Considering reefscape configuration and composition in biophysical models advance seascape genetics

Simon van Wynsberge (1) , Serge Andrefouet (2, 1) , Nabila Gaertner-Mazouni (3) , Josina Tiavouane (1) , Daphné Grulois (4) , Jérôme Lefèvre (2, 5) , Malin Pinsky (6) , Cecile Fauvelot (1)

1 ENTROPIE [Nouvelle-Calédonie] - Ecologie marine tropicale des océans Pacifique et Indien
2 IRD [Nouvelle-Calédonie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
3 EIO - Ecosystèmes Insulaires Océaniens (UMR 241)
4 LabEX CORAIL - Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL
5 LEGOS - Laboratoire d'études en Géophysique et océanographie spatiales
6 Hopkins Marine Station [Stanford]

Previous seascape genetics studies have emphasized the role of ocean currents and geographic distances to explain the genetic structure of marine species, but the role of benthic habitat has been more rarely considered. Here, we compared the population genetic structure observed in West Pacific giant clam populations against model simulations that accounted habitat composition and configuration, geographical distance, and oceanic currents. Dispersal determined by geographical distance provided a modelled genetic structure in better agreement with the observations than dispersal by oceanic currents, possibly due to insufficient spatial resolution of available oceanographic and coastal circulation models. Considering both habitat composition and configuration significantly improved the match between simulated and observed genetic structures. This study emphasizes the importance of a reefscape genetics approach to population ecology, evolution and conservation in the sea.

Mots clés: Giant clam; Pacific; Dispersal; Larval connectivity; Coral-reef fish; Clam tridacna-maxima; Landscape genetics; New-Caledonia; Self-recruitment; Population connectivity

Domaines: Biodiversité et Ecologie; Océanographie; Génétique des populations [q-bio.PE]

Simon van Wynsberge, Serge Andrefouet, Nabila Gaertner-Mazouni, Josina Tiavouane, Daphné Grulois, et al.. Considering reefscape configuration and composition in biophysical models advance seascape genetics. PLoS ONE, 2017, 12 (5), pp.e0178239. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0178239⟩. ⟨hal-02155836⟩