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An investigation of genetic population structure in blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, using nuclear gene sequences

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Abstract

Spatial and temporal genetic heterogeneity in the sequences of nuclear protein-coding genes were investigated in populations of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. Haplotype frequencies of these novel markers were determined for adult crabs collected along 300 km in the northern Gulf of Mexico in two different years (2010 and 2011), as well as for megalopal recruits collected in 2010. Tests of genetic differentiation among all locations and between locations spanning known genetic breaks in other species were conducted. In addition, samples from distant locations within the range of C. sapidus were used to assess genetic divergence on a broader geographic scale. Significant between-year differences were found for adults at one location and near significant spatial differentiation was found across northern Gulf of Mexico locations in 2010. These results suggest that although the large population sizes and meroplanktonic life history of blue crabs promote widespread gene flow on a regional scale, genetic composition can change over just one year. Substantial divergence between the northern Gulf of Mexico and Venezuela suggests the possibility that temporal shifts in haplotype frequencies could result from variation in the rate of immigration from genetically distinct source populations. The possible effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and attendant fisheries closures during the sampling phase of this study are also considered.

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Acknowledgments

This research was made possible by grants from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, the National Science Foundation (OCE-0315995 and NSF (2010)-PFUND-214), and the Louisiana Board of Regents (ENH_2008–09). Special thanks to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Army Corps of Engineers, the University of New Orleans, the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for assistance with sampling. Samples from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Zoological Collection were kindly provided by Darryl Felder who, along with Michael Hellberg, Lawrence Rozas, Caryl Chlan, and two anonymous reviewers, provided comments that significantly improved this manuscript.

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    Bree K. Yednock & Joseph E. Neigel

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Yednock, B.K., Neigel, J.E. An investigation of genetic population structure in blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, using nuclear gene sequences. Mar Biol 161, 871–886 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2387-1

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