Seascape Approach Research Articles

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coral reefs from Southwestern Atlantic: A seascape approach using tissue and skeleton of the coral Montastraea cavernosa (Cnidaria; Scleractinia)

Coastal marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, are severely threatened by climate changes, overexploitation, and marine pollution. Particularly, environmental pollution caused by petroleum-derived substances is poorly studied in coral reefs in tropical developing countries, with a total absence of data about these contaminants in some regions. In this work, we determined the levels of conventional and unconventional PAHs in the tissue and skeleton of the coral Montastraea cavernosa in a seascape scale of the Southwest Atlantic. We sampled in 12 coral reefs adjacent to the coast along approximately 200 km. We found 14 PAHs, 2 Oxy-PAHs, and 15 Nitro-PAHs in the samples, and among them, benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene, which are mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic substances. Skeletons presented predominantly lower quantities of ∑PAHs than the respective tissue, except for the skeletons from one reef severely impacted by oil spills. The ∑PAHs levels were lower in a bay near an urbanized region than in open sea reefs. Diagnostic ratios indicate mixogenic sources, with the predominance of petrogenic origin. Our study provides the first occurrence of PAHs, Nitro-PAHs, and Oxy-PAHs distribution in corals from the Southwest Atlantic Ocean, and we expect that these data will help to evaluate any future impacts and management of this ecosystem.

Spatial patterns and environmental drivers of demersal fish assemblages in the Swartkops and Sundays estuarine to marine seascapes, South Africa

Estuaries are often observed as the boundary between the ocean and the river, separating coastal environments, rather than being seen as a continuum. Owing to insufficient research on demersal fish communities across nearshore marine to estuarine habitats, particularly in South Africa, this study employed a spatial seascape approach, with seasonal sampling of soft-bottom benthic habitats in two permanently open estuaries and the adjacent marine nearshore environment of Algoa Bay on the south coast of South Africa. A total of 790 fish representing 29 species were collected in the marine nearshore, and 6 414 fish (28 species) were caught in the estuarine zone. Two discrete demersal fish assemblages were identified as representing the marine nearshore and estuarine environments. The marine nearshore fish assemblages were dominated by marine species (e.g. Argyrosomus inodorus and Cynoglossus zanzibarensis) that were not recorded in the estuarine environment, whereas marine estuarine-opportunist species (e.g. Pomadasys olivaceus and Galeichthys feliceps) were more abundant in the marine nearshore than in the estuarine environment. The estuaries were dominated by benthic marine estuarine-dependent and marine and estuarine species (e.g. Rhabdosargus holubi, Solea turbynei, Heteromycteris capensis, Psammogobius knysnaensis and Glossogobius callidus). Differences observed in abundance and species richness along the estuarine to marine continuum were primarily related to the salinity gradient. These findings are significant as altered freshwater flows and consequent changes in salinity and productivity can have an impact on the nursery use of both estuaries and the marine nearshore by fish species.

Seascape ecology in the vicinity of a Blake Ridge cold seep

Systematic surveys of the distribution of epibenthic megafaunal species relative to one another and to environmental variables in the deep sea can lead to inferences and testable hypotheses regarding factors that influence their distributions. Here we use a seascape approach to provide insight into the character and spatial extent of the influence of a chemosynthetic seep on the distribution of epibenthic megafauna and the nature of transition zones (ecotones). Faunal distributions were determined from georeferenced images of the seabed collected during a systematic survey (~ 400 m x 400 m) by the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Sentry in the vicinity of a newly discovered methane bubble plume on the Blake Ridge Diapir. The survey area was found to include both seep and non-seep habitats. The sphere of influence of seep productivity on the surrounding benthic megafaunal assemblage was limited—on the order of 10’s of meters—based on ecotone analysis. Small but detectable redox anomalies in the water column (5 m above bottom) in the study area occurred on a similar horizontal scale. Distributions of background megafaunal taxa were non-random for many morphotypes and included both positive and negative associations between morphotypes and the seep habitat. Subtle variations in depth (<6 m) correlated with distributions of seep-associated vesicomyid clams, which occupy shallow depressions in the seabed. The seep habitat itself, comprising a patchy mosaic of megafaunal sub-communities (e.g., clam bed, mussel bed, background soft-sediment bathyal taxa) and transition zones, was at least as diverse as the surrounding non-seep habitat and contributes seep endemic morphotypes to regional biodiversity. While seep productivity may support prey fields for deep-diving beaked whales, any relationship between the seeps and whale feeding areas remains intriguing speculation. Like many other regions of the deep sea, Blake Ridge South has accumulated marine litter, including litter likely originating from scientific endeavors. The suite of observations and analyses deployed here underscore the importance of seep habitats in enriching regional biodiversity, provide a glimpse of the non-random complexity of species distributions from a seascape perspective, and establish ecological baselines against which future studies may measure natural and anthropogenic changes in the seascape.

Coastal Ecosystem Assessment with an Integrated Approach to Land and Seascape Coastal Ecosystems for Conservation: A Case Study of the Pulo Doro Coast, Malang Regency

This research starts from the phenomenon of climate change and increasing land subsidence in the coastal areas. Disasters that often occur due to climate change and subsidence result in the destruction of coastal communities' property, loss of life, agricultural land cannot produce optimally, and tsunamis, tidal floods, and liquefaction are increasingly common. If the incident is not addressed, it will lead to a more severe disaster, and the lives of coastal communities will be threatened. This research aims to assess the condition of coastal ecosystems, both coastal ecosystems, landscapes and seascapes, which are then assessed for the level of usage (economic), conservation (ecology), and the value of local wisdom (social). The method used includes three models: geographic information system (GIS), partial least square (PLS), and total economic value (TEV). GIS is used to assess the presence of landscapes and seascapes. PLS is used to assess public opinion and assessment of the existence of coastal ecosystems. TEV is used to assess the economy. The results of the study show that there are still many Pulo Doro beaches that have not been intervened by anthropogenic processes. The condition of the coastal ecosystem is still intact, although natural processes have begun stressing the coastal area due to the increasing wave height. The results of the PLS show that the community values the landscape as 0.753, the seascape assessment as 0.666, the assessment of the relationship between the landscape and the seascape as 0.841, the assessment of the condition of the Pulo Doro Coastal as 0.693, and efforts to develop a Pulo Doro coastal ecosystem management strategy 0.766. The results of the TEV calculation show that both the landscape and seascape show that the economic value is still not exploited much. The results of this study found a model for managing the coast based on landscape and seascape approaches.

Social science for conservation in working landscapes and seascapes

Biodiversity is in precipitous decline globally across both terrestrial and marine environments. Therefore, conservation actions are needed everywhere on Earth, including in the biodiversity rich landscapes and seascapes where people live and work that cover much of the planet. Integrative landscape and seascape approaches to conservation fill this niche. Making evidence-informed conservation decisions within these populated and working landscapes and seascapes requires an in-depth and nuanced understanding of the human dimensions through application of the conservation social sciences. Yet, there has been no comprehensive exploration of potential conservation social science contributions to working landscape and seascape initiatives. We use the Smithsonian Working Land and Seascapes initiative – an established program with a network of 14 sites around the world – as a case study to examine what human dimensions topics are key to improving our understanding and how this knowledge can inform conservation in working landscapes and seascapes. This exploratory study identifies 38 topics and linked questions related to how insights from place-based and problem-focused social science might inform the planning, doing, and learning phases of conservation decision-making and adaptive management. Results also show how conservation social science might yield synthetic and theoretical insights that are more broadly applicable. We contend that incorporating insights regarding the human dimensions into integrated conservation initiatives across working landscapes and seascapes will produce more effective, equitable, appropriate and robust conservation actions. Thus, we encourage governments and organizations working on conservation initiatives in working landscapes and seascapes to increase engagement with and funding of conservation social science.

An Integrated Landscape–Seascape Approach in the Making: Facilitating Multi-Stakeholder Partnership for Socio-Ecological Revitalisation in Eastern Coastal Taiwan (2016–2021)

Over the past decade, integrated landscape (–seascape) approaches—IL(S)As—have been gaining prominence as holistic, collaborative, and tangible solutions to biodiversity conservation and sustainability challenges. On-the-ground implementation of IL(S)As, however, is a complex task. The Xinshe “Forest–River–Village–Ocean” Eco-Agriculture Initiative (the Xinshe Initiative), established in October 2016 and facilitated by the authors, is an ILSA aimed at the socio-ecological revitalisation of the Xinshe ridge-to-reef landscape–seascape in eastern coastal Taiwan. The objective of this paper is to summarise and demonstrate our experiences with facilitating the Xinshe Initiative over the five-year period (2016–2021). This is a case study participatory action research based on mixed qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Research findings reveal the importance of: (1) locally sensitive boundary setting and checking by the means of inclusive and participatory processes; (2) various facilitation tools and engagement strategies for the continuity of multi-stakeholder interest and engagement; (3) five socio-ecological perspectives of the Satoyama Initiative for determining environmental and socio-economic objectives; (4) regular, consistent, and locally sensitive monitoring and evaluation tools for the effectiveness of adaptive co-management; and (5) enabling conditions (relational, knowledge, and political resources) for promoting the Xinshe ILSA-related experiences “from -scape to scale”.

A seascape approach for guiding effective habitat enhancement

Kelp habitats are threatened across the globe, and because of their ecological importance, active conservation and restoration solutions are needed. The use of man-made structures as artificial reefs is one way to enhance kelp habitat by providing suitable substrata, but in the past the ecology of artificial structures has been investigated mainly in contrast to natural coastal habitats, not as elements integrated into the seascape. Indeed, it is now emerging that structuring processes, including ecological interactions (e.g., herbivory), can depend on properties of the surrounding seascape. In Eastern Canada, grazing by the green sea urchin can jeopardize the success of artificial reefs for kelp enhancement. Urchin activity is, however, likely to be influenced by the bottom composition, and thus a seascape approach is needed to integrate urchin behavior and habitat heterogeneity. Adopting a spatially explicit framework, we investigated whether the seascape creates areas of differential grazing risk for kelp by affecting urchin habitat use. Specifically, we transplanted kelp onto modules of artificial substrata distributed on a heterogeneous area that we mapped for bottom type and algal cover. After following kelp survival and urchin distribution over time, we modeled kelp survival as function of urchin metrics and coupled it to urchin use of the habitat models to map grazing risk in the area. Kelp survival was a function of the frequency of the urchins presence. Urchins avoided sandy patches, while bottom composition and algal cover modulated the within-patch urchin use of the habitat, creating heterogeneity in grazing risk. Discrete seascape features (boulders) also increased the grazing risk locally. The heterogeneity of coastal seafloor can thus play a major role in determining the ecological outcomes on artificial structures. Incorporating this information when planning artificial reefs could minimize the detrimental grazing risk, thereby increasing the success of artificial reefs for kelp habitat enhancement.

Fifteen years of lessons from the Seascape approach: A framework for improving ocean management at scale

AbstractSeascapes are large, multiple‐use marine areas, defined scientifically and strategically, in which government authorities, private organizations, and other stakeholders cooperate to conserve the diversity and abundance of marine life and promote human well‐being. This approach has been applied by global nonprofit partnerships in five seascapes across eight countries and has drawn on the practical experience of more than 250 partners over 15 years. These experiences have helped define the Seascape approach, consisting of nine essential elements, for achieving effective ocean governance and management from local to regional levels. Lessons learned relate to using integrated planning frameworks, community‐led and locally owned initiatives, and a network of partners and a “backbone” organization for effective Seascape planning and design; promoting diversification in funding sources, private sector engagement, and the transition of nonprofit roles to ensure durability of a Seascape; and ensuring Seascape outcomes are measured through robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks and communicated effectively. Seascapes are unique in their ability to create a pathway toward sustainable development. To ensure support and amplification of the approach, they must align with diversified funding opportunities and global priorities outlined in international United Nations conventions focused on sustainable development and ocean health.

Where to head: environmental conditions shape foraging destinations in a critically endangered seabird

Foraging distribution of flying seabirds is constrained by environmental factors influencing individual decision-making. This must be particularly true during the breeding period, when individuals face additional limitations imposed by their central-place foraging behaviour. We used GPS data loggers and Argos PTTs to track the foraging flights of Balearic shearwaters (Puffinus mauretanicus) during the chick-rearing period of 2011–2014 in the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean). We identified main areas used by tracked birds and characterised their productivity patterns. Based on a spatial seascape approach of flight costs varying with time, shaped by environmental processes as winds, we also estimated flight costs to reach foraging grounds in outward and return trips from the colony. Individuals repeatedly used the closest areas on the Iberian continental shelf. However, sporadic and favourable wind conditions facilitated low-cost flight to more distant and equally productive areas of the western North African shelf.

Towards ecological and social impact through collaborative governance of a seascape of marine protected areas in Honduras

AbstractProtecting marine biodiversity and ensuring sustainable use through a seascape approach is becoming increasingly widespread in response to the ecological, social and institutional challenges of scaling ocean management. A seascape approach means clustering spatial management measures (marine protected areas) based around the principles of ecological connectivity, and developing or enhancing collaborative governance networks of relevant stakeholders (managers, community groups, non-governmental organizations) based around the principles of social connectivity. As with other large-scale approaches to marine management, there is minimal evidence of long-term impact in seascapes. This study uses a theory-based, participatory impact evaluation to assess perceived changes attributed to the Atlántida seascape in Honduras (initiated in 2015), encompassing three well-established marine protected areas and the non-legally managed waters between them. Using an adapted most significant change method, 15 interviews with a representative subset of seascape stakeholders yielded 165 stories of change, the majority (88%) of which were positive. Enhanced social capital, associated with cross-sectoral collaboration, inter-site conflict resolution and shared learning, was the most consistently expressed thematic change (32% of stories). Although most stories were expressed as activity- or output-related changes, a small proportion (18%) were causally linked to broader outcomes or impact around increased fish and flagship species abundance as well as interconnected well-being benefits for people. Although minimal (and occasionally attributed to prior initiatives that were enhanced by the seascape approach), this impact evidence tentatively links seascapes to recent related research around the effectiveness of appropriately scaled, ecosystem-based and collaboratively governed marine management that balances strict protection with sustainable use.

Assessing the Relative Importance of Estuarine Nursery Habitats - a Dungeness Crab (Cancer magister) Case Study.

Estuaries serve as important nurseries for many recreationally and commercially harvested fisheries species. Recent conceptual approaches (i.e., seascape) for assessing the value of estuaries to fisheries have advocated for complex habitat-scale assessments that integrate multiple life-history responses (e.g., abundance, growth, reproduction) and ecological processes across heterogeneous landscapes. Although ecologically compelling, implementing seascape approaches may not be feasible for resource-limited management agencies. In such cases, we propose that resource managers can enhance the identification of fishery-important estuarine habitats by integrating attainable aspects of the seascape approach into a more traditional single response (e.g., abundance) model. Using Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) as a case study, we applied a spatially-explicit hybrid approach to assess the relative contribution of different estuarine habitats to that important fishery species within three Oregon estuaries (Tillamook, Yaquina, and Alsea bays). We measured the abundance of juvenile C. magister from low-tide trawls in estuarine channels and the mosaic of habitat characteristics within defined home-range distances for the crabs. After identifying and reducing strong intercorrelations among habitat variable data, we developed a best-fit model that associated crab abundance with the most influential habitat variables. We found that lower-estuary side channels supported the highest abundance of juvenile crabs; furthermore, crab abundance was positively associated with high salinity and burrowing shrimp (Upogebia pugettensis) density on adjacent unvegetated tidal flats. This hybrid method produced a habitat-specific model that better predicted juvenile C. magister abundance than did a model based on generalized habitat categories.

Marine Resources and Coastal Communities in the Late Bronze Age Southern Aegean: A Seascape Approach

The concept of the seascape as a place imbued with meaning by human experience is used here as a framework for the analysis of the archaeological remains of activities that took place along the coastlines of the southern Aegean in the second millennium BCE. The physical remains of fishing, shellfish gathering, fish processing, and modification of seashells serve as proxy indicators of the actions and experiences of the people who made a living from the sea. Four case studies are used: Akrotiri on Thera, Chryssi Island south of Crete, and Mochlos and Papadiokambos on Crete. The contextualization of sea-related finds from these sites offers some insights into the shifting experience and meaning of the seascape for different social groups in a Bronze Age society.

A Flexible Autonomous Robotic Observatory Infrastructure for Bentho-Pelagic Monitoring.

This paper presents the technological developments and the policy contexts for the project “Autonomous Robotic Sea-Floor Infrastructure for Bentho-Pelagic Monitoring” (ARIM). The development is based on the national experience with robotic component technologies that are combined and merged into a new product for autonomous and integrated ecological deep-sea monitoring. Traditional monitoring is often vessel-based and thus resource demanding. It is economically unviable to fulfill the current policy for ecosystem monitoring with traditional approaches. Thus, this project developed platforms for bentho-pelagic monitoring using an arrangement of crawler and stationary platforms at the Lofoten-Vesterålen (LoVe) observatory network (Norway). Visual and acoustic imaging along with standard oceanographic sensors have been combined to support advanced and continuous spatial-temporal monitoring near cold water coral mounds. Just as important is the automatic processing techniques under development that have been implemented to allow species (or categories of species) quantification (i.e., tracking and classification). At the same time, real-time outboard processed three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning has been implemented to increase mission autonomy capability, delivering quantifiable information on habitat features (i.e., for seascape approaches). The first version of platform autonomy has already been tested under controlled conditions with a tethered crawler exploring the vicinity of a cabled stationary instrumented garage. Our vision is that elimination of the tether in combination with inductive battery recharge trough fuel cell technology will facilitate self-sustained long-term autonomous operations over large areas, serving not only the needs of science, but also sub-sea industries like subsea oil and gas, and mining.

Modelling the resilience of seagrass communities exposed to pulsed freshwater discharges: A seascape approach.

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities display complex patch dynamics at seascape scales that are presently poorly understood as most studies of disturbance on SAV habitats have focused on changes in biomass at small, quadrat-level scales. In this study, analyses of remote sensing imagery and population modelling were applied to understand SAV patch dynamics and forecast the fate of these important communities in Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida, US. We evaluated how the proximity of freshwater canals influences seagrass-dominated SAV patch dynamics and, in turn, how patch-size structure influences the stability of seagrass seascapes under different salinity scenarios. Seagrass fragmentation rates were higher in sites adjacent to freshwater canals compared to sites distant from the influences of freshwater deliveries. Furthermore, we documented a clear trend in patch mortality rates with respect to patch size, with the smallest patches (50 m2) undergoing 57% annual mortality on average. The combination of higher fragmentation rates and the higher mortality of smaller seagrass patches in habitats exposed to pulses of low salinity raises concern for the long-term persistence of seagrass meadows in nearshore urban habitats of Biscayne Bay that are presently targets of Everglades restoration. Our model scenarios that simulated high fragmentation rates resulted in SAV population collapses, regardless of SAV recruitment rates. The combined remote sensing and population modelling approach used here provides evaluation and predictive tools that can be used by managers to track seagrass status and stress-response at seascape levels not available previously for the seagrasses of South Florida.

Deep-sea litter in the Gulf of Cadiz (Northeastern Atlantic, Spain)

This study describes the distribution and composition of litter from the Gulf of Cadiz (Northeastern Atlantic, Spain), a region of confluence between the Atlantic and Mediterranean, with intense maritime traffic. Several geological features, such as canyons, open slopes and contourite furrows and channels, were surveyed by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) observations between depths of 220 and 1000 m. Marine litter was quantified by grouping the observations into six categories. Our results indicate the presence of markedly different habitats in which a complex collection of different types of litter accumulate in relation to bottom current flows and maritime and fishing routes. This result justifies a seascape approach in further anthropogenic impact studies within deep-sea areas.

Seascapes of ‘Submarine Squatters’: Commercial Dugong Fisheries of North Queensland

Submarine squatting, dugong fishing on the Queensland (Australia) coast during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, is a poorly understood livelihood. This study provides a fine-grained interpretation to expand our knowledge of the operation of commercial dugong fisheries through the practices of two commercial dugong fishers, John Lionel Ching and Daniel Dewar, operating in the Newry Island Group. Archaeological surveys of the Newry Island Group and nearby Stewarts Peninsula have highlighted the ephemeral nature of the commercial dugong industry in the seascape today. Despite this ephemeral landscape, contextualising the archival and archaeological research within a seascape framework has enriched our understanding of the daily lives of the commercial dugong fishers. It is important to acknowledge that a seascape approach is rarely applied to non-Indigenous archaeological contexts in Australia. The seascape approach used here has been successful in encompassing Western systems of maritime knowledge.

Implications of macroalgae blooms to the spatial structure of seagrass seascapes: The case of the Anadyomene spp. (Chlorophyta) bloom in Biscayne Bay, Florida

Macroalgal blooms are becoming an increasing problem in coastal regions worldwide and have been associated with a widespread decline of seagrass habitats. It is critical to measure macroalgal bloom (MB) impacts at broad spatial scales since seagrass seascape characteristics can influence feedback processes that regulate the resilience of seagrass ecosystems. We assessed the broad-scale spatial impacts of an MB formed by Anadyomene spp. on the seagrass seascapes in Biscayne Bay (Miami, US) using a multi-scale seascape approach. By integrating field and remote sensing data, our multi-scale approach showed significant reductions in seagrass foliage cover and a seascape structure transformation across the bloom extent. The landscape cover and patch extensiveness declined after the MB peak. Other spatial pattern metrics also showed that the seagrass seascape structure got fragmented. We demonstrated that a persistent MB could transform the structure of seagrass seascapes, hindering the resilience of seagrass habitats.

Multiscale seascape habitat of necto-benthic littoral species, application to the study of the dusky grouper habitat shift throughout ontogeny

Describing the spatial patterns of benthic coastal habitats and investigating how those patterns affect the ecology of inhabiting species is a main objective of seascape ecology. Within this emerging discipline spatial scale is a principal topic. Different spatial scales inform on different characteristics of the habitat and therefore the relation between species and their habitats would be better defined when observed at multiple levels of spatial scale. Here we apply a multiscale seascape approach to investigate the habitat preferences of juvenile and adult individuals of dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) in a Mediterranean marine protected area. Results show that the information obtained at different spatial scales is complementary, improving our capability to identify the preferred habitats and how it changes throughout ontogeny. These results show the relevance of implementing multiscale seascape ecology approaches to investigate the species-habitat relationships and to improve management and conservation of necto-benthic endangered top predators.

Altered ontologies of the seascape: local knowledge, environmental change and conservation in Kihnu, Estonia

This article explores the roots and paths of changing discourses about the natural environment and marine resources in the seascape of Kihnu, Estonia. The ontology of the seascape is never static, being subjected to constant transformation, as local experiences and understandings collide with external influences, regulations and constraints. By focusing on the indeterminacies of agency, and human encounters and environmental events, I show how Soviet pasts and perceptions, shifting scientific paradigms and practices, the dynamics of local-global articulations, and unforeseen transformation in the marine environment have progressively contributed to new understandings of the seascape, seals and other marine resources. These changing perceptions fundamentally challenge previously-held notions that humans and nature belong together. A traditional seal hunt had endured in the Baltic Sea for centuries, but the decline of the seal population in the 1970s was widely understood as anthropogenic, related to overfishing, large scale seal hunts and pollution. While most Baltic Sea coastal waters have remained closed to any type of seal hunting for more than 40 years, many fishers and marine scientists agree that grey seal population has recovered and some Baltic Sea countries have lifted the ban on hunting grey seal. While the seal hunt and meat used to have great cultural importance, there was also commercial value in seal skin and fat for many coastal communities. Several representatives of fishery-dependent coastal communities in Estonia now publicly express a view that seals now compete with fishers. Consequently the seal has lost its cultural importance and is considered as an intruder to Kihnu cultural space. I argue that making sense of the concerns and uncertainties that presently surround the question of knowing about and managing marine ecosystems, requires paying close attention to the ways in which access to the seascape and its resources have been enforced and altered over time.Key Words: Estonia; small-scale fisheries; seascape approach; ontology; local knowledge

Anisotropic larval connectivity and metapopulation structure driven by directional oceanic currents in a marine fish targeted by small-scale fisheries

The dispersal during the planktonic larval period is a key feature to understand the metapopulation structure of marine fishes, and is commonly described by four general models: (1) lack of population structure due to extensive larval dispersal; (2) isolation by geographic distance, where larval connectivity decreases with increasing distance between sites in all directions (isotropy); (3) population structure without any clear geographic trend (chaotic); and (4) population structure explained by seascape approaches that explicitly incorporate the spatial and temporal variations in the direction and strength of oceanic currents via oceanographic modeling. We tested the four models in the Pacific red snapper Lutjanus peru, a key commercial species in the Gulf of California (GC), Mexico. We genotyped 15 microsatellite loci in 225 samples collected during 2015–2016 from 8 sites, and contrasted the observed empirical genetic patterns against predictions from each model. We found low but significant levels of population structure among sites. Only the seascape approach was able to significantly explain levels of genetic structure and diversity, but exclusively within spring and summer, suggesting that this period represents the spawning season for L. peru. We showed that in the GC, the strong asymmetry in the oceanic currents causes larval connectivity to show different values when measured in distinct directions (anisotropy). Management tools, including marine reserves, could be more effective if placed upstream of the predominant flow. Managers should consider that oceanographic distances describing the direction and intensity of currents during the spawning period are significant predictors of larval connectivity between sites, as opposed to geographic distances.