Cryptic species and hybridisation in corals: challenges and opportunities for conservation and restoration DOI Creative Commons
Cynthia Riginos, Iva Popovic, Zoe Meziere

et al.

Peer Community Journal, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 4

Published: Nov. 14, 2024

The conservation and management of coral reef ecosystems will benefit from accurate assessments reef-building species diversity. However, the true diversity corals may be obfuscated by cryptic yet genetically distinct groups, which are likely more pervasive than currently recognised. Here, we investigate prevalence groups assess evidence for their permeability to gene flow (hybridisation) via a structured literature review genomic studies. Using reproducible criteria detect genetic that sympatric, find 68% nominal represented in population studies show comprising partially reproductively isolated these often linked flow. Cryptic frequently segregate environment, especially depth, differ phenotypic characteristics including resilience heat stress. This hidden biodiversity creates challenges restoration planning not well appreciated, hiding declines, biasing estimates species' breadth, overestimating stressors, yielding uncertainty evolutionary dynamics inferred past studies, implying reproductive barriers limit mating between local translocated corals. Incorporating expectation taxa with incomplete boundaries encountered is critical long-term success programs. Studying phenomena detail directly goals. Thus, recommendations best practice strategies identifying hybridisation. In addition, present an untapped resource studying speciation could provide rich opportunities collaboration among biologists fill key knowledge gaps relevant restoration.

Language: Английский

Cryptic species and hybridisation in corals: challenges and opportunities for conservation and restoration DOI Creative Commons
Cynthia Riginos, Iva Popovic, Zoe Meziere

et al.

Peer Community Journal, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 4

Published: Nov. 14, 2024

The conservation and management of coral reef ecosystems will benefit from accurate assessments reef-building species diversity. However, the true diversity corals may be obfuscated by cryptic yet genetically distinct groups, which are likely more pervasive than currently recognised. Here, we investigate prevalence groups assess evidence for their permeability to gene flow (hybridisation) via a structured literature review genomic studies. Using reproducible criteria detect genetic that sympatric, find 68% nominal represented in population studies show comprising partially reproductively isolated these often linked flow. Cryptic frequently segregate environment, especially depth, differ phenotypic characteristics including resilience heat stress. This hidden biodiversity creates challenges restoration planning not well appreciated, hiding declines, biasing estimates species' breadth, overestimating stressors, yielding uncertainty evolutionary dynamics inferred past studies, implying reproductive barriers limit mating between local translocated corals. Incorporating expectation taxa with incomplete boundaries encountered is critical long-term success programs. Studying phenomena detail directly goals. Thus, recommendations best practice strategies identifying hybridisation. In addition, present an untapped resource studying speciation could provide rich opportunities collaboration among biologists fill key knowledge gaps relevant restoration.

Language: Английский

Citations

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