8d ago
Stepping-stone population structure and sidespread clonality of the mesophotic octocoral Swiftia exserta in the warm temperate northwest Atlantic
Pittoors · N. C. · Lopera · L. · Vohsen · S. A. · Galaska · M. P. · +8 more
Abstract
Isolated mesophotic banks form spatially discrete networks of patchy ecosystems along continental shelves. Their long-term persistence depends on connectivity among populations of the dominant coral species that structure these communities. Yet the scale of larval-mediated gene flow across these networks remains poorly characterized. Similarly, the extent to which clonal propagation shapes local population dynamics is unresolved, leaving the relative contributions of sexual and asexual reproduct
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