File(s) under permanent embargo
Modeling population connectivity by ocean currents, a graph-theoretic approach for marine conservation
journal contribution
posted on 2008-01-01, 00:00 authored by Eric TremlEric Treml, P N Halpin, D L Urban, L F PratsonThe dispersal of individuals among marine populations is of great importance to metapopulation dynamics, population persistence, and species expansion. Understanding this connectivity between distant populations is key to their effective conservation and management. For many marine species, population connectivity is determined largely by ocean currents transporting larvae and juveniles between distant patches of suitable habitat. Recent work has focused on the biophysics of marine larval dispersal and its importance to population dynamics, although few studies have evaluated the spatial and temporal patterns of this potential dispersal. Here, we show how an Eulerian advection-diffusion approach can be used to model the dispersal of coral larvae between reefs throughout the Tropical Pacific. We illustrate how this connectivity can be analyzed using graph theory-an effective approach for exploring patterns in spatial connections, as well as for determining the importance of each site and pathway to local and regional connectivity. Results indicate that the scale (average distance) of dispersal in the Pacific is on the order of 50-150 km, consistent with recent studies in the Caribbean (Cowen, et al. 2006). Patterns in the dispersal graphs highlight pathways for larval dispersal along major ocean currents and through island chains. A series of critical island 'stepping stones' are discovered providing potential pathways across the equatorial currents and connecting distant island groups. Patterns in these dispersal graphs highlight possible pathways for species expansions, reveal connected upstream/downstream populations, and suggest areas that might be prioritized for marine conservation efforts.
History
Journal
Landscape ecologyVolume
23Issue
Supplement 1Pagination
19 - 36Publisher
SpringerLocation
Dordrecht, The NetherlandsPublisher DOI
ISSN
0921-2973Language
engPublication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2007, Springer Science+Business Media B.V.Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Coral dispersalGraph theoryMarine protected areasNetworksTropical PacificScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicinePhysical SciencesEcologyGeography, PhysicalGeosciences, MultidisciplinaryEnvironmental Sciences & EcologyPhysical GeographyGeologyLONG-DISTANCE DISPERSALGREAT-BARRIER-REEFGENETIC-STRUCTURELARVAL DISPERSALPROPAGULE DISPERSALBENTHIC INVERTEBRATESSELF-RECRUITMENTCORAL-REEFSPACIFICSCALE
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC