Complete chloroplast genome of an invasive marine macroalga Ulva californica (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta)

Abstract

Species belonging to Ulva (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta) are one of the major members of invasive seaweeds. Ulva californica Wille 1899 was originally believed to be native to the Pacific coast of North America, while in recent years it has been reported as exotic species, or new record, in Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, and Oceania. However, the paths of global dispersal of U. californica are unclear. In addition, the species boundary between U. californica and a related species is somewhat disputed. Here, we reported that the complete chloroplast genome of U. californica is 92,126 bp in size, harboring 96 genes (GenBank accession no. MZ561475). The overall base composition was A (37.9%), T (37.4%), C (12.3%), and G (12.4%), similar to those from other Ulva species. The phylogenomic analysis showed that although U. californica was genetically closer to Ulva aragoënsis (Bliding) Maggs 2018 in [Krupnik N et al., 2018], they were clearly distinguishable, supporting the recent opinion that they should be separated into different species. The chloroplast genome data of U. californica would provide plenty resources for phylogeography analysis and monitor on bioinvasion.