A decade of seascape genetics: contributions to basic and applied marine connectivity

RJ Toonen,CC D’Aloia,M Iacchei,KA Selkoe,S von der Heyden,JB Puritz,L Liggins,ED Crandall

doi:10.3354/meps11792

RJ Toonen, CC D’Aloia + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11792

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Abstract

Seascape genetics, a term coined in 2006, is a fast growing area of population genetics that draws on ecology, oceanography and geography to address challenges in basic understanding of mar- ine connectivity and applications to management. We provide an accessible overview of the latest develop- ments in seascape genetics that merge exciting new ideas from the field of marine population connectivity with statistical and technical advances in population genetics. After summarizing the historical context leading to the emergence of seascape genetics, we detail questions and methodological approaches that are evolving the discipline, highlight applications to conservation and management, and conclude with a summary of the field's transition to seascape ge- nomics. From 100 seascape genetic studies, we assess trends in taxonomic and geographic coverage, sam- pling and statistical design, and dominant seascape drivers. Notably, temperature, oceanography and geo - graphy show equal prevalence of influence on spatial genetic patterns, and tests of over 20 other seascape factors suggest that a variety of forces impact connec- tivity at distinct spatio-temporal scales. A new level of rigor in statistical analysis is critical for disentangling multiple drivers and spurious effects. Coupled with GIS data and genomic scale sequencing methods, this rigor is taking seascape genetics beyond an initial focus on identifying correlations to hypothesis-driven insights into patterns and processes of population

Highlights

In 2013, the field of landscape genetics turned 10 years old (Manel & Holderegger 2013)
Using a sub-sample of 53 studies that tested for multiple seascape predictors of spatial genetic patterns, we examined which study designs and seascape factors have received the most attention by the field
Our sample of multi-factor studies showed that the most common seascape factors tested were metrics of temperature and ocean transport; 43% of tests of temperature were reported to be significant, while only 31% of ocean transport metrics were significant (Table 1). These results suggest that temperature may be as influential as geography on regional scale population genetics of marine species, and more so than ocean currents

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In 2013, the field of landscape genetics turned 10 years old (Manel & Holderegger 2013). We highlight 3 arenas where seascape genetics brings unique value to conservation and management of marine populations and communities Demographic parameter estimates such as lifetime fecundity, self-recruitment and age-specific survival rates can all be generated from neutral genetic data, and are critical to marine reserve success (Mace & Morgan 2006, Burgess et al 2014, Bonin et al 2016). A halfdozen other categories of seascape factors were tested 10 to 25 times across the sample of studies, and all showed significant results in 40 to 80% of the tests (Table 1) In light of these trends, the idea of using patterns of potential connectivity based on ocean flows as an informed null model may be no more defensible than using geography, depth or temperature. Ocean transport metrics were more commonly significant in node-based studies, at a 44% rate of significance

Study design effects

CONCLUSIONS

Findings

Methods