title: Population Structure and Seasonal Migration of the Spotted Eagle Ray, Aetobatus narinari.
abstract: Few studies have reported on the fine-scale population genetics of batoid species in the Atlantic basin. Here, we investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of the spotted eagle ray, Aetobatus narinari, sampled in the northeastern and southwestern parts of the Gulf of Mexico and in the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Samples were collected from 286 individuals sampled across 3 geographic localities. Estimates of divergence based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and 10 nuclear microsatellite loci reveal weak but significant genetic structure among A. narinari populations in this region. Analysis of molecular variance estimates based on both marker types indicate significant differentiation between Florida and Mexico populations, while comparisons with Cuba suggest high levels of gene flow with rays from both Mexico and Florida. Conflicting results were found from the different marker types when sexes were analyzed separately underscoring the importance of applying multiple marker types when making inferences about population structure and sex-biased dispersal. Results from Bayesian clustering analyses suggest rays may be migrating south out of the Gulf of Mexico and into the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Given the impacts of fisheries on this species, coupled with the lack of population genetic data available, these findings offer valuable information to aid with conservation management strategies.
authors.affiliation: From the California Academy of Sciences, Center for Comparative Genomics, San Francisco, CA 94118 (Sellas and Bernal); the Mote Marine Laboratory, The Center for Shark Research, Sarasota, FL 34236 (Bassos-Hull and Hueter); the Laboratorio de Pesquerías Artesanales, Departamento de Ciencias de la Sustentabilidad, ECOSUR, Unidad Campeche, Av. Rancho Polígono 2-A, Ciudad Industrial, Cp. 24500, Lerma, Campeche, México (Pérez-Jiménez); the Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de la Habana, Miramar, Playa. La Habana, Cuba (Angulo-Valdés); and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX 78373 (Bernal). asellas@calacademy.org.
authors.forename: Anna B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Sellas
authors.affiliation: From the California Academy of Sciences, Center for Comparative Genomics, San Francisco, CA 94118 (Sellas and Bernal); the Mote Marine Laboratory, The Center for Shark Research, Sarasota, FL 34236 (Bassos-Hull and Hueter); the Laboratorio de Pesquerías Artesanales, Departamento de Ciencias de la Sustentabilidad, ECOSUR, Unidad Campeche, Av. Rancho Polígono 2-A, Ciudad Industrial, Cp. 24500, Lerma, Campeche, México (Pérez-Jiménez); the Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de la Habana, Miramar, Playa. La Habana, Cuba (Angulo-Valdés); and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX 78373 (Bernal).
authors.forename: Kimbrough
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bassos-Hull
authors.affiliation: From the California Academy of Sciences, Center for Comparative Genomics, San Francisco, CA 94118 (Sellas and Bernal); the Mote Marine Laboratory, The Center for Shark Research, Sarasota, FL 34236 (Bassos-Hull and Hueter); the Laboratorio de Pesquerías Artesanales, Departamento de Ciencias de la Sustentabilidad, ECOSUR, Unidad Campeche, Av. Rancho Polígono 2-A, Ciudad Industrial, Cp. 24500, Lerma, Campeche, México (Pérez-Jiménez); the Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de la Habana, Miramar, Playa. La Habana, Cuba (Angulo-Valdés); and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX 78373 (Bernal).
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pérez-Jiménez
authors.affiliation: From the California Academy of Sciences, Center for Comparative Genomics, San Francisco, CA 94118 (Sellas and Bernal); the Mote Marine Laboratory, The Center for Shark Research, Sarasota, FL 34236 (Bassos-Hull and Hueter); the Laboratorio de Pesquerías Artesanales, Departamento de Ciencias de la Sustentabilidad, ECOSUR, Unidad Campeche, Av. Rancho Polígono 2-A, Ciudad Industrial, Cp. 24500, Lerma, Campeche, México (Pérez-Jiménez); the Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de la Habana, Miramar, Playa. La Habana, Cuba (Angulo-Valdés); and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX 78373 (Bernal).
authors.forename: Jorge Alberto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Angulo-Valdés
authors.affiliation: From the California Academy of Sciences, Center for Comparative Genomics, San Francisco, CA 94118 (Sellas and Bernal); the Mote Marine Laboratory, The Center for Shark Research, Sarasota, FL 34236 (Bassos-Hull and Hueter); the Laboratorio de Pesquerías Artesanales, Departamento de Ciencias de la Sustentabilidad, ECOSUR, Unidad Campeche, Av. Rancho Polígono 2-A, Ciudad Industrial, Cp. 24500, Lerma, Campeche, México (Pérez-Jiménez); the Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de la Habana, Miramar, Playa. La Habana, Cuba (Angulo-Valdés); and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX 78373 (Bernal).
authors.forename: Moisés A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.affiliation: From the California Academy of Sciences, Center for Comparative Genomics, San Francisco, CA 94118 (Sellas and Bernal); the Mote Marine Laboratory, The Center for Shark Research, Sarasota, FL 34236 (Bassos-Hull and Hueter); the Laboratorio de Pesquerías Artesanales, Departamento de Ciencias de la Sustentabilidad, ECOSUR, Unidad Campeche, Av. Rancho Polígono 2-A, Ciudad Industrial, Cp. 24500, Lerma, Campeche, México (Pérez-Jiménez); the Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de la Habana, Miramar, Playa. La Habana, Cuba (Angulo-Valdés); and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX 78373 (Bernal).
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hueter
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D017691:Caribbean Region; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D051456:Gene Flow; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D060851:Gulf of America; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008957:Models, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012860:Skates, Fish / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial
keywords: Aetobatus narinari; Caribbean Sea; Gulf of Mexico; conservation genetics; microsatellites; mtDNA