The small genetic world of Seriatopora hystrix

Abstract

The exchange of genetic information among coral reefs, through the transport of larvae, is critical to the function of Australia's Great Barrier Reef because it influences recruitment rates and resilience to disturbance. For many species the genetic composition is not homogeneous and is determined, in part, by the character of the complex dispersal pathways that connect the populations situated on each coral reef. One method of measuring these genetic connections is to examine the microsatellite composition of individual corals and then statistically compare populations across the region. We use these connection strengths, derived from a population similarity measure, to create complex netwo..