Aim: How historical and contemporary eco-evolutionary processes shape the patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation across species' distribution range remains an open question with strong conservation implications. Focusing on the orange stony coral, Astroides calycularis, we (a) characterized the pattern of neutral genetic diversity across the distribution range; (b) gave insights into the underlying processes; and (c) discussed conservation implications with emphasis on a national park located on a hotspot of genetic diversity. Location: South Mediterranean Sea and Zembra National Park. Methods: We combined new data from 12 microsatellites in 13 populations located in the Centre and in the Western Periphery of the distribution range with a published dataset including 16 populations from the Western and Eastern Peripheries.We analysed the relationship among parameters of genetic diversity (H e , Ar (g) ) and structure (population-specific F ST ) and two measures of geographic peripherality. We | 2105 LEDOUX Et aL.
Rapid climate change in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems is altering the spatio-temporal dynamics and abundance of resources. Whether highly mobile predators can respond and match their movements to changed resource peaks remains largely unclear. In the last decade, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) established a new foraging site in fjords of northern Norway during the winter, outside of their presumed foraging season. We used photographic matching to show that whales first sighted during fall in the Barents Sea foraged in northern Norway from late October to February, staying for up to three months and showing high inter-annual return rates (up to 82%). The number of identified whales increased steadily from 2010 to 2016. Genetic sexing and hormone profiling in both areas suggest higher proportions of pregnancy and a female bias in Norwegian waters. This indicates that the new site may be particularly important for pregnant females, likely to improve body condition before migration. Our results suggest that baleen whales can respond to nutritional opportunities along their migration pathways, in some cases by extending their feeding season. This supports the idea that migrating marine mammals can access novel prey resources as part of their response to environmental changes.
Current efforts to halt the decline of biodiversity decline are based primarily on protecting species richness. This narrow focus overlooks key components of biological diversity, particularly the infra-species genetic diversity, which is critical to consider with respect to genetic adaptation in changing environments. While comparative population genetics is recognized as a relevant approach to improve biodiversity management, it is still barely considered in practice. Here, a comparative population genetics study was conducted on two key habitat-forming octocoral species, Corallium rubrum and Paramuricea clavata, to contribute to management of two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the northwestern Mediterranean. Contrasting patterns of genetic diversity and structure were observed in the two species, although they share many common biological features and live in similar habitats. Differential genetic drift effects induced by species-specific reproductive strategies and demographic histories most likely explain these differences. The translation of our results into management strategies supports the definition of four management units. We identified a coldspot of genetic diversity, with genetically isolated populations, and a hotspot of genetic diversity that has a central role in the system’s connectivity. Interestingly, they corresponded to the most recent and the oldest protected areas, respectively. This case study shows how moving from a“species pattern” perspective to an “eco-evolutionary processes” perspective can help assess and contribute to the effectiveness of biodiversity management plans.
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