Larval Dispersal and Retention Among Sub-populations of Coral Reef Fishes: A Multi-Technique Approach

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Population connectivity - the degree to which geographically-separated groups are linked by dispersal - is a critical parameter in the dynamics of marine populations. Connectivity rates determine colonization patterns of new habitats, the resiliency of populations to harvest, and the design of marine protected areas (MPAs). Quantifying exchange rates in marine organisms is, however, extremely difficult because natal origins of adults are almost invariably unknown. This lack of knowledge is primarily due to the difficulty of conducting mark-recapture studies in species that are characterized by the production of large numbers of small pelagic offspring that suffer high initial mortality rates. The investigators will employ a multi-technique approach that combines mass-marking of fish embryos using inter-generational isotopic labeling of otoliths and paternity analyses based on hypervariable DNA markers to measure dispersal distances of coral reef fishes. Population connectivity will be estimated in two species (Amphiprion percula and A. polymnus) over 3 years in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. The project involves an interdisciplinary partnership with expertise in otolith geochemistry, reef fish ecology, and population genetics.