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

Publishe

Ocean sprawl facilitates dispersal and connectivity of protected species

Highly connected networks generally improve resilience in complex systems. We present a novel application of this paradigm and investigated the potential for anthropogenic structures in the ocean to enhance connectivity of a protected species threatened by human pressures and climate change. Biophysical dispersal models of a protected coral species simulated potential connectivity between oil and gas installations across the North Sea but also metapopulation outcomes for naturally occurring corals downstream. Network analyses illustrated how just a single generation of virtual larvae released from these installations could create a highly connected anthropogenic system, with larvae becoming competent to settle over a range of natural deep-sea, shelf and fjord coral ecosystems including a marine protected area. These results provide the first study showing that a system of anthropogenic structures can have international conservation significance by creating ecologically connected networks and by acting as stepping stones for cross-border interconnection to natural populations

Additional file 6: of Genetic mapping and comparative genomics to inform restoration enhancement and culture of southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma

Comparative view of location of syntenic blocks on consensus linkage map of southern flounder and fugu. Solid black rectangles represent chromosomes of fugu. Black ticks indicate the positions of loci mapped on southern flounder linkage groups (colored rectangles); loci mapped to the same location are stacked. Syntenic blocks are connected by ribbons; the color corresponds to the color of each linkage group. Width of the ribbon represents size of the syntenic block on a linkage group and its corresponding location on the chromosome of each comparison species. (PNG 2296 kb