Program  
 
The geochemical and biological study of corals
 

 
 
1330
Genetic diversity and large-scale connectivity of the scleractinian coral Porites lutea in the South China Sea
Monday 7th @ 1330-1350, Conference Room 4
Wen Huang* , Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Ming Li, Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Kefu Yu, Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Yinghui Wang, Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Jingjing Li, College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
Jiayuan Liang, Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Yanqiu Luo, Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Xueyong Huang, Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Zhenjun Qin, Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Guanghua Wang, Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Presenter Email: wenhuang@gxu.edu.cn

In light of recent declines in scleractinian communities worldwide, research on the genetic structure of and connectivity amongst coral populations has assumed importance. However, the genetic structure of corals in the South China Sea(SCS) has remained largely neglected by studies. The genetic structure of the broadcast spawning coral Porites lutea was examined using 482 specimens from 20 sites in the SCS spanning 13° of latitude. Analyses of two nuclear markers congruently revealed that genetic diversity was high in most populations, with relatively lower diversity in Daya Bay (DY). However, we identified a recent bottleneck in P. lutea populations, which may be in accordance with recent coral community declines. Pairwise FST values and principal coordinates analyses indicated large-scale (~1500 km) genetic homogeneity among SCS P. luteapopulations, possibly attributed to their reproductive strategy (spawning vs. brooding) and historical changes in population sizes. However, populations in DY were highly differentiated from the others, which Coalescent migration analyses of ITS rDNA markers revealed high levels of gene flow (Nm > 100) among all adjacent populations except between DY and Taiwan. the northward migration of the species in response to global warming. We concluded that populations of P. lutea in the SCS comprise one large panmictic meta-population. However, the lower-diversity, more differentiated northern marginal populations in DY are probably more vulnerable than others to the adverse effects of anthropogenic activities. Additionally, universally asymmetrical northward gene flow was identified, possibly reflecting.

 
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