Seascape genomics of Antarctic deep-sea coral: Groundtruthing larval dispersal models with genetic connectivity data

详细了解扩散和遗传联系对于确定种群持续性和生产力、物种形成、适当的管理规模以及从气候变化和/或捕鱼等不利影响中恢复的潜力至关重要。幼虫扩散模型（LDMs）将数学流体动力学模型与物种的生物学数据相结合，以预测种群的连通性。与需要大量采样和昂贵的实验室分析的遗传连接性研究相比，它们在时间和精力方面都是经济的。出于这个原因，LDM越来越多地用于海洋环境中以研究连通性（Ross等人，2016年; 2019年）;特别是在具有挑战性的采样区域，例如深海。然而，很少有LDM与遗传连接数据进行验证。该项目将LDM输出与地面真实的基因组连接数据进行比较-一种称为“海景基因组学”的组合方法（Selkoe et al.，2016年）。通过使用环境数据和基因组数据，将研究这个快速变化地区的连通性驱动因素。该研究的重点是来自亚南极英国海外领土的深海珊瑚礁-其中一些是海洋保护区，使该项目具有很大的管理影响潜力。

A detailed understanding of dispersal and genetic connectivity is critical in determining the processes underpinning population persistence and productivity, speciation, appropriate scales for management, and the potential for recovery from detrimental impacts e.g. climate change and/or fishing. Larval dispersal models (LDMs) integrate mathematical hydrodynamic models with species' biological data to predict population connectivity. They are economical, in terms of time and effort, compared to genetic connectivity research that require extensive sampling and expensive laboratory analyses. For this reason, LDMs are increasingly used in marine environments to investigate connectivity (Ross et al., 2016; 2019); especially in areas challenging to sample, e.g. deep sea. However, very few LDMs are validated with genetic connectivity data. This project compares LDM outputs with ground-truthed genomic connectivity data - a combined approach called "seascape genomics" (Selkoe et al., 2016). By using environmental data alongside genomic data, the drivers of connectivity across this rapidly-changing region will be investigated. The study focuses on deep-sea octocorals from sub-Antarctic UK overseas territories - some are marine protected areas giving this project an applied output with great potential for management impacts.