High levels of genetic diversity and connectivity are crucial for the persistence of local populations, especially at the edge of species' distributionranges. Here, we assessed the potential and realized connectivity of populations of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica at itseasternmost distribution using physical modelling and genetic analyses. Genetic assessments of diversity and gene flow among populationswere carried out with 18 microsatellite loci, while oceanographic connectivity was assessed via Lagrangian dispersal simulations. Levels ofgenetic and clonal diversities were prevalent among shallow and deep sites without signs of reproductive isolation. Both approaches identifiedtwo main clusters corresponding to "Aegean" populations along the western Turkey coast and "Levantine" populations along the southernTurkey coast. Aegean populations were genetically homogeneous, connected by high levels of gene flow, whereas Levantine populations weregenetically heterogeneous. Within-sea patterns of genetic connectivity did not fully overlap with those derived from physical modelling; therealized connectivity was greater than that predicted by ocean-current simulations, especially in the Aegean Sea. Lagrangian dispersion dynamicscannot necessarily explain genetic connectivity patterns among populations, which are shaped over longer temporal scales and can be affectedby human activities and local environmental conditions.
High levels of genetic diversity and population structure in the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica at its easternmost distribution limit
Guglielmo Lacorata;
2022
Abstract
High levels of genetic diversity and connectivity are crucial for the persistence of local populations, especially at the edge of species' distributionranges. Here, we assessed the potential and realized connectivity of populations of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica at itseasternmost distribution using physical modelling and genetic analyses. Genetic assessments of diversity and gene flow among populationswere carried out with 18 microsatellite loci, while oceanographic connectivity was assessed via Lagrangian dispersal simulations. Levels ofgenetic and clonal diversities were prevalent among shallow and deep sites without signs of reproductive isolation. Both approaches identifiedtwo main clusters corresponding to "Aegean" populations along the western Turkey coast and "Levantine" populations along the southernTurkey coast. Aegean populations were genetically homogeneous, connected by high levels of gene flow, whereas Levantine populations weregenetically heterogeneous. Within-sea patterns of genetic connectivity did not fully overlap with those derived from physical modelling; therealized connectivity was greater than that predicted by ocean-current simulations, especially in the Aegean Sea. Lagrangian dispersion dynamicscannot necessarily explain genetic connectivity patterns among populations, which are shaped over longer temporal scales and can be affectedby human activities and local environmental conditions.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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