AUTHOR=Mao Xiaowei , Augyte Simona , Huang Mao , Hare Matthew P. , Bailey David , Umanzor Schery , Marty-Rivera Michael , Robbins Kelly R. , Yarish Charles , Lindell Scott , Jannink Jean-Luc 

TITLE=Population Genetics of Sugar Kelp Throughout the Northeastern United States Using Genome-Wide Markers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00694

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2020.00694

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=An assessment of genetic diversity of marine populations is critical not only for the
understanding and preservation of natural biodiversity but also for its economic potential. As
commercial demand rises for marine resources, it is critical to generate baseline information for
monitoring wild populations. Furthermore, anthropogenic stressors on the coastal environment,
such as warming sea surface temperatures and overharvesting of wild populations, are leading to
the destruction of keystone marine species such as kelps. In this study, we conducted a fine-scale
genetic analysis using genome-wide high-density markers on Northwest Atlantic sugar kelp
species, Saccharina latissima and putative species, Saccharina angustissima . The population
structure for a total of 149 samples from the Gulf of Maine (GOM) and Southern New England
(SNE) was investigated using AMOVA, Fst, admixture, and PCoA. Genome-wide association
analyses were conducted for six morphological traits, and the extended Lewontin and Krakauer
(FLK) test was used to detect selection signatures. Our results indicate that the GOM region is
moderately more heterogeneous than SNE. While admixture was observed between regions,
these results confirm that Cape Cod acts as a biogeographic barrier for sugar kelp gene flow. We
detected one significant SNP (P-value=2.03×10 -7 ) associated with stipe length, and 243 SNPs
with higher-than-neutral differentiation. The findings of this study provide fundamental
knowledge on sugar kelp population genetics for future monitoring, managing and potentially
restoring wild populations, as well as assisting in selective breeding to improve desirable traits
for cultivation and bioenergy production.