Population genetic structure of eelgrass (Zostera marina) on the Korean coast: Current status and conservation implications for future management.

ABSTRACT: Seagrasses provide numerous ecosystem services for coastal and estuarine environments, such as nursery functions, erosion protection, pollution filtration, and carbon sequestration. Zostera marina (common name "eelgrass") is one of the seagrass bed-forming species distributed widely in the northern hemisphere, including the Korean Peninsula. Recently, however, there has been a drastic decline in the population size of Z. marina worldwide, including Korea. We examined the current population genetic status of this species on the southern coast of Korea by estimating the levels of genetic diversity and genetic structure of 10 geographic populations using eight nuclear microsatellite markers. The level of genetic diversity was found to be significantly lower for populations on Jeju Island [mea

SUBMITTER: Kim JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5360257 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature