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11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

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Oral Mini-Symposium 26: Biodiversity and Diversification of Reef Organisms<br />

26-42<br />

Microsatellite Markers Reveal Extremely Low in-Situ Hybridization Between<br />

Sympatric Ecomorphs Of The Coral favia Fragum<br />

David CARLON* 1 , Catherine LIPPE 2<br />

1 Zoology, <strong>University</strong> of Hawaii, Honlulu, HI, 2 Zoology, <strong>University</strong> of Hawaii, Honolulu,<br />

HI<br />

The origin of biological species rests on the tension between the diversifying effects of<br />

reproductive isolation and the homogenizing effects of gene flow. Previous molecular<br />

work has shown evidence for significant genetic structure between two sympatric<br />

ecomorphs of the coral Favia fragum in Panama, but it is unclear if structure results<br />

from pre-zygotic or post-zygotic isolation. To address this question, we estimated three<br />

components of the mating system for individuals of both ecomorphs living sympatrically<br />

in a potential hybrid zone. Adults brood larvae, and genetic information on the identity<br />

of parents is stored in larvae that were easily sampled from laboratory cultures. We<br />

genotyped parents and broods at 15 new microsatellite markers to determine the fraction<br />

of fertilization caused by: i. self fertilization (s), ii. outcrossing within ecomorphs (tw),<br />

and iii. hyrbidization between ecomorphs (th). We could directly observe outcrossing<br />

events (tw + th) with abundant statistical power by the presence of a non-maternal allele.<br />

Outcrossing ranged from 0 – 5%, and since s = 1 – (tw + th), the selfing rate ranged<br />

between 95 and 100%. We confirmed that selfing, not ameiotic reproduction, explained<br />

similarity between adult and larval genotypes by examining segregation ratios within<br />

broods of heterozygous parents. All broods fit the expected segregation ratio under<br />

selfing. Lastly, we estimated the hybridization rate (th) by using a multilocus assignment<br />

model (INSTRUCT) to determine the fraction of outcrossing events that shared genomes<br />

from both ecomorphs. All outcrossed larvae could be assigned to the parental ecomorph<br />

population with high Q values, so that th= 0 for all broods. We conclude that genetic<br />

differences between ecomorphs are maintained by pre-zygotic isolation, and that high<br />

selfing rates and limited larval dispersal can play a large role in the generation of<br />

population structure, and the initiation of speciation, in corals with brooding life histories.<br />

26-43<br />

Coral Biodiversity Is Not As It Appears: Cryptic Species, And Morphospecies<br />

Flocks in porites<br />

Zac FORSMAN* 1,2 , Daniel BARSHIS 1 , Cynthia HUNTER 1<br />

1 <strong>University</strong> of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Pacific Islands<br />

Office, Honolulu<br />

The nature of coral biodiversity is obscured by confusing patterns of morphological<br />

variation. One of the most extreme examples of the coral ‘species problem’ is the genus<br />

Porites. In this study, we examined genetic relationships in Porites using two<br />

mitochondrial markers and the nuclear ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS)<br />

region. The ITS region was congruent with the mitochondrial markers while providing<br />

higher levels of polymorphism. The nuclear and mitochondrial data sets revealed that<br />

colony-level morphology does not always correspond to genetic differences. The three<br />

most derived clades contained both branching and mounding morphospecies that were<br />

indistinguishable by genetic markers. P.astreoides, P.rus, and P.lichen contain<br />

significant ITS sub-clades, while “P.lutea” was found to consist of three cryptic and<br />

polyphyletic groups. Corallite-level morphology was generally concordant with the<br />

genetic clades. Synarea does not warrant designation as a subgenus; it was most closely<br />

related to P.evermanni, indicating that corallite-level appearance can evolve rapidly.<br />

The derived clades warrant further investigation for hybridization, insipient speciation,<br />

polymorphism, or phenotypic plasticity. This study demonstrates that appearances can be<br />

deceiving in this ecologically important group of reef-building coral.<br />

26-44<br />

One for the Lumpers? Morphological Variants of Caribbean Porites (Scleractinia:<br />

Poritidae) Demonstrate Low Genetic Variation<br />

Sandra ROMANO* 1 , Matthew LUCAS 2 , Tryphena CUFFY 1 , Semoya PHILLIPS 1<br />

1 Division of Science and Mathematics, <strong>University</strong> of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, Virgin<br />

Islands (U.S.), 2 Dept. of Biology, Southeast Missouri State <strong>University</strong>, Cape Girardeau, MO<br />

Resolution of species boundaries in scleractinian corals is problematic, even using a<br />

combination of characters. Yet the ability to recognize species and understand relationships<br />

among closely related species is essential for coral reef ecology and conservation. The genus<br />

Porites is one of only eight cosmopolitan scleractinian genera and is an important component of<br />

coral reefs worldwide. In the Caribbean six different species occur sympatrically but studies<br />

based on morphological and molecular characters have not clearly resolved relationships within<br />

the genus and the taxonomic status of some species is unclear. We are analyzing ten samples of<br />

each of the six morphological variants of Porites that occur sympatrically in the USVI.<br />

Phylogenetic analyses of approximately 1100 bp of DNA sequences from three mitochondrial<br />

gene regions (the putative control region and two mitochondrial introns) and one nuclear gene<br />

region (the ribosomal internal transcribed spacers) do not support hypotheses suggested by<br />

other research. Massive and branching species form two distinct clades approximately 3%<br />

different from each other. There are few sequence differences between the two color morphs of<br />

the massive species P. astreoides: they form a monophyletic clade. There are also few sequence<br />

differences between the three branching species P. divaricata, P. furcata, and P. porites. P.<br />

branneri (encrusting with a distinct bluish color) is genetically distinct from P. astreoides. The<br />

relationship of P. branneri to the other species remains unresolved. Continuing analyses are<br />

being used to more clearly resolve relationships among these taxa and determine whether lack<br />

of genetic variability is due to invariant markers or to recent divergence of closely related<br />

species.<br />

26-45<br />

Evidence Of Incomplete Lineage Sorting in Caribbean porites (Scleractinia, Poritidae)<br />

Based On Novel Single-Copy Nuclear Molecular Markers<br />

Joel STAKE* 1 , Joe NEIGEL 2<br />

1 Division of Science and Math, <strong>University</strong> of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands<br />

(U.S.), 2 Biology, <strong>University</strong> of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA<br />

Molecular data have demonstrated the need for taxonomic reevaluation at all levels in the order<br />

Scleractinia. However, molecular markers capable of reliably revealing species-level<br />

relationships still remain elusive. Understanding the relationships between closely related<br />

species is imperative for coral reef conservation and management. The scleractinian coral genus<br />

Porites has a cosmopolitan distribution and is an important reef-builder worldwide. Species<br />

identification in the genus has been problematic making it an ideal system for molecular<br />

phylogenetic study. We developed novel single-copy nuclear DNA markers (scnDNA) from a<br />

partial genomic library of Porites compressa. These markers were analyzed in concatenation for<br />

P. compressa and all 6 species of Porites with distributions in the western Atlantic and<br />

Caribbean. Maximum Likelihood analysis and Bayesian Analysis were performed on ~1400 bp<br />

total. The phylogenetic analyses were able to differentiate most of the recognized species of<br />

Porites. Porites astreoides was shown to be more closely related to P. compressa than to<br />

congeners from the Caribbean while P. colonensis and P. branneri formed separate<br />

monophyletic clades. The three ramose species (P. porites, P. furcata, P. divaricata) did not<br />

form individual monophyletic clades but were instead found clustered tightly together. The lack<br />

of any significant sequence divergence between these species indicates that, at present, they<br />

may not represent distinct evolutionary lineages. Incomplete lineage sorting is the most<br />

plausible explanation for the pattern observed in our data and is supported by the relatively<br />

young fossil record of these three taxa. Our results do not support previous data that have found<br />

these branching morphologies to be separate species. Additionally, our data demonstrate that<br />

anonymous sequence markers should be a valuable tool for phylogenetic studies of scleractinian<br />

corals.<br />

252

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