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- High genetic differentiation of red gorgonian populations from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean SeaPublication . Pilczynska, Joanna; Cocito, Silvia; boavida, joana; A, Serrão; Queiroga, HenriquePatterns of genetic variation within a species may be used to infer past events in the evolutionary history of marine species. In the present study we aimed to compare the genetic diversity of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. For genetic markers we used microsatellites and a mitochondrial gene fragment. Our results revealed a distinct genetic composition and diversity between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The Mediterranean samples had higher microsatellite heterozygosity, allelic richness and private allelic richness. The hypotheses that can explain these patterns are the isolation of Atlantic populations and/or a founder effect. Additionally, a clear difference was obtained from the mitochondrial locus, since sequences from Atlantic and Mediterranean samples diverged by 1%, which is high for soft corals.
- Out of the Mediterranean? Post-glacial colonization pathways varied among cold-water coral speciesPublication . boavida, joana; Becheler, Ronan; Choquet, Marvin; Frank, Norbert; Taviani, Marco; Bourillet, Jean-Francois; Meistertzheim, Anne-Leila; Grehan, Anthony; Savini, Alessandra; ARNAUD-HAOND, SophieAim: To infer cold-water corals' (CWC) post-glacial phylogeography and assess the role of Mediterranean Sea glacial refugia as origins for the recolonization of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Location: Northeastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Taxon: Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata. Methods: We sampled CWC using remotely operated vehicles and one sediment core for coral and sediment dating. We characterized spatial genetic patterns (microsatellites and a nuclear gene fragment) using networks, clustering and measures of genetic differentiation. Results: Inferences from microsatellite and sequence data were congruent, and showed a contrast between the two CWC species. Populations of L. pertusa present a dominant pioneer haplotype, local haplotype radiations and a majority of endemic variation in lower latitudes. Madrepora oculata populations are differentiated across the northeastern Atlantic and genetic lineages are poorly admixed even among neighbouring sites. Conclusions: Our study shows contrasting post-glacial colonization pathways for two key habitat-forming species in the deep sea. The CWC L. pertusa has likely undertaken a long-range (post-glacial) recolonization of the northeastern Atlantic directly from refugia located along southern Europe (Mediterranean Sea or Gulf of Cadiz). In contrast, the stronger genetic differentiation of M. oculata populations mirrors the effects of long-term isolation in multiple refugia. We suggest that the distinct and genetically divergent, refugial populations initiated the post-glacial recolonization of the northeastern Atlantic margins, leading to a secondary contact in the northern range and reaching higher latitudes much later, in the late Holocene. This study highlights the need to disentangle the influences of present-day dispersal and evolutionary processes on the distribution of genetic polymorphisms, to unravel the influence of past and future environmental changes on the connectivity of cosmopolitan deep-sea ecosystems associated with CWC.
- Genetic diversity and local connectivity in the Mediterranean Red Gorgonian Coral after mass mortality eventsPublication . Pilczynska, Joanna; Cocito, Silvia; boavida, joana; Serrao, Ester; Queiroga, HenriqueEstimating the patterns of connectivity in marine taxa with planktonic dispersive stages is a challenging but crucial task because of its conservation implications. The red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata is a habitat forming species, characterized by short larval dispersal and high reproductive output, but low recruitment. In the recent past, the species was impacted by mass mortality events caused by increased water temperatures in summer. In the present study, we used 9 microsatellites to investigate the genetic structure and connectivity in the highly threatened populations from the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). No evidence for a recent bottleneck neither decreased genetic diversity in sites impacted by mass mortality events were found. Significant IBD pattern and high global F-ST confirmed low larval dispersal capability in the red gorgonian. The maximum dispersal distance was estimated at 20-60 km. Larval exchange between sites separated by hundreds of meters and between different depths was detected at each site, supporting the hypothesis that deeper subpopulations unaffected by surface warming peaks may provide larvae for shallower ones, enabling recovery after climatically induced mortality events.