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CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROSATELLITE LOCI IN THE WIDELY INTRODUCED ESTUARINE ANEMONE NEMATOSTELLA VECTENSIS
Citation:
DARLING, J., A. M. REITZEL, AND J. R. FINNERTY. CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROSATELLITE LOCI IN THE WIDELY INTRODUCED ESTUARINE ANEMONE NEMATOSTELLA VECTENSIS. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY NOTES. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, 6(3):803-805, (2006).
Impact/Purpose:
The objective of this task is to develop molecular indicators to evaluate the integrity and sustainability of aquatic fish, invertebrate, and plant communities (GPRA goal 4.5.2). Specifically, this subtask aims to evaluate methods for the measurement of: fish and invertebrate community composition, especially for morphologically indistinct (cryptic) species; population genetic structure of aquatic indicator species and its relationship to landscape determinants of population structure (to aid in defining natural assessment units and to allow correlation of population substructure with regional stressor coverages); genetic diversity within populations of aquatic indicator species, as an indicator of vulnerability to further exposure and as an indicator of cumulative exposure; patterns of temporal change in genetic diversity of aquatic indicator species, as a monitoring tool for establishing long-term population trends.
Description:
We characterized ten polymorphic microsatellite loci from Nematostella vectensis, a burrowing anemone recently introduced to estuaries along the Pacific coast of North America and the southeast coast of England. Preliminary results indicate high variability and significant departures from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the latter likely the result of population genetic structure and reproductive plasticity. Both results are consistent with earlier genetic analyses. These markers will be useful for resolving global patterns of introduction and for describing spatio-temporal genetic structure at local and regional scales.