Population genetics of dwarf eelgrass Zostera nolti throughout its biogeographic range

The marine angiosperm Zostera noltii (dwarf eelgrass), an important facilitator species and food source for invertebrates and waterfowl, predominantly inhabits intertidal habitats along eastern Atlantic shores from Mauritania to southern Norway/Kattegat Sea and throughout the Mediterranean, Black and Azov seas. We used 9 microsatellite loci to characterize population structure at a variety of spatial scales among 33 populations from 11 localities throughout the entire biogeographic range. Isolation by distance analysis suggested a panmictic genetic neighborhood of 100 to 150 km. At the global... Mehr ...