For marine meta-populations with source-sink dynamics knowledge about genetic connectivity
is important to conserve biodiversity and design marine protected areas (MPAs). We evaluate
connectivity of a Mediterranean sessile species, Pinna nobilis. To address a large geographical scale,
partial sequences of cytochrome oxidase I (COI, 590 bp) were used to evaluate phylogeographical
patterns in the Western Mediterranean, and in the whole basin using overlapping sequences from
the literature (243 bp). Additionally, we combined (1) larval trajectories based on oceanographic
currents and early life-history traits and (2) 10 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci collected in the
Western Mediterranean. COI results provided evidence for high diversity and low inter-population
differentiation. Microsatellite genotypes showed increasing genetic differentiation with oceanographic
transport time (isolation by oceanographic distance (IBD) set by marine currents). Genetic
differentiation was detected between Banyuls and Murcia and between Murcia and Mallorca. However,
no genetic break was detected between the Balearic populations and the mainland. Migration rates
together with numerical Lagrangian simulations showed that (i) the Ebro Delta is a larval source for
the Balearic populations (ii) Alicante is a sink population, accumulating allelic diversity from nearby
populations. The inferred connectivity can be applied in the development of MPA networks in the
Western MediterraneanProject MEDEICG funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CTM2009-07013)IEH was supported by Ramon y Cajal Fellowship RYC2014-14970Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness IFCT Investigator Programme-Career Development (IF/00998/2014)MGW and AHE was supported by FCT fellowships SFRH/BPD/63703/2009 and SFRH/BPD/107878/2015National Science Foundation (OCE-1419450)CCMAR team via excellence research line EXCL/AAG-GLO/0661/2012Ciencias del Ma
