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Population Genetic Structure Of The Temperate Scleractinian Coral, Oculina Arbuscula, In Coastal Georgia, Lauren Michelle Wagner
Population Genetic Structure Of The Temperate Scleractinian Coral, Oculina Arbuscula, In Coastal Georgia, Lauren Michelle Wagner
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Dispersal of marine organisms has generally been assumed to be demographically open with planktonic larvae exploiting ocean currents to travel long distances. However, recent studies report evidence of local larval recruitment. In this study, I hypothesized that populations of the temperate coral, Oculina arbuscula, are maintained primarily by local recruitment off the Georgia coast because: 1) suitable substrate for settlement is patchy and 2) O. arbuscula's branching morphology is conducive to asexual reproduction by fragmentation. To address this hypothesis, I combined data from allozyme electrophoresis, histocompatibility assays, and despersion of established colonies. Results indicated substantial local recruitment maintained primarily by …
Molecular Population Genetics Of The Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab, Uca Pugilator, Along The Atlantic Coast, David A. Weese
Molecular Population Genetics Of The Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab, Uca Pugilator, Along The Atlantic Coast, David A. Weese
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Author's abstract: The Atlantic sand fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, is an extremely abundant fiddler crab found along the eastern and Gulf coast of the United States. Fiddler crabs have a life cycle with an obligatory planktonic larval phase of 30-90 days, which might be expected to lead to widespread larval dispersal and consequent genetic homogeneity over considerable distances. However a large amount of morphological and behavioral variation is found between northern and southern populations along the eastern coast. This study was undertaken to determine the population genetic structure of U. pugilator and to determine whether these differences may have a …