1
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Chaput R, Quigley CN, Weppe SB, Jeffs AG, de Souza JMAC, Gardner JPA. Identifying the source populations supplying a vital economic marine species for the New Zealand aquaculture industry. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9344. [PMID: 37291180 PMCID: PMC10250383 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36224-y] [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: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquaculture of New Zealand's endemic green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) is an industry valued at NZ$ 336 M per annum and is ~ 80% reliant on the natural supply of wild mussel spat harvested at a single location-Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē-Ninety Mile Beach (NMB)-in northern New Zealand. Despite the economic and ecological importance of this spat supply, little is known about the population connectivity of green-lipped mussels in this region or the location of the source population(s). In this study, we used a biophysical model to simulate the two-stage dispersal process of P. canaliculus. A combination of backward and forward tracking experiments was used to identify primary settlement areas and putative source populations. The model was then used to estimate the local connectivity, revealing two geographic regions of connectivity in northern New Zealand, with limited larval exchange between them. Although secondary dispersal can double the dispersal distance, our simulations show that spat collected at NMB originate from neighbouring mussel beds, with large contributions from beds located at Ahipara (southern end of NMB). These results provide information that may be used to help monitor and protect these important source populations to ensure the ongoing success of the New Zealand mussel aquaculture industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Chaput
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
- Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand.
| | - Calvin N Quigley
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Simon B Weppe
- MetOcean Solutions, Division of Meteorological Service of New Zealand, Raglan, New Zealand
| | - Andrew G Jeffs
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - João M A C de Souza
- MetOcean Solutions, Division of Meteorological Service of New Zealand, Raglan, New Zealand
| | - Jonathan P A Gardner
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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2
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Cryptic Marine Diversity in the Northern Arabian Gulf: An Integrative Approach Uncovers a New Species of Oyster (Bivalvia: Ostreidae), Ostrea oleomargarita. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1155/2022/7058975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Animal biodiversity is greatly underestimated in nontemperate marine regions, especially for intertidal benthic organisms such as oysters. Recent surveys in the northern Arabian Gulf suggest the presence of numerous unidentified species, some of which form shallow reef ecosystems while others are cryptic and found under rocks. In this study, we focused on small oysters from Kuwait, which show typical characteristics in common with the genus Ostrea except for the presence of lophine chomata that would link it to the genera Lopha, Dendostrea, and Alectryonella. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers unambiguously placed the Kuwait oyster within the Ostreinae as a sister to the Japanese species Ostrea futamiensis. The hypothesis that the Kuwait oyster represents a new species was assessed with phylogenetic and species delimitation methods combined with a morphological assessment. Results corroborated the Kuwait oysters as a new species herein described as Ostrea oleomargarita Oliver, Salvi, and Al-Kandari, sp. nov. The phylogeny of the Ostreinae shows extensive disagreement between morphology-based genera and phylogenetic clades. The genus Ostrea is polyphyletic, and the form and distribution of taxonomic characters such as chomata are not as definitive as suggested in previous studies. This study, along with other recent investigations, confirmed the Arabian Gulf as a key region for discovering marine animal diversity and suggested a possible biogeographic divide between the Eastern and Western Indo-Pacific. A pattern that has been documented in a growing number of taxa and that warrants further research attention.
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3
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O’Hare JA, Momigliano P, Raftos DA, Stow AJ. Genetic structure and effective population size of Sydney rock oysters in eastern Australia. CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01343-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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4
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Drouet K, Jauzein C, Herviot-Heath D, Hariri S, Laza-Martinez A, Lecadet C, Plus M, Seoane S, Sourisseau M, Lemée R, Siano R. Current distribution and potential expansion of the harmful benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. siamensis towards the warming waters of the Bay of Biscay, North-East Atlantic. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:4956-4979. [PMID: 33497010 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In a future scenario of increasing temperatures in North-Atlantic waters, the risk associated with the expansion of the harmful, benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. siamensis has to be evaluated and monitored. Microscopy observations and spatio-temporal surveys of environmental DNA (eDNA) were associated with Lagrangian particle dispersal simulations to: (i) establish the current colonization of the species in the Bay of Biscay, (ii) assess the spatial connectivity among sampling zones that explain this distribution, and (iii) identify the sentinel zones to monitor future expansion. Throughout a sampling campaign carried out in August to September 2018, microscope analysis showed that the species develops in the south-east of the bay where optimal temperatures foster blooms. Quantitative PCR analyses revealed its presence across almost the whole bay to the western English Channel. An eDNA time-series collected on plastic samplers showed that the species occurs in the bay from April to September. Due to the water circulation, colonization of the whole bay from the southern blooming zones is explained by inter-site connectivity. Key areas in the middle of the bay permit continuous dispersal connectivity towards the north. These key areas are proposed as sentinel zones to monitor O. cf. siamensis invasions towards the presumably warming water of the North-East Atlantic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kévin Drouet
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche (UMR 7093), Villefranche-sur-mer, 06230, France.,Ifremer, DYNECO, Plouzané, F-29280, France
| | | | | | | | - Aitor Laza-Martinez
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, 48940, Spain.,Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology (Plentzia Marine Station, PiE- UPV/EHU), Plentzia, 48620, Spain
| | | | | | - Sergio Seoane
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, 48940, Spain.,Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology (Plentzia Marine Station, PiE- UPV/EHU), Plentzia, 48620, Spain
| | | | - Rodolphe Lemée
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche (UMR 7093), Villefranche-sur-mer, 06230, France
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5
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Coleman MA, Minne AJP, Vranken S, Wernberg T. Genetic tropicalisation following a marine heatwave. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12726. [PMID: 32728196 PMCID: PMC7391769 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69665-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme events are increasing globally with devastating ecological consequences, but the impacts on underlying genetic diversity and structure are often cryptic and poorly understood, hindering assessment of adaptive capacity and ecosystem vulnerability to future change. Using very rare "before" data we empirically demonstrate that an extreme marine heatwave caused a significant poleward shift in genetic clusters of kelp forests whereby alleles characteristic of cool water were replaced by those that predominated in warm water across 200 km of coastline. This "genetic tropicalisation" was facilitated by significant mortality of kelp and other co-occurring seaweeds within the footprint of the heatwave that opened space for rapid local proliferation of surviving kelp genotypes or dispersal and recruitment of spores from warmer waters. Genetic diversity declined and inbreeding increased in the newly tropicalised site, but these metrics were relative stable elsewhere within the footprint of the heatwave. Thus, extreme events such as marine heatwaves not only lead to significant mortality and population loss but can also drive significant genetic change in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda A Coleman
- New South Wales Fisheries, National Marine Science Centre, 2 Bay Drive, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia.
- Southern Cross University, National Marine Science Centre, 2 Bay Drive, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia.
- Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Antoine J P Minne
- Southern Cross University, National Marine Science Centre, 2 Bay Drive, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia
- Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Sofie Vranken
- Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Thomas Wernberg
- Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
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6
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Sandoval‐Castillo J, Robinson NA, Hart AM, Strain LWS, Beheregaray LB. Seascape genomics reveals adaptive divergence in a connected and commercially important mollusc, the greenlip abalone (
Haliotis laevigata
), along a longitudinal environmental gradient. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:1603-1620. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Sandoval‐Castillo
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory College of Science and Engineering Flinders University Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Nick A. Robinson
- Nofima Ås Norway
- Sustainable Aquaculture Laboratory School of BioSciences University of Melbourne Parkville Vic Australia
| | - Anthony M. Hart
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories Department of Fisheries Western Australia Hillarys WA Australia
| | - Lachlan W. S. Strain
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories Department of Fisheries Western Australia Hillarys WA Australia
| | - Luciano B. Beheregaray
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory College of Science and Engineering Flinders University Adelaide SA Australia
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7
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Wernberg T, Coleman MA, Bennett S, Thomsen MS, Tuya F, Kelaher BP. Genetic diversity and kelp forest vulnerability to climatic stress. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1851. [PMID: 29382916 PMCID: PMC5790012 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20009-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic diversity confers adaptive capacity to populations under changing conditions but its role in mediating impacts of climate change remains unresolved for most ecosystems. This lack of knowledge is particularly acute for foundation species, where impacts may cascade throughout entire ecosystems. We combined population genetics with eco-physiological and ecological field experiments to explore relationships among latitudinal patterns in genetic diversity, physiology and resilience of a kelp ecosystem to climate stress. A subsequent 'natural experiment' illustrated the possible influence of latitudinal patterns of genetic diversity on ecosystem vulnerability to an extreme climatic perturbation (marine heatwave). There were strong relationships between physiological versatility, ecological resilience and genetic diversity of kelp forests across latitudes, and genetic diversity consistently outperformed other explanatory variables in contributing to the response of kelp forests to the marine heatwave. Population performance and vulnerability to a severe climatic event were thus strongly related to latitudinal patterns in genetic diversity, with the heatwave extirpating forests with low genetic diversity. Where foundation species control ecological structure and function, impacts of climatic stress can cascade through the ecosystem and, consequently, genetic diversity could contribute to ecosystem vulnerability to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wernberg
- UWA Oceans Institute (M470) and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009 WA, Australia.
| | - Melinda A Coleman
- Department of Primary Industries, NSW Fisheries, PO Box 4321, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia
- National Marine Science Centre & Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, PO Box 4321, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia
| | - Scott Bennett
- UWA Oceans Institute (M470) and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009 WA, Australia
- Department of Global Change Research, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (Universitat de les Illes Balears-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Esporles, Spain
| | - Mads S Thomsen
- UWA Oceans Institute (M470) and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009 WA, Australia
- Marine Ecology Research Group and Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Fernando Tuya
- IU-ECOAQUA, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Brendan P Kelaher
- National Marine Science Centre & Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, PO Box 4321, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia
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8
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Coleman MA, Cetina-Heredia P, Roughan M, Feng M, van Sebille E, Kelaher BP. Anticipating changes to future connectivity within a network of marine protected areas. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3533-3542. [PMID: 28122402 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Continental boundary currents are projected to be altered under future scenarios of climate change. As these currents often influence dispersal and connectivity among populations of many marine organisms, changes to boundary currents may have dramatic implications for population persistence. Networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) often aim to maintain connectivity, but anticipation of the scale and extent of climatic impacts on connectivity are required to achieve this critical conservation goal in a future of climate change. For two key marine species (kelp and sea urchins), we use oceanographic modelling to predict how continental boundary currents are likely to change connectivity among a network of MPAs spanning over 1000 km of coastline off the coast of eastern Australia. Overall change in predicted connectivity among pairs of MPAs within the network did not change significantly over and above temporal variation within climatic scenarios, highlighting the need for future studies to incorporate temporal variation in dispersal to robustly anticipate likely change. However, the intricacies of connectivity between different pairs of MPAs were noteworthy. For kelp, poleward connectivity among pairs of MPAs tended to increase in the future, whereas equatorward connectivity tended to decrease. In contrast, for sea urchins, connectivity among pairs of MPAs generally decreased in both directions. Self-seeding within higher-latitude MPAs tended to increase, and the role of low-latitude MPAs as a sink for urchins changed significantly in contrasting ways. These projected changes have the potential to alter important genetic parameters with implications for adaptation and ecosystem vulnerability to climate change. Considering such changes, in the context of managing and designing MPA networks, may ensure that conservation goals are achieved into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda A Coleman
- Department of Primary Industries, New South Wales Fisheries, PO Box 4321, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia
- National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University, 2 Bay Drive, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia
| | - Paulina Cetina-Heredia
- Regional and Coastal Oceanography Laboratory, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Climate Change Research Centre and ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Moninya Roughan
- Regional and Coastal Oceanography Laboratory, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia
| | - Ming Feng
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Erik van Sebille
- Climate Change Research Centre and ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Grantham Institute & Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, SW7 2AZ London, UK
| | - Brendan P Kelaher
- National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University, 2 Bay Drive, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia
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9
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van Gennip SJ, Popova EE, Yool A, Pecl GT, Hobday AJ, Sorte CJB. Going with the flow: the role of ocean circulation in global marine ecosystems under a changing climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:2602-2617. [PMID: 27935174 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Ocean warming, acidification, deoxygenation and reduced productivity are widely considered to be the major stressors to ocean ecosystems induced by emissions of CO2 . However, an overlooked stressor is the change in ocean circulation in response to climate change. Strong changes in the intensity and position of the western boundary currents have already been observed, and the consequences of such changes for ecosystems are beginning to emerge. In this study, we address climatically induced changes in ocean circulation on a global scale but relevant to propagule dispersal for species inhabiting global shelf ecosystems, using a high-resolution global ocean model run under the IPCC RCP 8.5 scenario. The ¼ degree model resolution allows improved regional realism of the ocean circulation beyond that of available CMIP5-class models. We use a Lagrangian approach forced by modelled ocean circulation to simulate the circulation pathways that disperse planktonic life stages. Based on trajectory backtracking, we identify present-day coastal retention, dominant flow and dispersal range for coastal regions at the global scale. Projecting into the future, we identify areas of the strongest projected circulation change and present regional examples with the most significant modifications in their dominant pathways. Climatically induced changes in ocean circulation should be considered as an additional stressor of marine ecosystems in a similar way to ocean warming or acidification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J van Gennip
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Ekaterina E Popova
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Andrew Yool
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Gretta T Pecl
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, PO Box 49, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
| | | | - Cascade J B Sorte
- University of California, Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697-2525, USA
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10
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Teske PR, Sandoval-Castillo J, van Sebille E, Waters J, Beheregaray LB. Oceanography promotes self-recruitment in a planktonic larval disperser. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34205. [PMID: 27687507 PMCID: PMC5043232 DOI: 10.1038/srep34205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The application of high-resolution genetic data has revealed that oceanographic connectivity in marine species with planktonic larvae can be surprisingly limited, even in the absence of major barriers to dispersal. Australia's southern coast represents a particularly interesting system for studying planktonic larval dispersal, as the hydrodynamic regime of the wide continental shelf has potential to facilitate onshore retention of larvae. We used a seascape genetics approach (the joint analysis of genetic data and oceanographic connectivity simulations) to assess population genetic structure and self-recruitment in a broadcast-spawning marine gastropod that exists as a single meta-population throughout its temperate Australian range. Levels of self-recruitment were surprisingly high, and oceanographic connectivity simulations indicated that this was a result of low-velocity nearshore currents promoting the retention of planktonic larvae in the vicinity of natal sites. Even though the model applied here is comparatively simple and assumes that the dispersal of planktonic larvae is passive, we find that oceanography alone is sufficient to explain the high levels of genetic structure and self-recruitment. Our study contributes to growing evidence that sophisticated larval behaviour is not a prerequisite for larval retention in the nearshore region in planktonic-developing species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R. Teske
- Molecular Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
- Molecular Zoology Lab, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
| | - Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo
- Molecular Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Erik van Sebille
- Grantham Institute & Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jonathan Waters
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Luciano B. Beheregaray
- Molecular Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
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11
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Canales-Aguirre CB, Ferrada-Fuentes S, Galleguillos R, Hernández CE. Genetic Structure in a Small Pelagic Fish Coincides with a Marine Protected Area: Seascape Genetics in Patagonian Fjords. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160670. [PMID: 27505009 PMCID: PMC4978504 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine environmental variables can play an important role in promoting population genetic differentiation in marine organisms. Although fjord ecosystems have attracted much attention due to the great oscillation of environmental variables that produce heterogeneous habitats, species inhabiting this kind of ecosystem have received less attention. In this study, we used Sprattus fuegensis, a small pelagic species that populates the inner waters of the continental shelf, channels and fjords of Chilean Patagonia and Argentina, as a model species to test whether environmental variables of fjords relate to population genetic structure. A total of 282 individuals were analyzed from Chilean Patagonia with eight microsatellite loci. Bayesian and non-Bayesian analyses were conducted to describe the genetic variability of S. fuegensis and whether it shows spatial genetic structure. Results showed two well-differentiated genetic clusters along the Chilean Patagonia distribution (i.e. inside the embayment area called TicToc, and the rest of the fjords), but no spatial isolation by distance (IBD) pattern was found with a Mantel test analysis. Temperature and nitrate were correlated to the expected heterozygosities and explained the allelic frequency variation of data in the redundancy analyses. These results suggest that the singular genetic differences found in S. fuegensis from inside TicToc Bay (East of the Corcovado Gulf) are the result of larvae retention bya combination of oceanographic mesoscale processes (i.e. the west wind drift current reaches the continental shelf exactly in this zone), and the local geographical configuration (i.e. embayment area, islands, archipelagos). We propose that these features generated an isolated area in the Patagonian fjords that promoted genetic differentiation by drift and a singular biodiversity, adding support to the existence of the largest marine protected area (MPA) of continental Chile, which is the Tic-Toc MPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian B. Canales-Aguirre
- Laboratorio de Genética y Acuicultura, Departamento de Oceanografía, Facultad de CienciasNaturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Chile
- Laboratorio de EcologíaEvolutiva y Filoinformática, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de CienciasNaturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Chile
- Centro i~mar, Universidad de Los Lagos, Camino a Chinquihue 6 km, Puerto Montt, Chile
- * E-mail:
| | - Sandra Ferrada-Fuentes
- Laboratorio de Genética y Acuicultura, Departamento de Oceanografía, Facultad de CienciasNaturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Chile
- Laboratorio de EcologíaEvolutiva y Filoinformática, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de CienciasNaturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Chile
| | - Ricardo Galleguillos
- Laboratorio de Genética y Acuicultura, Departamento de Oceanografía, Facultad de CienciasNaturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Chile
| | - Cristián E. Hernández
- Centro i~mar, Universidad de Los Lagos, Camino a Chinquihue 6 km, Puerto Montt, Chile
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