Amplicon sequencing of 42 nuclear loci supports directional gene flow between South Pacific populations of a hydrothermal vent limpet

• Published in: Ecology and evolution 2019-06, Vol.9 (11), p.6568-6580
• Main Authors: Plouviez, Sophie, LaBella, Abigail Leavitt, Weisrock, David W., von Meijenfeldt, F. A. Bastiaan, Ball, Bernard, Neigel, Joseph E., Van Dover, Cindy L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Basins; Biological evolution; Clustering; Connectivity; conservation genetics; deep‐sea; Demographics; Demography; Dynamic structural analysis; Gene flow; Gene sequencing; Genetic diversity; Genetic structure; Genetic variance; Genetics; Hybrid zones; Hydrothermal plumes; invertebrates; Loci; Marine environment; Mollusks; Offshore structures; Original Research; Phylogeography; Population; Population dynamics; Population genetics; Population structure; Population studies; Populations; Studies
• ISSN: 2045-7758; 2045-7758
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5235

In the past few decades, population genetics and phylogeographic studies have improved our knowledge of connectivity and population demography in marine environments. Studies of deep‐sea hydrothermal vent populations have identified barriers to gene flow, hybrid zones, and demographic events, such as historical population expansions and contractions. These deep‐sea studies, however, used few loci, which limit the amount of information they provided for coalescent analysis and thus our ability to confidently test complex population dynamics scenarios. In this study, we investigated population structure, demographic history, and gene flow directionality among four Western Pacific hydrothermal vent populations of the vent limpet Lepetodrilus aff. schrolli. These vent sites are located in the Manus and Lau back‐arc basins, currently of great interest for deep‐sea mineral extraction. A total of 42 loci were sequenced from each individual using high‐throughput amplicon sequencing. Amplicon sequences were analyzed using both genetic variant clustering methods and evolutionary coalescent approaches. Like most previously investigated vent species in the South Pacific, L. aff. schrolli showed no genetic structure within basins but significant differentiation between basins. We inferred significant directional gene flow from Manus Basin to Lau Basin, with low to no gene flow in the opposite direction. This study is one of the very few marine population studies using >10 loci for coalescent analysis and serves as a guide for future marine population studies. In this study, we use 42 gene amplicons to investigate the population structure, demographic history, and gene flow directionality among four Western Pacific hydrothermal vent populations of the vent limpet Lepetodrilus aff. schrolli. This species showed significant differentiation between basins as well as evidence of gene flow from Manus Basin to Lau Basin, with low to no gene flow in the opposite direction. This study serves a model for studying gene flow which can be used to predict the impact of environmental and/or human disturbance, such as mineral extraction.