includes microsatellite genotypes of all genets of S. hystrix from northwest Australia in GenAlex... more includes microsatellite genotypes of all genets of S. hystrix from northwest Australia in GenAlex forma
Management strategies designed to conserve coral reefs threatened by climate change need to incor... more Management strategies designed to conserve coral reefs threatened by climate change need to incorporate knowledge of the spatial distribution of inter- and intra-specific genetic diversity. We characterised patterns of genetic diversity and connectivity using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in two reef-building corals to explore the eco-evolutionary processes that sustain populations in northwest Australia. Our sampling focused on the unique reefs of the Kimberley; we collected the broadcast spawning coral Acropora aspera (n = 534) and the brooding coral Isopora brueggemanni (n = 612) across inter-archipelago (tens to hundreds of kilometres), inter-reef (kilometres to tens of kilometres) and within-reef (tens of metres to a few kilometres) scales. Initial analysis of A. aspera identified four highly divergent lineages that were co-occurring but morphologically similar. Subsequent population analyses focused on the most abundant and widespread lineage, Acropora asp-c. Although...
This project was funded (commissioned) by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution as pa... more This project was funded (commissioned) by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution as part of the WAMSI Kimberley Marine Research Program, a $30M program with seed funding of $12M provided by State government as part of the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy. The Program has been made possible through co-investment from the WAMSI Joint Venture partners and further enabled by data and information provided by Woodside Energy Ltd.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, a technique for retrieving multispecies DNA from environm... more Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, a technique for retrieving multispecies DNA from environmental samples, can detect a diverse array of marine species from filtered seawater samples. There is a growing potential to integrate eDNA alongside existing monitoring methods in order to establish or improve the assessment of species diversity. Remote island reefs are increasingly vulnerable to climate‐related threats and as such there is a pressing need for cost‐effective whole‐ecosystem surveying to baseline biodiversity, study assemblage changes and ultimately develop sustainable management plans. We investigated the utility of eDNA metabarcoding as a high‐resolution, multitrophic biomonitoring tool at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia (CKI)—a remote tropical coral reef atoll situated within the eastern Indian Ocean. Metabarcoding assays targeting the mitochondrial 16S rRNA and CO1 genes, as well as the 18S rRNA nuclear gene, were applied to 252 surface seawater samples collected from 42 sites within a 140 km2 area. Our assays successfully detected a wide range of bony fish and elasmobranchs (244 taxa), crustaceans (88), molluscs (37) and echinoderms (7). Assemblage composition varied significantly between sites, reflecting habitat partitioning across the island ecosystem and demonstrating the localisation of eDNA signals, despite extensive tidal and oceanic movements. In addition, we document putative new occurrence records for 46 taxa and compare the efficiency of our eDNA approach to visual survey techniques at CKI. Our study demonstrates the utility of a multimarker metabarcoding approach in capturing multitrophic biodiversity across an entire coral reef atoll and sets an important baseline for ongoing monitoring and management.
AimTo describe, model and assess the relative importance of environmental and climatic factors li... more AimTo describe, model and assess the relative importance of environmental and climatic factors likely influencing the regional distribution of coral cover and assemblages with contrasting life histories and susceptibilities to bleaching.LocationWe compiled the first comprehensive empirical dataset for coral communities in the south‐eastern Indian Ocean (SEIO), incorporating information from 392 sites along the western coast of Australia and offshore atolls/islands across ~19° of latitude.MethodsWe assessed hard coral cover and community composition to genus using point‐intercept transects or point‐count analysis of digital images taken along transects. We explored spatial variation in environmental conditions and in composition of corals with contrasting life histories. After de‐trending the temporal patterns, we assessed the relative importance of environmental metrics to coral cover, life histories and bleaching susceptibility using a full subsets model‐selection approach with gen...
The project was undertaken to assess the reef health, status, fisheries potential, conservation v... more The project was undertaken to assess the reef health, status, fisheries potential, conservation value and biodiversity of two atolls in the Marshall Islands: Rongelap and Bikini. The data produced represent a first comprehensive reference of reef status at national and international level and are used to recommend national marine conservation plans for Rongelap and Bikini. This report focuses on Rongelap Atoll. There is much interest from the local Government for the management of marine resources and the plans to re-inhabit the ...
<p>The number of sites for each location is shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.or... more <p>The number of sites for each location is shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0083965#pone-0083965-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>. <i>R<sup>2</sup></i> and the 1∶1 relationship are shown for significant associations.</p
The effective management of rare and threatened species, especially in areas where population siz... more The effective management of rare and threatened species, especially in areas where population sizes have diminished, relies on knowledge of their distribution. This is a particular challenge in aquatic environments for cryptic species with low abundance. Environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches offer improved detection rates of rare and threatened species in comparison with traditional sampling approaches. In this study, eDNA sampling and traditional seine netting were undertaken across the historical range of the Critically Endangered estuarine pipefish (<em>Syngnathus watermeyeri</em>) in South Africa. Across 39 sites, five water samples were collected for eDNA analysis (<em>n=195</em>) along with three seine netting hauls (<em>n=117</em>). Habitat and environmental data were collected at each location to explore potential relationships with pipefish presence. We successfully detected <em>S. watermeyeri </em>in two estuaries (Kariega and ...
includes latitude and longitude in decimal degrees of each site, region, system and Reef of S. hy... more includes latitude and longitude in decimal degrees of each site, region, system and Reef of S. hystrix collection
includes GenBank Accession Numbers for new mtDNA sequences for S. hystrix individuals from northw... more includes GenBank Accession Numbers for new mtDNA sequences for S. hystrix individuals from northwest Australi
metadata README file describing each data file for DRYAD submission to accompany Underwood et al ... more metadata README file describing each data file for DRYAD submission to accompany Underwood et al (Submitted to Molecular Ecology 2018) Genetic signatures through space, time and multiple disturbances in a ubiquitous brooding cora
includes microsatellite genotypes of all genets of S. hystrix from northwest Australia in GenAlex... more includes microsatellite genotypes of all genets of S. hystrix from northwest Australia in GenAlex forma
Management strategies designed to conserve coral reefs threatened by climate change need to incor... more Management strategies designed to conserve coral reefs threatened by climate change need to incorporate knowledge of the spatial distribution of inter- and intra-specific genetic diversity. We characterised patterns of genetic diversity and connectivity using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in two reef-building corals to explore the eco-evolutionary processes that sustain populations in northwest Australia. Our sampling focused on the unique reefs of the Kimberley; we collected the broadcast spawning coral Acropora aspera (n = 534) and the brooding coral Isopora brueggemanni (n = 612) across inter-archipelago (tens to hundreds of kilometres), inter-reef (kilometres to tens of kilometres) and within-reef (tens of metres to a few kilometres) scales. Initial analysis of A. aspera identified four highly divergent lineages that were co-occurring but morphologically similar. Subsequent population analyses focused on the most abundant and widespread lineage, Acropora asp-c. Although...
This project was funded (commissioned) by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution as pa... more This project was funded (commissioned) by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution as part of the WAMSI Kimberley Marine Research Program, a $30M program with seed funding of $12M provided by State government as part of the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy. The Program has been made possible through co-investment from the WAMSI Joint Venture partners and further enabled by data and information provided by Woodside Energy Ltd.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, a technique for retrieving multispecies DNA from environm... more Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, a technique for retrieving multispecies DNA from environmental samples, can detect a diverse array of marine species from filtered seawater samples. There is a growing potential to integrate eDNA alongside existing monitoring methods in order to establish or improve the assessment of species diversity. Remote island reefs are increasingly vulnerable to climate‐related threats and as such there is a pressing need for cost‐effective whole‐ecosystem surveying to baseline biodiversity, study assemblage changes and ultimately develop sustainable management plans. We investigated the utility of eDNA metabarcoding as a high‐resolution, multitrophic biomonitoring tool at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia (CKI)—a remote tropical coral reef atoll situated within the eastern Indian Ocean. Metabarcoding assays targeting the mitochondrial 16S rRNA and CO1 genes, as well as the 18S rRNA nuclear gene, were applied to 252 surface seawater samples collected from 42 sites within a 140 km2 area. Our assays successfully detected a wide range of bony fish and elasmobranchs (244 taxa), crustaceans (88), molluscs (37) and echinoderms (7). Assemblage composition varied significantly between sites, reflecting habitat partitioning across the island ecosystem and demonstrating the localisation of eDNA signals, despite extensive tidal and oceanic movements. In addition, we document putative new occurrence records for 46 taxa and compare the efficiency of our eDNA approach to visual survey techniques at CKI. Our study demonstrates the utility of a multimarker metabarcoding approach in capturing multitrophic biodiversity across an entire coral reef atoll and sets an important baseline for ongoing monitoring and management.
AimTo describe, model and assess the relative importance of environmental and climatic factors li... more AimTo describe, model and assess the relative importance of environmental and climatic factors likely influencing the regional distribution of coral cover and assemblages with contrasting life histories and susceptibilities to bleaching.LocationWe compiled the first comprehensive empirical dataset for coral communities in the south‐eastern Indian Ocean (SEIO), incorporating information from 392 sites along the western coast of Australia and offshore atolls/islands across ~19° of latitude.MethodsWe assessed hard coral cover and community composition to genus using point‐intercept transects or point‐count analysis of digital images taken along transects. We explored spatial variation in environmental conditions and in composition of corals with contrasting life histories. After de‐trending the temporal patterns, we assessed the relative importance of environmental metrics to coral cover, life histories and bleaching susceptibility using a full subsets model‐selection approach with gen...
The project was undertaken to assess the reef health, status, fisheries potential, conservation v... more The project was undertaken to assess the reef health, status, fisheries potential, conservation value and biodiversity of two atolls in the Marshall Islands: Rongelap and Bikini. The data produced represent a first comprehensive reference of reef status at national and international level and are used to recommend national marine conservation plans for Rongelap and Bikini. This report focuses on Rongelap Atoll. There is much interest from the local Government for the management of marine resources and the plans to re-inhabit the ...
<p>The number of sites for each location is shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.or... more <p>The number of sites for each location is shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0083965#pone-0083965-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>. <i>R<sup>2</sup></i> and the 1∶1 relationship are shown for significant associations.</p
The effective management of rare and threatened species, especially in areas where population siz... more The effective management of rare and threatened species, especially in areas where population sizes have diminished, relies on knowledge of their distribution. This is a particular challenge in aquatic environments for cryptic species with low abundance. Environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches offer improved detection rates of rare and threatened species in comparison with traditional sampling approaches. In this study, eDNA sampling and traditional seine netting were undertaken across the historical range of the Critically Endangered estuarine pipefish (<em>Syngnathus watermeyeri</em>) in South Africa. Across 39 sites, five water samples were collected for eDNA analysis (<em>n=195</em>) along with three seine netting hauls (<em>n=117</em>). Habitat and environmental data were collected at each location to explore potential relationships with pipefish presence. We successfully detected <em>S. watermeyeri </em>in two estuaries (Kariega and ...
includes latitude and longitude in decimal degrees of each site, region, system and Reef of S. hy... more includes latitude and longitude in decimal degrees of each site, region, system and Reef of S. hystrix collection
includes GenBank Accession Numbers for new mtDNA sequences for S. hystrix individuals from northw... more includes GenBank Accession Numbers for new mtDNA sequences for S. hystrix individuals from northwest Australi
metadata README file describing each data file for DRYAD submission to accompany Underwood et al ... more metadata README file describing each data file for DRYAD submission to accompany Underwood et al (Submitted to Molecular Ecology 2018) Genetic signatures through space, time and multiple disturbances in a ubiquitous brooding cora
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