| Indonesia is a center of marine biodiversity and its coral reef ecosystems are some of the most threatened worldwide. To help address questions related to the ecology and conservation of these important reefs, I applied a population genetic approach to understand the connectivity of two species of reef-building corals, Pocillopora damicornis and Seriatopora hystrix . Gene flow and genetic diversity were assessed in West Papua, Indonesia to determine whether or not a network of marine protected areas would provide insurance against population decline. Results indicated that a network of protected areas may mitigate coral population decline by maintaining larval connectivity among reefs in the region. The genetic diversity of recovering coral populations in the Sunda Strait, which were completely destroyed by the volcano Krakatau in 1883, was also studied. Results indicated that Krakatau was colonized mainly by nearby reefs in Pulau Seribu with additional immigration from more distant reefs. This study can serve as a model for the recovery of genetic diversity following severe disturbance, such as a mass bleaching event or dynamite fishing. Finally, a country-wide assessment of gene flow was undertaken to test hypotheses concerning barriers to larval dispersal in the Indonesian Seas. Although gene flow was high in both species and there were no clear barriers to dispersal, populations were notably subdivided across the archipelago. Taken together, these results indicate that population genetic approaches can provide valuable information for marine reserve design and improve our understanding of natural recovery processes. |
