Rare, long-distance dispersal underpins genetic connectivity in the pink sea fan, Eunicella verrucosa.

ABSTRACT: Characterizing patterns of genetic connectivity in marine species is of critical importance given the anthropogenic pressures placed on the marine environment. For sessile species, population connectivity can be shaped by many processes, such as pelagic larval duration, oceanographic boundaries and currents. This study combines restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) and passive particle dispersal modelling to delineate patterns of population connectivity in the pink sea fan, Eunicella verrucosa, a temperate octocoral. Individuals were sampled from 20 sites covering most of the species' northeast Atlantic range, and a site in the northwest Mediterranean Sea to inform on connectivity across the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition. Using 7510 neutral SNPs, a geographic cline

SUBMITTER: Macleod KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10918604 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature