Open AccessIntracoastal shipping drives patterns of regional population expansion by an invasive marine invertebrate
Author(s) -
Darling John A.,
Herborg LeifMatthias,
Davidson Ian C.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.362
Subject(s) - range (aeronautics) , invasive species , biology , population , ecology , invertebrate , tunicate , microsatellite , gene flow , genetic variation , demography , allele , gene , engineering , aerospace engineering , biochemistry , sociology
Understanding the factors contributing to expansion of nonnative populations is a critical step toward accurate risk assessment and effective management of biological invasions. Nevertheless, few studies have attempted explicitly to test hypotheses regarding factors driving invasive spread by seeking correlations between patterns of vector movement and patterns of genetic connectivity. Herein, we describe such an attempt for the invasive tunicate S tyela clava in the northeastern Pacific. We utilized microsatellite data to estimate gene flow between samples collected throughout the known range of S . clava in the region, and assessed correlation of these estimates with patterns of intracoastal commercial vessel traffic. Our results suggest that recent shipping patterns have contributed to the contemporary distribution of genetic variation. However, the analysis also indicates that other factors—including a complex invasion history and the influence of other vectors—have partially obscured genetic patterns associated with intracoastal population expansion.