The study warns that even in marine protected areas, the genetic diversity of marine habitat-forming species such as corals, gorgonians and macroalgae is not protected.
Species known as marine habitat-forming species -gorgonians, corals, algae, seaweeds, marine phanerogams, etc.- are organisms that help generate and structure the underwater landscapes. These are natural refuges for other species, and provide biomass and complexity to the seabeds. But these key species in marine ecosystems are currently threatened by climate change and other perturbations derived from human activity. Now, a study published in the journal
The study was carried out by
Genetic diversity is also a component of biodiversity
Traditionally, marine biodiversity management and conservation plans have considered factors such as species richness. Genetic diversity -another major component of biodiversity- reflects the genetic variation that exists among organisms of the same species and is a determining factor in the adaptive capacity of populations and their survival. Despite its importance, genetic diversity has so far been overlooked in management and conservation plans.
'Genetic diversity plays a key role in enhancing the ability of species, populations and communities to adapt to rapid environmental changes resulting from climate change and thus increase their resilience', says researcher
'However, -she continues- so far, the vast majority of marine protected areas are implemented based on the presence of several species and habitats, without considering their genetic diversity. Another example would be the red list of the
'In recent years, the need to focus conservation efforts on the protection of genetic diversity has been reinforced. Technological progress in the massive development of different techniques to determine genetic diversity (for example, through the use of microsatellites or small DNA fragments), as well as their affordable cost, can help to include genetic diversity in management and conservation plans', says the researcher from the
From the northwest
The study applies macrogenetic techniques to identify general genetic patterns of diverse marine species at large spatial scales. The authors have analyzed data from a global database containing genetic diversity information (based on microsatellites) for more than 9,300 populations of 140 species in different marine regions around the globe.
The results outline a reference scenario of genetic patterns in marine habitat-forming species (corals, macroalgae, marine phanerogams, etc.) of potential interest for improving marine life management and conservation plans.
The northwest
The findings also indicate a positive correlation between genetic diversity and species richness of both animal and plant marine habitat-forming species. However, the paper warns of a worrying result: the Network of Marine Protected Areas (RAMP) in the large oceanic ecoregions does not preserve areas where the genetic diversity of marine habitat-forming species is highest.
'What we have seen is that what is not being protected in MPAs is genetic diversity. In the study, the initial hypothesis was that within these areas there would be greater genetic diversity, but this has not been the case. In fact, we have seen, at a global level, that there are no differences in genetic diversity between inside and outside the MPAs', notes
A new pattern of equatorial biodiversity at the poles
The authors have also identified a specific pattern in the distribution of genetic diversity of the marine habitat-forming species that differs from the traditional models known to date. 'This is a bimodal latitudinal pattern: it is a complex biogeographic model and it implies that if we model how the genetic diversity of these species varies with latitude, we find two peaks in temperate zones and a small dip in genetic diversity at the equator', notes the ICREA Academia professor
This scientific discovery is relevant because until a few decades ago it was considered that the distribution of biodiversity on the planet followed a unimodal pattern, that is, it had maximum values at the equator and decreased towards the poles. 'This is not always the case, especially in terms of species diversity in marine ecosystems. For example, in the case of benthic species, this pattern is biomodal rather than unimodal in terms of both species richness and genetic diversity', explains
'In our study, the bimodal latitudinal pattern is influenced by taxonomy: in the used model, we found statistically significant differences between animal species (more genetic diversity) and plant species (less genetic diversity). Furthermore, if we explore the latitudinal pattern separating animal and plant species, we can see that a bimodal pattern continues to be observed in animals, but the same cannot be said for plants', adds researcher
Genetic diversity: improving conservation management plans
The conclusions of the work recall the need to include the genetic diversity of populations in biodiversity management and conservation plans on the planet. 'The importance of having genetic diversity in biodiversity management and conservation plans has just been reinforced with the 'Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework' within the
This study also reveals that the Mediterranean and
'On the other hand, if we look at the analyzed taxa, we see that the
???????Reference article:
Figuerola-Ferrando, L.; Barreiro, A.; Montero-Serra, I.; Pages-Escola, M.; Garrabou, J.; Linares, C.; Ledoux, J.B. 'Global patterns and drivers of genetic diversity among marine habitat-forming species'.
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