title: Implications for management and conservation of the population genetic structure of the wedge clam Donax trunculus across two biogeographic boundaries.
abstract: In a resource management perspective, the understanding of the relative influence of the physical factors on species connectivity remains a major challenge and is also of great ecological and conservation biology interest. Despite the overfishing threat on the wedge clam Donax trunculus in Europe, relatively little information is known about its population genetic structure and connectivity and their consequences on conservation policies. We employed 16 microsatellite loci to characterise the genetic diversity and population structure of D. trunculus. A total of 514 samples from seven different localities along the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition, from the Atlantic (Gulf of Cádiz) to the north-western Mediterranean were genotyped. The analysis of the population genetic structure displayed a clear distinction along the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition with different clusters in the Atlantic Ocean, the Alboran Sea and the northwestern Mediterranean. Consequently, we recommend that these three areas should be considered as different management units. We showed that all populations seem to be at high long-term risk of extinction with the exception of the protected Doñana National Park population which still seems to have evolutionary potential. Therefore, our results emphasized the necessity of protection of this economic resource and the validity of molecular tools to evaluate the population dynamics.
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Studies, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Faculty of Science Technology and Environment, The University of South Pacific, Suva, Fiji Islands.
authors.forename: Amandine D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Marie
authors.affiliation: Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD, CSIC), Sevilla 41092, Spain.|Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29688 Roscoff, France.|CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29688 Roscoff, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lejeusne
authors.affiliation: University of Aegean, Department of Environmental Sciences, University, Hill, Mytilene 81100, Greece.
authors.forename: Evgenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karapatsiou
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICMAN, CSIC), Cádiz 11519, Spain.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cuesta
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICMAN, CSIC), Cádiz 11519, Spain.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Drake
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEAB, CSIC), Blanes 17300, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Macpherson
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernatchez
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Studies, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Faculty of Science Technology and Environment, The University of South Pacific, Suva, Fiji Islands.|Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD, CSIC), Sevilla 41092, Spain.
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rico
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D051456:Gene Flow; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004247:DNA