Inferring patterns of connectivity and defining conservation priorities in the coral triangle through the integration of genetics and modelling

Abstract

The reefs of the Coral Triangle are the most diverse and most threatened reefs in the world. Although marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential to the conservation of this global biodiversity hotspot, successful implementation will require a regional focus for management planning and a knowledge of patterns of connectivity so that the ecological and evolutionary links among reefs required for long-term stability can be maintained. This study examines the patterns of phylogeography and genetic connectivity across Indonesia in a broad range of reef dwelling taxa, repressenting multiple reef functional groups ranging from corals to pelagic fish. Results indicate an absence of connectivity in many regions, including (1) between Indian and Pacific Ocean populations spanning the Indonesian Archipelago, (ii) between populations east and west of the Maluku Sea, and (iii) between populations north and south of the Java and Flores Seas. Absence of genetic connectivity across these regions indicates an absence of demographic connectivity, providing data to support the designation of biogeographic boundaries for regional management planning. Genetic models of connectivity were compared to predictions based on geographically explicit predictive models of larval dispersal on ecological time scales. The use of genetic data to validate computer-based models of connectivity may allow a more detailed understanding of patterns of larval dispersal and connectivity within regional management areas, allowing managers to appropriately site and space MPAs throughout the Coral Triangle.