Browsing by Author "Renault, Lionel"
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- Gene pool and connectivity patterns of Pinna nobilis in the Balearic Islands (Spain, Western Mediterranean Sea): Implications for its conservation through restockingPublication . Gonzalez-Wanguemert, Mercedes; Basso, Lorena; Balau, Ana; Costa, Joana; Renault, Lionel; Serrao, Ester; Duarte, Carlos M.; Hendriks, Iris E.Pinna nobilis is an endemic bivalve of the Mediterranean Sea, and a vulnerable species registered as endangered and protected under the European Council Directive 92/43/EEC and Barcelona Convention. In early autumn 2016, a mass mortality event impacted P. nobilis populations in the south-western Mediterranean Sea, including the Balearic Islands. At the time of this study, P. nobilis still maintained high population densities along the Balearic coasts (Western Mediterranean). This study evaluated the connectivity of P. nobilis post-larvae and adults in seagrass habitats around the Balearic Islands and identified its source and sink populations. These objectives were reached through a multidisciplinary approach including population genetics (10 microsatellites) and hydrodynamic modelling. High genetic diversity was found and significant genetic differentiation (inferred by fixation index F-ST) was detected between post-larvae samples, but not between adult populations. Significant genic and genotypic differentiation was recorded for adults and post-larvae. This pattern was confirmed by correspondence analysis using allele frequencies. The genetic connectivity pattern was consistent with marine currents and dispersal models. This work not only improves knowledge of the P. nobilis gene pool in south-west Mediterranean populations and their connectivity patterns, but is also crucial to help evaluate the possibility of recovery from source populations and the possibility of restocking programmes, as well as provide a solid base to establish effective marine reserve networks.
- Genetic and oceanographic tools reveal high population connectivity and diversity in the endangered pen shell Pinna nobilisPublication . Wesselmann, Marlene; Gonzalez-Wanguemert, Mercedes; Serrao, Ester A.; Engelen, Aschwin H.; Renault, Lionel; Garcia-March, Jose R.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Hendriks, IrisFor marine meta-populations with source-sink dynamics knowledge about genetic connectivity is important to conserve biodiversity and design marine protected areas (MPAs). We evaluate connectivity of a Mediterranean sessile species, Pinna nobilis. To address a large geographical scale, partial sequences of cytochrome oxidase I (COI, 590 bp) were used to evaluate phylogeographical patterns in the Western Mediterranean, and in the whole basin using overlapping sequences from the literature (243 bp). Additionally, we combined (1) larval trajectories based on oceanographic currents and early life-history traits and (2) 10 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci collected in the Western Mediterranean. COI results provided evidence for high diversity and low inter-population differentiation. Microsatellite genotypes showed increasing genetic differentiation with oceanographic transport time (isolation by oceanographic distance (IBD) set by marine currents). Genetic differentiation was detected between Banyuls and Murcia and between Murcia and Mallorca. However, no genetic break was detected between the Balearic populations and the mainland. Migration rates together with numerical Lagrangian simulations showed that (i) the Ebro Delta is a larval source for the Balearic populations (ii) Alicante is a sink population, accumulating allelic diversity from nearby populations. The inferred connectivity can be applied in the development of MPA networks in the Western Mediterranean.