Long range gene flow beyond predictions from oceanographic transport in a tropical marine foundation species.

ABSTRACT: The transport of passively dispersed organisms across tropical margins remains poorly understood. Hypotheses of oceanographic transportation potential lack testing with large scale empirical data. To address this gap, we used the seagrass species, Halodule wrightii, which is unique in spanning the entire tropical Atlantic. We tested the hypothesis that genetic differentiation estimated across its large-scale biogeographic range can be predicted by simulated oceanographic transport. The alternative hypothesis posits that dispersal is independent of ocean currents, such as transport by grazers. We compared empirical genetic estimates and modelled predictions of dispersal along the distribution of H. wrightii. We genotyped eight microsatellite loci on 19 populations distributed across Atlanti

SUBMITTER: Tavares AI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10241777 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature