Publications des scientifiques de l'IRD

Japaud A., Bouchon C., Magalon H., Fauvelot Cécile. (2019). Geographic distances and ocean currents influence Caribbean Acropora palmata population connectivity in the Lesser Antilles. Conservation Genetics, 20 (3), p. 447–466. ISSN 1566-0621.

Titre du document
Geographic distances and ocean currents influence Caribbean Acropora palmata population connectivity in the Lesser Antilles
Année de publication
2019
Type de document
Article référencé dans le Web of Science WOS:000435875400114
Auteurs
Japaud A., Bouchon C., Magalon H., Fauvelot Cécile
Source
Conservation Genetics, 2019, 20 (3), p. 447–466 ISSN 1566-0621
The critically endangered coral species Acropora palmata used to dominate shallow Caribbean reefs but since the early 1980s, populations have dramatically declined. At the Caribbean scale, A. palmata is divided into two genetically divergent lineages and most of previous works investigating population connectivity among populations involved the western lineage (in Florida, the Bahamas, the Mesoamerican Reef System, and the Greater Antilles). Small scale genetic connectivity among A. palmata populations was globally found, possibly enhancing populations' recovery at the local scale. Yet, little is known regarding the genetic connectivity of populations of the eastern lineage, especially those of the Lesser Antilles, a fragmented archipelago located at the edge of the species distribution. Here, we filled this gap by investigating the genetic diversity, population structure and connectivity of A. palmata populations among 36 sampled sites from 11 islands of the Lesser Antilles using 14 hypervariable microsatellite loci. Globally, genetic diversity levels in A. palmata populations from the Lesser Antilles were lower compared to what was previously reported within the Wider Caribbean. The analysis of the genetic structure, crossed with spatial autocorrelation analysis, revealed an isolation-by-distance pattern at both reef and Lesser Antilles scales. A gene dispersal distance of less than a kilometer, and a northward gene flow direction, in agreement with ocean surface currents in the region were found. Altogether, our results suggest a restricted population connectivity and short distance dispersal of A. palmata larvae within the Lesser Antilles further limited by geographic distances among suitable habitat patches. Additionally, our results suggest that southernmost populations are potential sources of larvae for the most northerly islands and have a key role in reseeding A. palmata populations of the Lesser Antilles.
Plan de classement
Biologie animale : invertébrés / Systématique [034BIOINV] ; Ecosystèmes [082ECOSYS]
Descripteurs
CORAIL ; ESPECE MENACEE ; GENETIQUE DE POPULATION ; STRUCTURE GENETIQUE ; DIVERSITE SPECIFIQUE ; LARVE ; DISPERSION
Description Géographique
ANTILLES ; CARAIBE
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010078672]
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010078672
Contact