Abstract
Accidental introduction through ballast water and biofouling are currently the main factors responsible for spreading non-indigenous species in the marine realm. In the Southwestern Atlantic, two scleractinian corals, Tubastraea coccinea and T. tagusensis, have been introduced by opportunistic colonization in 1980 and are now widespread along more than 3,500 km of coastline. To better understand the invasion process and the role of vectors in spreading these species, we sampled 306 and 173 colonies of T. coccinea and T. tagusensis from invaded sites, possible vectors and one native population. Analyses revealed a higher diversity of multi-locus genotypes (MLGs) on vectors, suggesting that they were contaminated prior to their arrival in the Southwestern Atlantic, and a high proportion of clones at invaded sites, with few genotypes spread over ~2,000 km. This broad distribution is most likely a result of secondary introductions through the transport of contaminated vectors. Results also suggest the occurrence of multiple invasions, mainly in the northernmost sites. In summary, clonality, secondary introductions, and multiple invasions are the main reasons for the broad spread and invasive success of Tubastraea spp. in the Southwestern Atlantic. Consequently, the correct control of vectors is the most effective approach for management and prevention of new invasions.
Highlights
Marine bioinvasion is reshaping the distribution and biogeographic patterns of species worldwide and is reaching unprecedented levels with hundreds of species being transported to new environments every year[1,2,3,4]
The same was not observed for T. tagusensis, for which the highest number of multi-locus genotypes (MLGs) observed was at an invaded site (Alcatrazes: MLG = 7, Table 1, Fig. 2)
Our results point to a critical role of the past transport of oil platforms from the Indo-Pacific in introducing these species in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, and that buoys and Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessels (FSPOs) that travel from offshore oil platforms to onshore localities are acting as vectors in spreading these species along the Brazilian coast
Summary
Marine bioinvasion is reshaping the distribution and biogeographic patterns of species worldwide and is reaching unprecedented levels with hundreds of species being transported to new environments every year[1,2,3,4]. As a consequence of the increasing marine traffic, vessels (e.g. cargo ships, oil platforms, floating docks, buoys; called vectors) transport a large number of species (either by ballast water or biofouling), some of which will be able to establish and disperse, becoming invasive in the new environment[6,8]. Multiple introduction events of non-indigenous species from more than one native population can lead to an increase in genetic diversity by mixing previously separated populations and increasing the propagule pressure, reducing negative genetic outcomes of the invasion process and enhancing the possibility of a successful invasion[7,26,27,36,40,46,47]
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