Genomic analysis of population connectivity in the Scottish marine protected areas network to inform nature conservation

了解受保护物种和栖息地之间以及海洋保护区之间的联系，对于成功管理苏格兰海洋环境至关重要。为了能够建立苏格兰政府所设想的保护区的“连贯的生态网络”，迫切需要对种群之间和种群内部的连通性进行广泛的基础研究。在确定和界定开发、捕鱼活动和气候变化等压力对海洋生物多样性的威胁以及确定种群从不利影响中恢复的能力方面，连通程度是一个主要因素。遗传信息可用于研究种群之间的联系以及种群内的生殖过程和动态。优先海洋特征（PMF）是苏格兰沃茨中优先保护的海洋栖息地和物种。许多PMF受到威胁或正在下降，这增加了了解人口之间联系的紧迫性和重要性。该项目最初将侧重于研究火焰壳（Limaria hians）床之间的连通性，然后酌情扩展到其他PMF。对火焰壳床的研究将建立在目前正在进行的研究之上，由UHI和SNH开发标记并评估苏格兰一部分人群的遗传连接性，将分析扩展到整个苏格兰范围。苏格兰火焰贝壳（Limaria hians）床是国际重要性，和栖息地被认为是严重下降和苏格兰沃茨的威胁。在苏格兰，火焰贝壳床是一个优先海洋特征（PMF），苏格兰西海岸沿着几个海洋保护区的保护特征，并被认为是根据计划于2018年底举行的PMF审查磋商的渔业管理措施进一步保护。所有这一切都使得评估苏格兰火焰贝壳床之间的连通性成为海洋自然保护工作的高度优先事项。一旦建立和优化火焰贝壳的标记开发和分析程序，将酌情考虑进一步的PMF，以便能够对MPA网络内的连通性进行更全面的分析。本项目的目的是：确定苏格兰火焰壳层内部和之间的大规模遗传分化和基因流动，以及其他适当的PMF，通过遗传筛选通过识别源、库和自补群体，阐明MPA地点内群体之间的关系，以及未保护群体之间的关系。hians和其他来自同一种群的PMF，以确定自我招募遗传分析的结果将与数学建模产生的输出和预测进行比较和对比，以最大限度地提高自然保护工作的实用价值。

Understanding connectivity between populations of protected species and habitats, and between Marine Protected Areas, is crucial to the successful management of the Scottish marine environment. In order to be able to establish the "coherent ecological network" of protected areas envisaged by the Scottish government extensive fundamental research into connectivity between and within populations is urgently needed. The degree of connectivity is a major factor in determining and defining threats to marine biodiversity from pressures such as development, fishing activity, and climate change, and in determining a population's ability to recover from adverse impacts. Genetic information can be used to investigate connectivity between populations as well as intra-population reproductive processes and dynamics. Priority marine features (PMFs) are marine habitats and species which are conservation priorities in Scottish waters. Many PMFs are under threat or in decline, which increases the urgency and importance of understanding connectivity between populations. This project will initially focus on researching connectivity between flame shell (Limaria hians) beds, and then expand to other PMFs as appropriate. The research on flame shell beds will build on currently ongoing research by UHI and SNH to develop markers and assess genetic connectivity for a subset of populations in Scotland, extending analysis to cover the entire Scottish range. Scottish flame shell (Limaria hians) beds are of international importance, and the habitat is considered to be severely declined and threatened in Scottish waters. In Scotland, flame shell beds are a priority marine feature (PMF), a protected feature in several MPAs along the Scottish west coast, and are considered for further protection by fisheries management measures under the PMF review consultation scheduled for the end of 2018.The degree of connectivity between flame shell beds in Scotland is unknown. All this makes an assessment of connectivity between Scottish flame shell beds a high priority to marine nature conservation work.Once procedures for marker development and analysis are established and optimised for flame shells further PMFs will be considered as appropriate to enable a more comprehensive analysis of connectivity within the MPA network.Aims of this project are to:Determine broad-scale genetic differentiation and gene flow within and between Scotland's flame shell beds, and other PMFs as appropriate, via genetic screeningClarify the relationship between populations within MPA sites, and between unprotected populations by identifying source, sink and self-recruiting populations Compare genetic differentiation between juvenile and adult individuals of L. hians and other PMFs from the same population to identify self-recruitmentThe findings from the genetic analysis will be compared and contrasted with outputs and predictions created by mathematical modelling to maximise practical value for nature conservation work.