Temporal genetic variability in the crab Liocarcinus depurator across oceanographic fronts
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1
Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
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2
Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Spain
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3
Universidad del Quindio, Colombia
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4
Institut de Ciències del Mar, Spain
Spatial genetic studies have increased in the last decades in many taxa while temporal genetic studies, despite being essential to understand biodiversity distribution, are still scarce. Although comparing localities surveyed at different time periods might result in spurious genetic differentiation, there is a general believe on the stability of genetic structure through time, particularly if sampled localities are isolated or very distant. The large population sizes of marine organisms generally result in little genetic differentiation despite restricted gene flow, and molecular markers show practical limitations in making inferences for recent timescales and single time point samples.
Three oceanographic discontinuities along the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition in the south and eastern Iberian Peninsula (Gibraltar Strait, Almeria-Oran Front and Ibiza Channel) have been shown to restrict gene flow in several marine species. The Almeria-Oran front has been proposed as the main genetic break between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. However, previous studies in the portunid crab Liocarcinus depurator showed that the Almeria-Oran front did not represent a significant barrier to gene flow, whereas Ibiza Channel acted as the main genetic barrier. Such unexpected result could be attributed to historical and/or contemporary processes. In order to characterize the stability of marine genetic barriers through time we have explored spatial and temporal differentiation in L. depurator across these three main oceanographic discontinuities in three different years. A partial fragment of the cytochrome oxidase I gene was sequenced in 366 individuals collected from localities at both sides of each discontinuity. Although localities showed genetic fluctuations through time, a significant gradient was detected along the coast for all sampling periods. Significant inter-annual differences identified within the Alicante area, north of the Almeria-Oran Front, were associated with shifts in the relative contribution of Atlantic and Mediterranean water masses. The persistence of a clinal pattern in the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition area together with local fluctuations suggests a complex balance of dispersal and selection.
Acknowledgements
This research has been funded by project CHALLENGEN (CTM2013-48163) of the Spanish Government.
Keywords:
Phylogeography,
Crustacea,
COI,
isolation by distance,
interannual variation
Conference:
XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies, Porto, Portugal, 5 Sep - 9 Sep, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
1. ECOLOGY, BIODIVERSITY AND VULNERABLE ECOSYSTEMS
Citation:
Pascual
M,
Palero
F,
García-Merchán
V,
Macpherson
E,
Robainas-Barcia
A,
Mestres
F,
Roda
T and
Abello
P
(2016). Temporal genetic variability in the crab Liocarcinus depurator across oceanographic fronts.
Front. Mar. Sci.
Conference Abstract:
XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies.
doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2016.05.00172
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Received:
10 May 2016;
Published Online:
03 Sep 2016.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Marta Pascual, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, martapascual@ub.edu