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Conserv Genet (2012) 13:16231635
DOI 10.1007/s10592-012-0414-2
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Puerto Rico and Florida manatees represent genetically distinct groups
Margaret E. Hunter Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni
Kimberly Pause Tucker Timothy L. King
Robert K. Bonde Brian A. Gray Peter M. McGuire
Received: 10 January 2012 / Accepted: 24 September 2012 / Published online: 7 October 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht (outside the USA) 2012
Abstract The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) populations in Florida (T. m. latirostris) and Puerto Rico (T. m. manatus) are considered distinct subspecies and are listed together as endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. Sustained management and conservation efforts for the Florida subspecies have led to the
suggested reclassication of the species to a threatened or delisted status. However, the two populations are geographically distant, morphologically distinct, and habitat degradation and boat strikes continue to threaten the Puerto Rico population. Here, 15 microsatellite markers and mitochondrial control region sequences were used to determine the relatedness of the two populations and investigate the genetic diversity and phylogeographic organization of the Puerto Rico population. Highly divergent allele frequencies were identied between Florida and Puerto Rico using microsatellite (FST = 0.16; RST = 0.12 (P \ 0.001)) and mitochondrial (FST = 0.66; AST = 0.50 (P \ 0.001)) DNA. Microsatellite Bayesian cluster analyses detected two populations (K = 2) and no admixture or recent migrants between Florida (q = 0.99) and Puerto Rico (q = 0.98). The microsatellite genetic diversity values in Puerto Rico (HE = 0.45; NA = 3.9), were similar, but lower than those previously identied in Florida (HE = 0.48, NA = 4.8). Within Puerto Rico, the mitochondrial genetic diversity values (p = 0.001; h = 0.49) were slightly lower than those previously reported (p = 0.002; h = 0.54) and strong phylogeographic structure was identied (FST global = 0.82; AST global = 0.78 (P \ 0.001)). The genetic division with Florida, low diversity, small population size (N = 250), and distinct threats and habitat emphasize the need for separate protections in Puerto Rico. Conservation efforts including threat mitigation, migration corridors, and protection of subpopulations could lead to improved genetic variation in the endangered Puerto Rico manatee population.
Keywords Microsatellite DNA Mitochondria DNA
Marine mammal Endangered species Distinct population
segment Landscape genetics...