Does depth divide? Variable genetic connectivity patterns among shallow and mesophotic Montastraea cavernosa coral populations across the Gulf of Mexico and western Caribbean.

ABSTRACT: Despite general declines in coral reef ecosystems in the tropical western Atlantic, some reefs, including mesophotic reefs (30-150 m), are hypothesized to function as coral refugia due to their relative isolation from anthropogenic stressors. Understanding the connectivity dynamics among these putative refugia and more degraded reefs is critical to develop effective management strategies that promote coral metapopulation persistence and recovery. This study presents a geographically broad assessment of shallow (<30 m) and mesophotic (>30 m) connectivity dynamics of the depth-generalist coral species Montastraea cavernosa. Over 750 coral genets were collected across the Northwest and Southern Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Cuba, and Belize, and ~5000 SNP loci were generated to quantify hig

SUBMITTER: Sturm AB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10631546 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature