Seascape genomics uncovers contrasting population genetic structures in reef corals.

ABSTRACT: Abiotic conditions influence biodiversity and population connectivity, the assessment of which is critical for predicting climate change impacts and guiding conservation efforts. Coral reefs face severe losses, making effective conservation strategies increasingly urgent. Here, we use a seascape genomics approach to examine the population genetic structure of three non-model scleractinian corals around the Arabian Peninsula, a region with distinctive oceanographic features. We reveal contrasting patterns across species, which we integrate with geographic distances, larval dispersal models, and environmental data. Population structure appears shaped both by isolation by distance (IBD) and isolation by resistance (IBR), with environmental gradients often covarying with spatial separation. Ou

SUBMITTER: Oury N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12803939 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature