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Publisher rights This is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Sea Research. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Sea Research, Vol. 77, 03/2013 General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Queen's University Belfast Research Portal is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT2 AbstractSelection of sites for successful restoration of impacted shellfish populations depends on understanding the dispersion capability and habitat requirements of the species involved. In Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, the horse mussel (Modiolus modiolus) biogenic reefs cover only a fraction of their historical range with the remaining reefs badly damaged and requiring restoration. Previous experimental trials suggest that translocation of horse mussels accelerate reef recovery and has therefore been proposed as a suitable restoration technique.We used a series of coupled hydrodynamic and particle dispersal models to assess larval dispersion from remnant and translocated populations to identify suitable areas for adult live M. modiolus translocation in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland. A maximum entropy model (MAXENT) was used to identify if dispersing larvae could reach habitat suitable for adult M.modiolus. From these we predicted if translocated mussels will reseed themselves or be able to act as larval sources for nearby reefs. The dispersal models showed that the remnant M.modiolus populations are largely self-recruiting with little connectivity between them. The majority of larvae settled near the sources and movement was largely dependent on the tides and not influenced by wind or waves. Higher reef elevation resulted in larvae been able to disperse further away from the release point. However, larval numbers away from the source population are likely to be too low for successful recruitment. There was also little connectivity between the Irish Sea and Strangford Lough as any larvae entering the Lough remained predominantly in the Strangford Na...

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Captive breeding is the last resort to protect a species that will become extinct because it is incapable of surviving in the wild without human intervention. The freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera is a prime candidate for such action: the species has experienced a recent range-wide decline, particularly in Europe. In Northern Ireland, M. margaritifera is now only found in six rivers and, because of a lack of natural recruitment in the wild, it has been predicted that these populations will become extinct within 80 years. Consequently, an ex situ breeding program was established with the aim of using a semi-natural method to propagate mussels for restocking. In the present study, we analysed the levels and patterns of genetic diversity in the captive-bred mussels, as well as their parent broodstock and remnant populations from their natal and other rivers in Northern Ireland where M. margaritifera is still found, to help develop best practice for the captive breeding program. Levels of genetic diversity were high, although there was a strong correlation between genetic diversity and census population sizes, as well as evidence of inbreeding in all populations. Small but significant levels of genetic differentiation were observed between both the captive-bred juveniles and their parent broodstock, and the samples from their source river, indicating a possible founder effect. In addition, three groups of genetically distinct clusters were observed among the remaining natural populations that could be used as the basis for defining conservation units. These findings allow us to make recommendations for efficient management of the captive breeding program, including rotation of the ex situ broodstock on a regular basis to avoid prolonged inbreeding, and the establishment of captive breeding of other populations to reflect genetic differences between putative conservation units in Northern Ireland and elsewhere. bs_bs_banner Animal Conservation. Print ISSN 1367-9430 Animal Conservation 15 (2012) 593-602