Microsatellite primer development for the seagrass Zostera nigricaulis (Zosteraceae)
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TECHNICAL NOTE
Microsatellite primer development for the seagrass Zostera nigricaulis (Zosteraceae) Timothy M. Smith • Paul H. York • Annalise M. Stanley • Peter I. Macreadie • Michael J. Keough • D. Jeff Ross • Craig D. H. Sherman
Received: 9 January 2013 / Accepted: 22 January 2013 / Published online: 3 February 2013 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
Abstract Seagrasses are marine angiosperms with a worldwide distribution that form conspicuous beds in nearshore habitats. Despite being universally recognised as a foundation species that performs a number of important ecosystems functions (incl. sediment stabilisation, facilitation of biodiversity, nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration), global seagrass habitats are in decline. Resilience—the ability to recover from disturbance without switching to an alternative state—is paramount to the maintenance and persistence of seagrass habitats. Genetic diversity is a key component of seagrass resilience and contributes to an understanding of population structure, connectivity between populations, and reproductive strategies. Microsatellite primers were developed to investigate the resilience of the seagrass Zostera nigricaulis, which dominates subtidal habitats in the bays of south-eastern Australia. We also tested for cross-amplification of markers between Z. nigricaulis and previously developed markers for the sympatric species T. M. Smith (&) P. H. York A. M. Stanley C. D. H. Sherman Centre of Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Pigdons Rd, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3217, Australia e-mail: [email protected] P. I. Macreadie Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster (C3), School of the Environment, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia M. J. Keough Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia D. J. Ross Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Hobart, TAS 7053, Australia
Z. muelleri to assess their applicability for use in assessing patterns of genetic diversity, population structure, and mating system. Using next-generation sequencing we isolated 11 novel microsatellite loci for Z. nigricaulis, 8 of which were polymorphic for the samples tested. Allelic diversity ranged from 1 to 8. None of the primer pairs developed for Z. nigricaulis cross-amplified in Z. muelleri; but 14 of 24 primer pairs previously developed for Z. muelleri amplified clearly in Z. nigricaulis samples with six of these showing polymorphism. The results demonstrate the applicability of the Z. nigricaulis microsatellite primers for use in the study of population genetics and limited cross-amplification with Z. muelleri. Keywords Zostera nigricaulis Microsatellite markers Cross-amplification Genetic structure Seagrass
Seagrasses are important foundation species that occupy shallow estuarine and coastal waters and provide a variety of important ecosystem services with substantial economic value (e.g. facil
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