24.12.2012 Views

11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

14-25<br />

Population Structure And Connectivity Of The Neon Damselfish (Pomacentrus<br />

Coelestis) in The West Pacific Ocean<br />

ShangYin LIU* 1 , ChangFeng DAI 1<br />

1 Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan <strong>University</strong>, Taipei, Taiwan<br />

The degree to which local populations are demographically connected by dispersal is<br />

important for the design of marine reserves and resource management. We studied the<br />

genetic connectivity of Pomacentrus coelestis populations in the West Pacific using<br />

partial mitochondrial control region and microsatellite loci. Based on the molecular data<br />

of 142 specimens collected from 7 populations ranging from Okinawa to eastern<br />

Australia, high haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity were detected in all<br />

populations. This suggests that P. coelestis populations may have experienced rapid<br />

expansion after a bottleneck event. The results of neutrality tests, shallow coalescence of<br />

mtDNA genealogies, and the mismatch distribution of pairwise differences also indicated<br />

that populations of P. coelestis have possibly suffered severe declines in the past. The<br />

dating based on the coalescent approach suggested that population expansions possibly<br />

occurred approximately 27,000 years ago. The results of AMOVA and Φst pairwise<br />

comparisons showed that populations were divided into 3 groups, i.e., the north-west<br />

Taiwan (Penghu and northern Taiwan), the South China Sea (Hainan, southern Taiwan<br />

and Okinawa), and the Australian groups. On a smaller spatial scale, a genetic break was<br />

defined between the north-west Taiwan group and the southern Taiwan population. We<br />

then assigned recruits from the same locality and adjacent localities based on the<br />

genotypes revealed by 7 microsatellite loci. The results of assignments indicated that the<br />

recruits in southern Taiwan were mainly from the South China Sea (approximately 50%)<br />

and the recruits in Penghu and northern Taiwan were mixed among their natal grounds.<br />

This study highlights the influence of present current patterns and historical events on the<br />

connectivity of P. coelestis populations. Furthermore, this pattern of population<br />

connectivity provides implications for the conservation and management of reef fishes<br />

around Taiwan.<br />

14-26<br />

Spatial And Temporal Instability in The Genetic Structure Of Adult And Juvenile<br />

Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes Partitus) Within The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef<br />

System<br />

J. Derek HOGAN* 1 , Roger J. THIESSEN 1 , Daniel D. HEATH 1<br />

1 Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, <strong>University</strong> of Windsor, Windsor, ON,<br />

Canada<br />

Population connectivity is an important but poorly understood factor relevant to the<br />

ecology, evolution and conservation of marine species. Directly estimating dispersal and<br />

connectivity among populations is logistically difficult, but much can be inferred by<br />

comparing the population genetic structure of the young, dispersive life stage with that of<br />

the more sedentary adults through time. Here we examine the population genetic<br />

structure of adult and recently settled juvenile bicolor damselfish, Stegastes partitus,<br />

sampled at seven sites along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS) over a two<br />

year period. Using genotype data at 12 microsatellite loci, we tested for genetic<br />

population differentiation among life stages and sites. Our results show spatial<br />

heterogeneity in adult and juvenile population structure; however, no evidence for an<br />

isolation by distance model of divergence was found. We show that allele frequency<br />

distributions change through time and between age classes in an unpredictable manner.<br />

Since juvenile and adult samples exhibit similar levels of genetic divergence we propose<br />

that the temporal instability we observed is due to pre-settlement effects. Our results<br />

suggest that the relative contributions of upstream sources likely changes through time as<br />

a result of stochastic processes such as oceanographic flow and meteorological events.<br />

We attempt genetic assignment of recently settled juvenile fishes to directly estimate<br />

ecological dispersal in an attempt to verify that cohorts are arriving from variable source<br />

populations.<br />

Oral Mini-Symposium 14: Reef Connectivity<br />

14-27<br />

Connectivity And Climate Change: Impacts On A Reef Building Coral in The Eastern<br />

Pacific<br />

Nicholas POLATO* 1 , Iliana BAUMS 1<br />

1 Biology, Penn State <strong>University</strong>, <strong>University</strong> Park, PA<br />

Connectivity is a primary factor determining community structure, species cohesion, and<br />

population persistence. Weather phenomena which alter wind and current patterns will<br />

significantly impact patterns of reef connectivity. Long-distance dispersal to the east from the<br />

coral rich central Pacific may be favored during El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events<br />

due to reversal of surface currents, providing larvae to areas denuded by recurring high Sea<br />

Surface Temperatures (SSTs) caused by ENSO, and supplementing coral populations in<br />

marginal habitats in the Eastern Pacific. In an effort to understand patterns of connectivity<br />

influencing the origin, evolution, and regeneration of coral populations in the eastern Pacific,<br />

microsatellite loci were generated for Porites lobata, a massive reef building species found<br />

throughout the Pacific Ocean. Sequences from a coral genomic DNA library and publicly<br />

available shotgun reads were used to develop microsatellite markers that amplify reliably in<br />

widely separate populations. Genotype data were generated for individuals collected from<br />

geographically distant populations throughout the eastern and central Pacific using multiplexed<br />

PCR reactions. Results of STRUCTURE and Fst analysis were consistent with expectations that<br />

populations on opposite sides of the Eastern Pacific Barrier are significantly differentiated.<br />

Ongoing work will apply the genotyping markers to additional populations. Nuclear sequence<br />

markers will be used in conjunction with microsatellite data to estimate the timing and extent of<br />

long distance dispersal events from central to eastern Pacific populations, and patterns of<br />

connectivity will be combined with oceanographic current models to identify primary corridors<br />

for genetic connectivity. Whether recruits to eastern Pacific populations are produced locally or<br />

regionally will affect the rate of colonization following disturbance and the ability of<br />

populations to adapt to local conditions, with important implications for the design of reserves<br />

intended to protect these habitats.<br />

14-28<br />

Small Scale Genetic Connectivity Of Bicolor Damselfish (stegastes Partitus) in Marine<br />

Protected Areas Of The Mexican Caribbean<br />

Carmen A. VILLEGAS SÁNCHEZ* 1 , Jesús E. ARIAS GONZÁLEZ 2 , Renata RIVERA<br />

MADRID 3<br />

1 Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados-Unidad<br />

Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, 2 Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y<br />

Estudios Avanzados-Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Mexico, 3 Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología<br />

Molecular de Plantas, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Mérida, Mexico<br />

Connectivity has been defined as the demographic connection maintained between neighboring<br />

populations of a species due to the migration of individuals between them. An analysis was<br />

done of variation in nine microsatellite loci to assess genetic structure in 13 bicolor damselfish<br />

(Stegastes partitus) populations (N = 718) from three marine protected areas and one<br />

unprotected area in the Mexican Caribbean, and infer its conservation implications. A<br />

combination of Nei distances (D) and FST showed significant genetic differentiation between<br />

populations, and this pattern was clearly not associated with geographic distance. Significant<br />

departure from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium was observed in the majority of the loci: i.e. 96 of<br />

the 117 tests, suggesting inbreeding is occurring. Small-scale population structure is probably<br />

being influenced by independent population dynamics, low dispersion levels, biological<br />

characteristics specific to this species and reefscape characteristics. Correspondence Factorial<br />

Analysis (CFA) indicated differentiation between groups. The two sites with the highest genetic<br />

distance values (range: 0.006-0.414 ) in the pairwise test were those with the most complex<br />

reefscapes. Our results suggest that local damselfish populations differ at a relatively small<br />

scale, and therefore coral reef management for this species, and other species with similar<br />

biological characteristics, requires local conservation strategies.<br />

116

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!