Life-histories explain the conservation status of two estuary-associated pipefishes

Whitfield, Alan K.; Mkare, Thomas K.; Teske, Peter R.; James, Nicola C.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2017.06.024

Cited by 16 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Endangered species typically have small population sizes 6 . A solid understanding of species’ demographic histories is fundamental in conservation management, particularly when species are on the brink of extirpation 6 , 32 . Genetic information has great utility in the conservation of endangered species 3 , 33 , 34 , as it can be applied to guide the identification of genetically impoverished populations that may require assisted recovery 35 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Through reproduction, these imprints become perpetuated from ancestral to contemporary generations 2 , 3 . Demographic signatures can be of value in understanding the dynamics of contemporary populations 4 , and can be used to address questions concerning the causes of contemporary low diversity in species of conservation concern 5 , 6 . A species’ effective population size ( N e ) is an integral parameter in population ecology as it dictates, to a large extent, its level of genetic variation 7 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conservation priorities in an endangered estuarine seahorse are informed by demographic history

Mkare

Vuuren

Teske

2021

Sci Rep

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Historical demographic events shape genetic diversity that remains evident in the genomes of contemporary populations. In the case of species that are of conservation concern, this information helps to unravel evolutionary histories that can be critical in guiding conservation efforts. The Knysna seahorse, Hippocampus capensis, is the world’s most endangered seahorse species, and it presently survives in only three estuaries on the South African south coast. Factors that contributed to the species becoming endangered are unclear; additionally, the lack of information on whether the three populations should be managed separately because of potential long-term isolation hampers effective management efforts. In the present study, we reconstructed the seahorses’ demographic history using a suite of microsatellite loci. We found that the largest population (Knysna Estuary) has colonised the other estuaries relatively recently (< 450 years ago), and that its population size is comparatively large and stable. Neither of the other two populations shows signs of long-term reductions in population size. The high conservation status of the species is thus a result of its limited range rather than historical population declines. Our findings indicate that the long-term survival of H. capensis depends primarily on the successful management of the Knysna population, although the other estuaries may serve as reservoirs of genetic diversity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conservation priorities in an endangered estuarine seahorse are informed by demographic history

Mkare

Vuuren

Teske

2021

Sci Rep

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“…Given the very small range of the northern Wild Coast lineage, a fine‐scale sampling approach is clearly required to properly document the biodiversity of this poorly studied region, and determine whether the spatial genetic patterns found here are unique to K. kraussi or represent a more general phenomenon. Several estuarine species of high conservation priority that occur elsewhere in South Africa have very small distribution ranges (Allanson, 1958; Penrith & Penrith, 1972; Whitfield, 1995; Whitfield, Mkare, Teske, James, & Cowley, 2017), and it is likely that such species also exist along the Wild Coast.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovery of populations endemic to a marine biogeographical transition zone

Golla

Pieterse

Jooste

et al. 2020

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim Biogeographical transition zones are areas of overlap between the faunas of adjacent biogeographical entities. Particularly the well‐defined transition zones along linear coastlines are interesting natural laboratories to study dispersal and incipient speciation. Few studies have explored whether marine biogeographical transition zones harbour biodiversity that is distinct from that of the biogeographical entities they separate. The Wild Coast in eastern South Africa is a poorly studied transition zone between the region's warm‐temperate and subtropical faunas, and is generally considered to be an area of faunal overlap. Location The South African portion of the Western Indian Ocean. Methods Sequences of the DNA barcoding marker COI were generated from 306 estuarine sandprawns (Kraussillichirus kraussi) collected at 13 sites. Genetic structure and evolutionary history were assessed using a haplotype network and a Bayesian discrete phylogeographic analysis. Result Two populations were identified whose ranges are centred on the Wild Coast, a rare one in the northern portion and a more common one in the central and southern portion of this biogeographical transition zone. These populations are not closely related to each other, but descend from subtropical and warm‐temperate sister populations, respectively. Although genetic distances between populations were low, they exceeded within‐population distances, indicating the presence of a "barcoding gap." Conclusions This is the first study to indicate that the Wild Coast marine biogeographical transition zone is not merely an area of faunal overlap, and one of very few studies to have discovered genetically unique populations within a marine biogeographical transition zone. The Wild Coast may harbour additional unique biodiversity that remains to be discovered, including rare species that require protection. More research is required to understand how this environmentally dynamic marine biogeographical transition zone differs from the adjacent biogeographical provinces.

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“…Given the very small range of the northern Wild Coast lineage, a fine-scale sampling approach is clearly required to properly document the biodiversity of this poorly-studied region, and determine whether the spatial genetic patterns found here are unique to C. kraussi or represent a more general phenomenon. Several estuarine species of high conservation priority that occur elsewhere in South Africa have very small distribution ranges (Allanson, 1958;Penrith & Penrith, 1972;Whitfield, 1995;Whitfield et al, 2017), and it is likely that such species also exist along the Wild Coast.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovery of populations endemic to a marine biogeographical transition zone

Golla

Pieterse

Jooste

et al. 2020

Preprint

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AimBiogeographical transition zones are areas of overlap between the faunas of adjacent biogeographical entities. Particularly, the well-defined transition zones along linear coastlines are interesting natural laboratories to study dispersal and incipient speciation. Few studies have explored whether marine biogeographical transition zones harbour biodiversity that is distinct from that of the biogeographical entities they separate. The Wild Coast in eastern South Africa is a poorly-studied transition zone between region’s warm-temperate and subtropical faunas, and is generally considered to be an area of faunal overlap.LocationThe South African portion of the Western Indian OceanMethodsSequences of the DNA barcoding marker COI were generated from 306 estuarine sandprawns (Callichirus kraussi) collected at 13 sites. Genetic structure and evolutionary history were assessed using a haplotype network and a Bayesian discrete phylogeographic analysis.ResultTwo populations were identified whose ranges are centred on the Wild Coast, a rare one in the northern portion and a more common one in the central and southern portion of this biogeographical transition zone. These populations are not closely related to each other, but descend from subtropical and warm-temperate sister populations, respectively.ConclusionsThis is the first study to indicate that the Wild Coast marine biogeographical transition zone is not merely an area of faunal overlap, and one of very few studies to have discovered genetically unique populations within a marine biogeographical transition zone. The Wild Coast may harbour additional unique biodiversity that remains to be discovered, including rare species that require protection. More research is required to understand how this environmentally dynamic marine biogeographical transition zone differs from the adjacent biogeographical provinces.

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Life-histories explain the conservation status of two estuary-associated pipefishes

Cited by 16 publications

References 26 publications

Conservation priorities in an endangered estuarine seahorse are informed by demographic history

Conservation priorities in an endangered estuarine seahorse are informed by demographic history

Discovery of populations endemic to a marine biogeographical transition zone

Discovery of populations endemic to a marine biogeographical transition zone

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