Small‐scale genetic structure of coral populations in Palau based on whole mitochondrial genomes: Implications for future coral resilience

Palumbi, Stephen R.; Walker, Nia S.; Hanson, Erik A.; Armstrong, Katrina; Lippert, Marilla; Cornwell, Brendan; Nestor, Victor; Golbuu, Yimnang

doi:10.1111/eva.13509

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…While these differences could potentially result in comparatively greater local retention in Merulinids and greater dispersal of Acroporids, it is difficult to determine whether this is reflected in population genetic structure for several reasons. Firstly, small spatial-scale genetic structure is rarely studied in corals 58 , 59 , and these studies primarily investigate brooding species with extremely short pelagic larval durations (<1 day, i.e. refs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Larval precompetency and settlement behaviour in 25 Indo-Pacific coral species

Randall,

Giuliano,

Stephenson

et al. 2024

Commun Biol

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Knowledge of coral larval precompetency periods and maximum competency windows is fundamental to understanding coral population dynamics, informing biogeography and connectivity patterns, and predicting reef recovery following disturbances. Yet for many species, estimates of these early-life history metrics are scarce and vary widely. Furthermore, settlement cues for many taxa are not known despite consequences to habitat selection. Here we performed a comprehensive experimental time-series investigation of larval settlement behaviour, for 25 Indo-Pacific broadcast-spawning species. To investigate the duration of precompetency, improve predictions of the competency windows, and compare settlement responses within and amongst species, we completed replicated and repeated 24-hour assays that exposed larvae to five common settlement cues. Our study revealed that larval competency in some broadcast-spawning species begins as early as two days post fertilization, but that the precompetency period varies within and between species from about two to six days, with consequences for local retention and population connectivity. We also found that larvae of some species are competent to settle beyond 70 days old and display complex temporal settlement behaviour, challenging the assumption that competency gradually wanes over time and adding to the evidence that larval longevity can support genetic connectivity and long-distance dispersal. Using these data, we grouped coral taxa by short, mid and long precompetency periods, and identified their preferred settlement cues. Taken together, these results inform our understanding of larval dynamics across a broad range of coral species and can be applied to investigations of population dynamics, connectivity, and reef recovery.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Larval precompetency and settlement behaviour in 25 Indo-Pacific coral species

Randall,

Giuliano,

Stephenson

et al. 2024

Commun Biol

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“…In organisms with a mixture of long‐ and short‐range dispersal, population genetic patterns can become increasingly complex. Palumbi et al ( 2022 ) present such a study case on south Pacific corals. Genetic differentiation in corals is usually found over long distances (hundreds or thousands of kilometers).…”

Section: Overview Of the Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Herein, these processes are addressed in diverse empirical model systems ranging from diatoms to mollusks and fish (Green et al, 2022 ; Le Moan et al, 2022 ; Sefbom et al, 2022 ; Zhang et al, 2022 ), as well as in silico in two theoretical modeling studies (Eriksson et al, 2022 ; Marshall & Connallon, 2022 ). The link between genotype and phenotype is also the focus of several empirical studies here (Gefaell et al, 2022 ; Stenger et al, 2022 ; Walker et al, 2022 ), as is the seascape genomics of a wide range of taxa (Delaval, Bendall, et al, 2022 ; Delaval, Frost, et al, 2022 ; Fitz et al, 2022 ; Lapègue et al, 2022 ; Matias et al, 2022 ; Palumbi et al, 2022 ; Pampoulie et al, 2022 ), which has important implications for management of marine resources. Finally, the breadth of phylogenetic diversity and evolutionary history in the oceans is the topic of several articles focusing on the larval development of gastropods (Korshunova et al, 2022 ; Sun et al, 2022 ) and the evolution of small RNAs in cnidarians (Li & Hui, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The link between genotype and phenotype is also the focus of several empirical studies here (Gefaell et al, 2022;Stenger et al, 2022;Walker et al, 2022), as is the seascape genomics of a wide range of taxa Fitz et al, 2022;Lapègue et al, 2022;Matias et al, 2022;Palumbi et al, 2022;Pampoulie et al, 2022), which has important implications for management of marine resources. Finally, the breadth of phylogenetic diversity and evolutionary history in the oceans is the topic of several articles focusing on the larval development of gastropods (Korshunova et al, 2022;Sun et al, 2022) and the evolution of small RNAs in cnidarians (Li & Hui, 2022).…”

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A decade of progress in marine evolutionary biology

Wit

Faust

Green

et al. 2022

Evolutionary Applications

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This article summarizes the Evolutionary Applications Special Issue, “A decade of progress in Marine Evolutionary Biology.” The globally connected ocean, from its pelagic depths to its highly varied coastlines, inspired Charles Darwin to develop the theory of evolution during the voyage of the Beagle. As technology has developed, there has been a dramatic increase in our knowledge about life on our blue planet. This Special Issue, composed of 19 original papers and seven reviews, represents a small contribution to the larger picture of recent research in evolutionary biology, and how such advancements come about through the connection of researchers, their fields, and their knowledge. The first European network for marine evolutionary biology, the Linnaeus Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology (CeMEB), was developed to study evolutionary processes in the marine environment under global change. Though hosted by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, the network quickly grew to encompass researchers throughout Europe and beyond. Today, more than a decade after its foundation, CeMEB's focus on the evolutionary consequences of global change is more relevant than ever, and knowledge gained from marine evolution research is urgently needed in management and conservation. This Special Issue, organized and developed through the CeMEB network, contains contributions from all over the world and provides a snapshot of the current state of the field, thus forming an important basis for future research directions.

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Fine‐Scale Geographic Variation of Cladocopium in Acropora hyacinthus Across the Palauan Archipelago

Armstrong,

Lippert,

Hanson

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Symbiont genotype plays a vital role in the ability of a coral host to tolerate rising ocean temperatures, with some members of the family Symbiodiniaceae possessing more thermal tolerance than others. While existing studies on genetic structure in symbiont populations have focused on broader scales of 10–100 s of km, there is a noticeable gap in understanding the seascape genetics of coral symbionts at finer—yet ecologically and evolutionarily relevant—scales. Here, we mapped short reads from 271 holobiont genome libraries of individual Acropora hyacinthus colonies to protein coding genes from the chloroplast genome to identify patterns of symbiont population genetic structure. Utilizing this low‐pass method, we assayed over 13,000 bases from every individual, enabling us to discern genetic variation at a finer geographic scale than previously reported at the population level. We identified five common Cladocopium chloroplast SNP profiles present across Palau, with symbiont structure varying between Northern, mid‐lagoon, and Southern regions, and inshore–offshore gradients. Although symbiont populations within reefs typically contained significant genetic diversity, we also observed genetic structure between some nearby reefs. To explore whether coral hosts retain their symbionts post‐transplantation, we experimentally moved 79 corals from their native reefs to transplant sites with both different and similar chloroplast SNP profiles. Over 12 months, we observed 12 instances where transplanted corals changed profiles, often transitioning to a profile present in adjacent corals. Symbiont genetic structure between reefs suggests either low dispersal of symbionts or environmental selection against dispersers, both resulting in the potential for significant adaptive differentiation across reef environments. The extent to which local corals and their symbionts are co‐adapted to environments on a reef‐by‐reef scale is currently poorly known. Chloroplast sequences offer an additional tool for monitoring symbiont genetics and coral–symbiont interactions when assisted migration is used in restoration.

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Small‐scale genetic structure of coral populations in Palau based on whole mitochondrial genomes: Implications for future coral resilience

Cited by 5 publications

References 80 publications

Larval precompetency and settlement behaviour in 25 Indo-Pacific coral species

Larval precompetency and settlement behaviour in 25 Indo-Pacific coral species

A decade of progress in marine evolutionary biology

Fine‐Scale Geographic Variation of Cladocopium in Acropora hyacinthus Across the Palauan Archipelago

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