Torres Pratts, Hernán

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    Genetic diversity and population structure of Caribbean marine invertebrates
    (2009-12) Torres Pratts, Hernán; Schizas, Nikolaos V.; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Otero Morales, Ernesto; Yoshioka, Paul; Williams, Ernest H.; Montalvo Rodríguez, Rafael; Craig, Matthew T.; Aponte, Nilda E.; Department of Marine Sciences; Muñoz, Carlos Alberto
    Natural populations of many marine invertebrates are under pressure by fisheries due to the increasing demand and unit prices leading to overexploitation. I examined the genetic variation of two marine invertebrates: the corallimorpharian Ricordea florida and the emerald crab Mithraculus sculptus both of which are heavily traded by the marine aquarium industry. A third species studied, the commensal barnacle Chelonibia caretta, was not under direct fishing pressure, but its host is an endangered species, the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). Using direct sequencing of mitochondrial genes (COI and 16S) and the nuclear the ITS region (ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2), the phylogeography and genetic population structure of these invertebrates were characterized. The genetic diversity in C. caretta was low compared to published sequences from populations of barnacles attached to fixed substrata. However, genetic diversity values from C. caretta were comparable to those reported from C. testudinaria, an epibiont barnacle on loggerhead turtles. Analysis of molecular variance and phylogenetic analysis of the sampled turtle epibionts indicated that they are genetically homogeneous, irrespective of the host or host gender. In contrast, the phylogeography of the ITS region of the coral R. florida uncovered two partial sympatric genetic lineages. These lineages showed two highly supported monophyletic groups when they were compared phylogenetically against published nuclear ribosomal sequences of other genera of Corallimorpharia (Actinodiscus, Amplexidiscus, Corynactis, and Rhodactis). Similarly to R. florida, the phylogeographic analysis of M. sculptus based on 16S revealed two distinct lineages distributed throughout the sampled region. The analysis of molecular variance and the phylogeography of the sampled populations of M. sculptus reflected that most of the specimens within each lilneage were collected from demographically open populations within the western Caribbean. In general, the three species studied are consistent with the prediction that higher rates of dispersal reduce population divergence and estimates of nucleotide diversity. As in previous studies, the absence of genetic differentiation between geographical distant populations of these species suggests high connectivity between all sampled areas. Additionally, the presence of cryptic lineages confirms concerns regarding that biodiversity can be vastly understudied for marine environment.