Seascape genetics: a coupled oceanographic-genetic model predicts population structure of Caribbean corals.
Population genetics is a powerful tool for measuring important larval connections between marine populations [1-4]. Similarly, oceanographic models based on environmental data can simulate particle movements in ocean currents and make quantitative estimates of larval connections between populations possible [5-9]. However, these two powerful approaches have remained disconnected because no general models currently provide a means of directly comparing dispersal predictions with empirical genetic data (except, see [10]). In addition, previous genetic models have considered relatively simple dispersal scenarios that are often unrealistic for marine larvae [11-15], and recent landscape genetic models have yet to be applied in a marine context [16-20]. We have developed a genetic model that uses connectivity estimates from oceanographic models to predict genetic patterns resulting from larval dispersal in a Caribbean coral. We then compare the predictions to empirical data for threatened staghorn corals. Our coupled oceanographic-genetic model predicts many of the patterns observed in this and other empirical datasets; such patterns include the isolation of the Bahamas and an east-west divergence near Puerto Rico [3, 21-23]. This new approach provides both a valuable tool for predicting genetic structure in marine populations and a means of explicitly testing these predictions with empirical data.
Galindo
Heather M
HM
Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA. hgalindo@stanford.edu
Olson
Donald B
DB
Palumbi
Stephen R
SR
D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D017691:Caribbean Region; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003710:Demography; D005828:Genetics, Population; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D008386:Marine Biology; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011157:Population Dynamics; D014872:Water Movements