Paleogenetics of Pleistocene Deep-Water Corals from the Mediterranean Sea: The Rise and Fall of Coral Populations within the Basin

该项目考察了控制地中海深水珊瑚扩散的过程，随着时间的推移，基因流动的许多生物地理障碍阻碍了幼虫的进入和定居。直到最近，只有亚化石的硬核期Lophelia pertusa河岸、珊瑚礁和土丘被最终发现（日期为晚更新世，~ 11000年前）。目前的假说认为，这种珊瑚和其他许多物种是被直布罗陀海峡从东北大西洋外的繁盛种群中隔离出来的，地中海在更新世的压力下充当了深水珊瑚的避难所，后来被海洋条件切断，最终灭绝。然而，2001年，在爱奥尼亚海发现了一片欣欣向荣的L. pertusa珊瑚礁，引发了许多关于该物种种群动态和生态的基本问题。在与国际科学家的合作中，我们提出的工作将利用珊瑚骨骼上的新型古代DNA方法来调查整个地中海的亚化石和活的深水珊瑚堆的遗传连通性，以及它们与外大西洋的联系，以便我们能够回答有关该地区深水珊瑚的生态学和系统地理学的基本问题。这个项目将进一步加深我们对地中海地区和深水珊瑚物种的种群动态以及它们对过去11000年变化的反应的认识。有超过10万名渔民和4万艘船只在地中海范围内作业。在过去20年中，该地区许多传统渔业的种群数量迅速下降。随着传统渔业的减少，开发地中海内深水渔业的行动将很快发生，正如已经在北大西洋外观察到的那样。深水珊瑚是许多商业鱼类的重要栖息地，在进行深水捕鱼的地区（例如东北大西洋、新西兰、澳大利亚），商业拖网渔船的破坏是显而易见的。通过提供有关地中海深水珊瑚的遗传连通性、扩散和殖民化的基本信息，该项目将使人们更好地了解这些种群，并在指定海洋保护区方面做出更明智的决定。这项研究的结果也将提供给HMAP（海洋动物种群的历史）和FMAP（海洋动物种群的未来）项目，这是海洋生物普查（CoML）计划的两个主要组成部分。这些信息还将有助于深入了解气候对历史珊瑚种群的作用，并改进种群对未来气候变化反应的预测模型。

This project examines processes controlling deep-water coral dispersal through time inthe Mediterranean Sea, an area where many biogeographical barriers to gene flow impede the entrance and settlement of larvae over time. Until recently, only sub-fossil scleractinian Lophelia pertusa banks, reefs and mounds had been conclusively discovered (dated as late Pleistocene, ~11,000 years ago). Current hypotheses contend that this, and many other, species were isolated from thriving populations in the outer NE Atlantic by the Gibraltar Sill, and that the Mediterranean acted as a refuge for deep-water corals during the stresses of the Pleistocene, later becoming cut off by oceanographic conditions, and eventually dying out. However, in 2001 a thriving L. pertusa reef was discovered in the Ionian Sea, leading to many fundamental questions regarding the population dynamics and ecology of this species. In collaboration with international scientists our proposed work takes advantage of novel ancient DNA approaches on coral skeletons to investigate the genetic connectivity of sub-fossil and live deep-water coral mounds throughout the Mediterranean Sea, as well as their connection to the outer Atlantic Ocean, in order to enable us to answer fundamental questions regarding the ecology and phylogeography of deep-water corals in this region through time. This project will further our knowledge of the population dynamics of both the Mediterranean region, and of deep-water coral species and their reaction to the changes within the last 11,000 years. There are over 100,000 fishermen on 40,000 vessels that work within the confines of the Mediterranean Sea. Over the last 20 years stocks of many traditional fisheries in this area have been in rapid decline. With this decline in traditional fisheries, a move to exploit deeper water fisheries within the Mediterranean will occur soon, as already observed in the outer North Atlantic. Deep-water corals are firmly established as an important habitat for many commercial fish species, and in areas where deep-water fishing occurs (e.g. NE Atlantic, New Zealand, Australia) damage from commercial trawlers is evident. By providing essential information on the genetic connectivity, dispersal and colonization of Mediterranean deep-water corals, this project will allow a better understanding on these populations and allow for more informed decisions on designating marine protected areas. Results from this study will also be provided to the HMAP (The History of Marine Animal Populations) and FMAP (Future of Marine Animal Populations) projects, two of the major elements of the Census of Marine Life (CoML) program. This information will also provide insight into the role of climate on historic coral populations, and improve predictive models of population responses to future climate change.