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Biophysical connectivity explains population genetic structure in a highly dispersive marine species

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Abstract

Connectivity, the exchange of individuals among locations, is a fundamental ecological process that explains how otherwise disparate populations interact. For most marine organisms, dispersal occurs primarily during a pelagic larval phase that connects populations. We paired population structure from comprehensive genetic sampling and biophysical larval transport modeling to describe how spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) population differentiation is related to biological oceanography. A total of 581 lobsters were genotyped with 11 microsatellites from ten locations around the greater Caribbean. The overall F ST of 0.0016 (P = 0.005) suggested low yet significant levels of structuring among sites. An isolation by geographic distance model did not explain spatial patterns of genetic differentiation in P. argus (P = 0.19; Mantel r = 0.18), whereas a biophysical connectivity model provided a significant explanation of population differentiation (P = 0.04; Mantel r = 0.47). Thus, even for a widely dispersing species, dispersal occurs over a continuum where basin-wide larval retention creates genetic structure. Our study provides a framework for future explorations of wide-scale larval dispersal and marine connectivity by integrating empirical genetic research and probabilistic modeling.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by National Science Foundation grants to M. Butler (OCE-0928930), D. Behringer (OCE-0723662), and C.B. Paris (OCE-0928423). The Summit Foundation provided funding for S. J. Box. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation supported N. K. Truelove through award number 0313.14.042905. We thank James Azueta and Isaias Majil at the Belize Fisheries Department for helping to collect samples in Belize. This is manuscript contribution number 1044 from the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Florida.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, 34949, USA

    Nathan K. Truelove & Stephen J. Box

  2. Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA

    Andrew S. Kough & Claire B. Paris

  3. Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA

    Andrew S. Kough

  4. School of Forest Resources and Conservation – Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA

    Donald C. Behringer

  5. Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA

    Donald C. Behringer

  6. Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK

    Richard F. Preziosi

  7. Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA

    Mark J. Butler IV

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  1. Nathan K. Truelove
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  2. Andrew S. Kough
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  4. Claire B. Paris
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  5. Stephen J. Box
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  7. Mark J. Butler IV
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Correspondence to Nathan K. Truelove.

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Truelove, N.K., Kough, A.S., Behringer, D.C. et al. Biophysical connectivity explains population genetic structure in a highly dispersive marine species. Coral Reefs 36, 233–244 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-016-1516-y

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