocean. Results indicate that P. filamentosus is a highly dispersive species with low but significant population structure (mtDNA Φ(ST)=0.029, microsatellite F(ST)=0.029) due entirely to the isolation of Hawai'i. No population structure was detected across 14,000 km of the Indo-Pacific from Tonga in the Central Pacific to the Seychelles in the western Indian Ocean, a pattern rarely observed in reef species. Despite a long pelagic phase (60-180 days), interisland dispersal as adults, and extensive gene flow across the Indo-Pacific, P. filamentosus is unable to maintain population connectivity with Hawai'i. Coalescent analyses indicate that P. filamentosus may have colonized Hawai'i 26 K-52 K y ago against prevailing currents, with dispersal away from Hawai'i dominating migration estimates. P. filamentosus harbors low genetic diversity in Hawai'i, a common pattern in marine fishes, and our data indicate a single archipelago-wide stock. However, like the Hawaiian Grouper, Hyporthodus quernus, this snapper had several significant pairwise comparisons (F(ST)) clustered around the middle of the archipelago (St. Rogatien, Brooks Banks, Gardner) indicating that this region may be isolated or (more likely) receives input from Johnston Atoll to the south.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle R Gaither
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kane'ohe, Hawai'i, USA.
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