Disparate population structure and holobiont assemblage of Pocilloporid corals along the Red Sea necessitates reserve networks for effective conservation
Disparate population structure and holobiont assemblage of Pocilloporid corals along the Red Sea necessitates reserve networks for effective conservation
byBuitrago-López Carol, Anny Cárdenas, Benjamin C. C. Hume, Thierry Gosselin, Fabian Staubach, Henrique Marques-Souza Manuel Aranda, Barshis Daniel J., Yvonne Sawall, Christian R. Voolstra
C. Buitrago-Lopez, A. Cardenas, B.C.C. Hume, T. Gosselin, F. Staubach, M.Aranda, D.J. Barshis, Y. Sawall, C.R .Voolstra (2023). “Disparate population structure and holobiont assemblage of Pocilloporid corals along the Red Sea necessitates reserve networks for effective conservation”. Molecular Ecology, 2023 Mar 3. doi: 10.1111/mec.16871
Abstract
Global habitat degradation heightens the need to better understand
patterns of genetic connectivity and diversity of marine biota across
geographical ranges to guide conservation efforts. Corals across the Red
Sea are subject to pronounced environmental differences, but studies so
far suggest that animal populations are largely connected, excepting
evidence for a genetic break between the northern-central and southern
regions. Here, we investigated population structure and holobiont
assemblage of two common pocilloporid corals, Pocillopora verrucosa and Stylophora pistillata, across the Red Sea. We found little evidence for population differentiation in P. verrucosa, except for the southernmost site. Conversely, S. pistillata
exhibited a complex population structure with evidence for within-reef
and regional genetic differentiation, in line with differences in their
reproductive mode (P. verrucosa is a broadcast spawner and S. pistillata
is a brooder). Analysis for genomic loci under positive selection
identified 85 sites (18 of which were in coding sequences) that
distinguished the southern P. verrucosa population from the
remainder of the Red Sea population. By comparison, we found 128 loci
(24 of which were residing in coding sequences) in S. pistillata
with evidence for local adaptation at various sites. Functional
annotation of the underlying proteins revealed putative roles in the
response to stress, lipid metabolism, transport, cytoskeletal
rearrangement, and ciliary function (among others). Microbial
assemblages of both coral species showed pervasive association with
microalgal symbionts from the genus Symbiodinium (former clade A) and bacteria from the genus Endozoicomonas
that exhibited significant differences according to host genotype and
environment. The disparity of population genetic and holobiont
assemblage patterns even between closely related species (family
Pocilloporidae) highlights the need for multispecies investigations to
better understand the role of the environment in shaping evolutionary
trajectories. It further emphasizes the importance of networks of reef
reserves to achieve conservation of genetic variants critical to the
future survival of coral ecosystems.