New insights on the population genetic structure of the great scallop (Pecten maximus) in the English Channel, coupling microsatellite data and demogenetic simulations

The great scallop (Pecten maximus) is a commercially important bivalve in Europe, particularly in the English Channel, where fisheries are managed at regional and local scales through the regulation of fishing effort. In the long term, knowledge about larval dispersal and gene flow between populatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aquatic conservation 2020-10, Vol.30 (10), p.1841-1853
Main Authors: Handal, William, Szostek, Claire, Hold, Natalie, Andrello, Marco, Thiébaut, Eric, Harney, Ewan, Lefebvre, Gwendoline, Borcier, Elodie, Jolivet, Aurélie, Nicolle, Amandine, Boyé, Aurélien, Foucher, Eric, Boudry, Pierre, Charrier, Grégory
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal biology
Biology
Computer simulation
Coupling
Dispersal
Dispersion
Empirical analysis
English Channel
Fisheries
Fisheries management
Fishing
Fishing effort
Fishing grounds
Fishing zones
Gene flow
Genetic analysis
genetic modelling
genetic resources management
Genetic structure
great scallop
Larvae
Life Sciences
low genetic structure
Marine molluscs
Microsatellites
Mollusks
Ocean, Atmosphere
Pecten maximus
Population
Population biology
Population genetics
Population studies
Populations
Sciences of the Universe
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Summary:The great scallop (Pecten maximus) is a commercially important bivalve in Europe, particularly in the English Channel, where fisheries are managed at regional and local scales through the regulation of fishing effort. In the long term, knowledge about larval dispersal and gene flow between populations is essential to ensure proper stock management. Yet, previous population genetic studies have reported contradictory results. In this study, scallop samples collected across the main fishing grounds along the French and English coasts of the English Channel (20 samples with temporal replicates for three sites, n = 1059 individuals), and the population genetic structure was analysed using 13 microsatellite loci. Coupling empirical genetic data with demogenetic modelling based on a biophysical model simulating larval exchanges among scallop beds revealed a subtle genetic differentiation between south‐west English populations and the rest of the English Channel, which was consistent with larval dispersal simulations. The present study provides a step forward in the understanding of great scallop population biology in the English Channel, underlining the fact that even in a context of potentially high gene flow and recent divergence times since the end of the last glacial maximum, weak but significant spatial genetic structure can be identified at a regional scale.
ISSN:1052-7613
1099-0755
DOI:10.1002/aqc.3316