The application of genetics to marine management and conservation: examples from the Indo-Pacific

Abstract

ABSTRACT.-Molecular tools and analyses have played pivotal roles in uncovering the processes and patterns of biodiversity in the Indian and Pacific oceans. However, integrating genetic results into management and conservation objectives has been challenging, with few examples that show practical applicability. This review aims to address some of the perceived barriers to an enhanced approach that integrates molecular data into management and conservation goals, by reviewing papers relevant to both conservation and fisheries management in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly with respect to phylogeography, connectivity, and species identification, as well as stock delineation, restoration of depleted wild stocks, mislabeled marine resources and "molecular forensics." We also highlight case studies from each of these areas that illustrate how molecular analyses are relevant to conservation and management in the IndoPacific, spanning a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate species. We discuss the application of genetic data to the design and evaluation of the effectiveness of marine protected area networks, stock delineation, and restoration and the usage of exclusion tests and parentage analyses for fisheries management. We conclude that there is a distinct need for increasing public awareness and ownership of genetically unique lineages and, ultimately, the increased inclusion of genetic research into management policy and conservation. Finally, we make a case for the importance of clear and effective communication for promoting public awareness, public ownership, and for achieving conservation goals within the region.

Genetic Stock Structure of Terapon jarbua in Taiwanese Waters

“…Genetic approaches allow the contributions of different populations to mixed-population fisheries to be inferred (Ruzzante et al 2006). Even though these approaches have been heavily applied in the past decade to resolve intraspecies issues such as the genetic structure and phylogeography of marine organisms, genetic information has only been used to reassess life history traits between genetic stocks in a few cases (von der Heyden et al 2014). Recent studies have indicated that late in the year the population size of California coastal Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha is larger than that of the Klamath River population (Satterthwaite et al 2014).…”

Molecular Identification of Fish Larvae from East Plawangan of Segara Anakan, Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia

“…Those both conditions might cause miss-identification of the larvae (Ko et al, 2003). In this case, DNA barcoding offers a precise method to solve the problem with no doubt (Bucklin et al, 2003;Hebert et al, 2003a;von der Heyden et al, 2014). Moreover, Frankham (2003) proved that molecular characters are helpful tools for species identification with higher accuracy than with previous methods.…”

Conservation of the endangered Mediterranean tortoise Testudo hermanni hermanni: The contribution of population genetics and historical demography

“…Moreover, genetics has contributed to successfully preventing inbreeding and outbreeding depression by creating ex-situ captive breeding programs that mimic natural mating systems, and by managing levels of genetic variation to maximize the probability of successful reintroductions into the wild (Austin et al, 2011;Witzenberger and Hochkirch, 2011). At a larger scale, genetics can and should play a critical role in reserve design (Vasconcelos et al, 2012;von der Heyden et al, 2014). Understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes that maintain and generate biodiversity is essential for designing effective natural reserves (Smith and Grether, 2008).…”