Limited contemporary gene flow and high self‐replenishment drives peripheral isolation in an endemic coral reef fish

Meer, Martin H. van der; Horne, John B.; Gardner, Michael G.; Hobbs, Jean‐Paul A.; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Herwerden, Lynne van

doi:10.1002/ece3.584

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 95 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The shift in the abundance of species with this trait (12% on Lizard Island, 30% on One Tree Island, 73% on Lord Howe Island) is particularly striking because less than 5% of species present on the GBR reproduce through brooded larvae (Baird et al ). Therefore, species with brooded larvae appear to have an advantage over spawning species at Lord Howe Island, which fits with the hypothesis that geographic and hydrodynamic isolation of Lord Howe Island leads to high dependence on local recruitment for population persistence (Harriott ), as demonstrated for reef fishes using genetic evidence (van der Meer et al ). Larvae released by corals on the southern GBR will be transported southwards by the East Australian Current, but are highly likely to pass by, and subsequently settle on, other reefs before reaching Lord Howe Island (Bode et al ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Differential establishment potential of species predicts a shift in coral assemblage structure across a biogeographic barrier

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Biogeographic breaks are locations where multiple species reach range limits simultaneously. Numerous breaks have been identified; however, the mechanisms that generate and maintain these breaks are largely unresolved. One break of particular interest lies between the subtropical Lord Howe Island off the east coast of Australia and the Great Barrier Reef 1000 km to the north, because of the potential for Lord Howe Island to serve as a refuge from climate change. Our aim was to quantitatively disentangle the mechanisms proposed to explain this break. To do so, we combined species abundance and trait data to test the hypotheses that dispersal limitation, environmental tolerance, competitive ability or evolutionary processes maintain the break. Specifically, we used multiple linear regression to analyse the extent to which species traits could predict the location of species along a non‐metric multidimensional scaling axis, which was representative of assemblage change across the break. Three of the twelve species traits considered – reproductive mode, upper depth and depth range – contributed significantly to the averaged model. The higher relative abundance of species that brood larvae on Lord Howe Island supports the hypothesis that local retention of larvae is critical for population establishment at this location. In addition, abundant species on Lord Howe Island were disproportionately associated with global depth distributions that encompass deep water, which might indicate that these species are better able to tolerate sub‐optimal environmental conditions, such as low light levels in the sub‐tropics. Therefore, we conclude that the biogeographic break between the Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe Island is maintained primarily by the ability of species to establish populations upon arrival. More broadly, our work adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests, over large temporal scales, establishment is more important than dispersal for the maintenance of biogeographic breaks in the oceans.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Differential establishment potential of species predicts a shift in coral assemblage structure across a biogeographic barrier

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Moreover, sponge endosymbionts are important in creating soundscapes that form an acoustic cue for larval settlement in a variety of taxa (Butler et al 2016). As filter feeders, sponges drive nutrient cycling dynamics in the area (Fiore et al 2017;Hoer et al 2018;Valentine and Butler 2019), and contribute to the maintenance of water quality (Peterson et al 2006;Butler et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to their keystone role in the ecosystem and the impacts of their decline, sponge restoration work has been undertaken in the area for a number of years, where healthy sponges have been fragmented and translocated to areas that have suffered mortalities (Butler et al 2016;Valentine and Butler 2019). However, cyanobacterial blooms and sponge mass mortalities continue to recur across different areas of the Florida Keys and Florida Bay.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using genetics to inform restoration and predict resilience in declining populations of a keystone marine sponge

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Genetic tools can have a key role in informing conservation management of declining populations. Genetic diversity is an important determinant of population fitness and resilience, and can require careful management to ensure sufficient variation is present. In addition, population genetics data reveal patterns of connectivity and gene flow between locations, enabling mangers to predict recovery and resilience, identify areas of local adaptation, and generate restoration plans. Here, we demonstrate a conservation genetics approach to inform restoration and management of the loggerhead sponge (Spheciospongia vesparium) in the Florida Keys, USA. This species is a dominant, habitat-forming component of marine ecosystems in the Caribbean region, but in Florida has suffered numerous mass mortality events. We developed microsatellite markers and used them to genotype sponges from 14 locations in Florida and a site each in The Bahamas, Belize and Barbuda. We found that genetic diversity levels were similar across all sites, but inbreeding and bottleneck signatures were present in Florida. Populations are highly structured at the regional scale, whilst within Florida connectivity is present in a weak isolation by distance pattern, coupled with chaotic genetic patchiness. Evidence of a weak barrier to gene flow was found in Florida among sites situated on opposite sides of the islands in the Middle Keys. Loggerhead sponge populations in Florida are vulnerable in the face of mass mortalities due to low connectivity with other areas in the region, as well as distance-limited and unpredictable local connectivity patterns. However, our discovery of Florida's high genetic diversity increases hope for resilience to future perturbations. These results provide valuable insight for sponge restoration practice in Florida. Communicated by David Hawksworth.

show abstract

“…In this study, direct feeding observations were used to quantify both feeding rates and diet (or feeding substrata) of dominant butterflyfishes. Notably, this is the first study on the feeding habits of the three-striped butterflyfish ( Chaetodon tricinctus ), which is endemic to Lord Howe Island and nearby reefs (Hobbs et al 2009 ; van der Meer et al 2013 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abundance, diversity, and feeding behavior of coral reef butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island

Pratchett

Hoey

Cvitanovic

et al. 2014

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Endemic species are assumed to have a high risk of extinction because their restricted geographic range is often associated with low abundance and high ecological specialization. This study examines the abundance of Chaetodon butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island in the south-west Pacific, and compares interspecific differences in local abundance to the feeding behavior and geographic range of these species. Contrary to expected correlations between abundance and geographic range, the single most abundant species of butterflyfish was Chaetodon tricinctus, which is endemic to Lord Howe Island and adjacent reefs; densities of C. tricinctus (14.1 ± 2.1 SE fish per 200m2) were >3 times higher than the next most abundant butterflyfish (Chaetodon melannotus), and even more abundant than many other geographically widespread species. Dietary breadth for the five dominant butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island was weakly and generally negative correlated with abundance. The endemic C. tricinctus was a distinct outlier in this relationship, though our extensive feeding observations suggest some issues with the measurements of dietary breadth for this species. Field observations revealed that all bites taken on benthic substrates by C. tricinctus were from scleractinian corals, but adults rarely, if ever, took bites from the benthos, suggesting that they may be feeding nocturnally and/or using mid-water prey, such as plankton. Alternatively, the energetic demands of C. tricinctus may be fundamentally different to other coral-feeding butterflyfishes. Neither dietary specialization nor geographic range accounts for interspecific variation in abundance of coral reef butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island, while much more work on the foraging behavior and population dynamics of C. tricinctus will be required to understand its’ abundance at this location.

show abstract

Limited contemporary gene flow and high self‐replenishment drives peripheral isolation in an endemic coral reef fish

Cited by 16 publications

References 95 publications

Differential establishment potential of species predicts a shift in coral assemblage structure across a biogeographic barrier

Differential establishment potential of species predicts a shift in coral assemblage structure across a biogeographic barrier

Using genetics to inform restoration and predict resilience in declining populations of a keystone marine sponge

Abundance, diversity, and feeding behavior of coral reef butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About