This is the presentation by Dr. Rob Toonen of Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, "What is Connectivity and Why Should you Care?" given during the Spring 2011 session of Ocean Awareness Training on Maui.
1. What is connectivity and why should you care? Rob Toonen, Brian Bowen & ToBo Lab members Associate Research Professor Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Maui OAT 2011
8. So what? Entire suite of biological processes such as resilience to disturbance, spread of invasive species or disease, sustainability of fisheries, conservation strategies, and local biodiversity all depend on connectivity
9. All organisms are patchily distributed Giant Kelp forests Tropical island chains Forests & animals that live in them Rocky intertidal Coral Reefs
14. Basic Life History in the Sea Oceanic larvae Adult phase Planktonic larval dispersal
15. Basic Life History in the Sea Oceanic larvae Site selection & metamorphosis Adult phase Planktonic larval dispersal
16. Basic Life History in the Sea Oceanic larvae Site selection & metamorphosis Adult phase Planktonic larval dispersal Roughly 80% of all marine organisms (> 90,000 currently described species of vertebrates, invertebrates & algae) have a biphasic life cycle and produce planktonic propagules. Thorson (1964)
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18. Comparing land and sea Terrestrial & Freshwater Marine Dispersive Stage Growth & Feeding Stage
19. Despite importance of connectivity, planktonic dispersal remains a "black box" Coral Triton snail Feather duster worm Sea Star Crab Sea Urchin Sea Bream Flounder Kelp Zoospore
53. Disproportionate value of BIG fish Larvae of big fish grow nearly 3 times faster and can survive starvation for more than twice as long! Same number of babies, BUT...
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55. Connectivity and Management Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Are these islands and atolls isolated? Do they spillover to MHI? ?
59. Are reef fishes isolated by location? Lau‘i Pala Zebrasoma flavescens (Eble et al. 2009; in review) Some are: Hapu'upu'u Epinephelus quernus (Rivera et al. 2004; 2011)
60. Are reef fishes isolated by location? U'u Myripristis berndti (Craig et al. 2007) Kikakapu Chaetodon fremblii (Craig et al. in prep, Eble et al. 2009) Most are not: Lau‘i Pala Zebrasoma flavescens (Eble et al. 2009; in review) Some are: Hapu'upu'u Epinephelus quernus (Rivera et al. 2004; 2011)
61. Restricted dispersal in endemics? Comparisons across Hawaiian Archipelago: Jeff Eble et al., 2009 Acanthurus nigrofuscus (Mai‘i‘i) Range : Entire Indo-Pacific & Hawai‘i 0 significant pair-wise differences
62. Restricted dispersal in endemics Comparisons across Hawaiian Archipelago: Jeff Eble et al., 2009 Zebrasoma flavescens (Lau‘i Pala ) Range : North Pacific 5 significant pair-wise differences Acanthurus nigrofuscus (Mai‘i‘i) Range : Entire Indo-Pacific & Hawai‘i 0 significant pair-wise differences
63. Restricted dispersal in endemics Jeff Eble et al., 2009 Comparisons across Hawaiian Archipelago: Ctenochaetus strigosus (Kole) Range : Hawaiian endemic 17 significant pair-wise differences Zebrasoma flavescens (Lau‘i Pala ) Range : North Pacific 5 significant pair-wise differences Acanthurus nigrofuscus (Mai‘i‘i) Range : Entire Indo-Pacific & Hawai‘i 0 significant pair-wise differences
64. Population structure in invertebrates A. Faucci, et al., in prep. Vermetid gastropods Kure (Kānemiloha‘i) Midway (Pihemanu) Pearl & Hermes (Holoikauaua) Laysan (Kauō) Lisianski (Papa‘āpoho) Maro (Nalukākala) Gardner (Pūhāhonu) French Frigate Shoals (Mokupāpapa) Necker (Mokumanamana) Nihoa (Moku Manu) Kaua‘i O‘ahu Maui Nui Hawai‘i Johnston Atoll
65. Variability is the rule Spiny lobster ( P. marginatus ) No significant genetic structure thus far (Iacchei, O'Malley et al. in prep.)
66. Variability is the rule Spiny lobster ( P. marginatus ) No significant genetic structure thus far (Iacchei, O'Malley et al. in prep.) Hawaiian spinner dolphin Big Island different than rest of MHI (Andrews, et al. 2006, 2010)
67. Variability is the rule Sea cucumbers (H. whitmaei & H. atra) Connection to Johnston, structure differs widely between the two species (Skillings, Bird, et al. 2010, in prep.) Spiny lobster ( P. marginatus ) No significant genetic structure thus far (Iacchei, O'Malley et al. in prep.) Hawaiian spinner dolphin Big Island different than rest of MHI (Andrews, et al. 2006, 2010)
68. Variability is the rule Sea cucumbers (H. whitmaei & H. atra) Connection to Johnston, structure differs widely between the two species (Skillings, Bird, et al. 2010, in prep.) Hermit crabs ( Calcinus spp.) Structure varies widely among species (Baums, Godwin, et al. in prep.) Spiny lobster ( P. marginatus ) No significant genetic structure thus far (Iacchei, O'Malley et al. in prep.) Hawaiian spinner dolphin Big Island different than rest of MHI (Andrews, et al. 2006, 2010)
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74. W 160° W 155 ° N 19° N 25° Puha’honu Hawaii W 165° N Kauai Molokai Oahu Maui Nihoa Mokupapapa Mokumanamana Differences among ‘opihi - genetic breaks Bird et al. (2007) Molecular Ecology 16:3173-3187 250 km
75. W 160° W 155 ° N 19° N 25° Puha’honu Hawaii W 165° N Kauai Molokai Oahu Maui Nihoa Mokupapapa Mokumanamana Differences among ‘opihi - genetic breaks Bird et al. (2007) Molecular Ecology 16:3173-3187 250 km
76. W 160° W 155 ° N 19° N 25° Puha’honu Hawaii W 165° N Kauai Molokai Oahu Maui Nihoa Mokupapapa Mokumanamana Differences among ‘opihi - genetic breaks Bird et al. (2007) Molecular Ecology 16:3173-3187 250 km
77. C. Bird et al. 2007 Every species is different Johnston Atoll N
78. Every species is different Faucci, et al. in prep. Skillings et al. 2010 Johnston Atoll N
79. P. Simion, C. Bird et al. in prep. Every species is different Johnston Atoll N
80. K. Andrews et al. 2006, 2010 Every species is different Johnston Atoll N
81. J. Schultz et al. 2010 Every species is different Johnston Atoll N
82. Every species is different M. Timmers, et al. 2010 Johnston Atoll N
83. Great – now what?? Stacked single species patterns of connectivity from 27 species across the Hawaiian Archipelago (Toonen et al. 2011) Johnston Atoll N
84. 14 / 20 12 / 21 16 / 24 10 / 18 At Least 4 Major Barriers to Dispersal (preliminary results from 27 species; ~ 30 species to go) 8 / 19 Toonen et al. 2011
85. Dispersal models based on ocean currents Predicted breaks from ocean current models Treml et al. (2008)
86. 14 / 20 12 / 21 16 / 24 10 / 18 8 / 19 Toonen et al. 2011 Ocean current predictions do not really match the connectivity data
87. Most recruitment is local Bird et al. 2007; Polato et al. 2010; Rivera et al. 2011; Faucci et al. in review; Concepcion et al. in review.
88. Direction of Exchange appears primarily to the NW rather than SE Bird et al. 2007; Toonen et al. 2010; Skillings et al. 2011; Eble et al. in review 3 – 30X
89. Central NWHI O‘ahu Hawai‘i Far NWHI Maui Nui Kaua‘i Ni‘ihau Management Implications: primary population boundaries
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Editor's Notes
The exchange of individuals between populations of a species is also known as population connectivity, and it plays important roles on different time scales. To visualize the effects of population connectivity over time, let’s imagine that Pacific cleaner wrasses, that are abundant in the South Pacific, once migrated here from New Guinea soon after the emergence of the Hawaiian Islands. If this migration continued, then recruits from the South Pacific would contribute to the population size and genetic structure of the Hawaii population. For some reason, migration between the populations ceased, and eventually the two populations diverged enough to become separate species. Therefore, on ecological time scales population connectivity shapes population dynamics, while on evolutionary timescales, it’s central to processes such as speciation.
The exchange of individuals between populations of a species is also known as population connectivity, and it plays important roles on different time scales. To visualize the effects of population connectivity over time, let’s imagine that Pacific cleaner wrasses, that are abundant in the South Pacific, once migrated here from New Guinea soon after the emergence of the Hawaiian Islands. If this migration continued, then recruits from the South Pacific would contribute to the population size and genetic structure of the Hawaii population. For some reason, migration between the populations ceased, and eventually the two populations diverged enough to become separate species. Therefore, on ecological time scales population connectivity shapes population dynamics, while on evolutionary timescales, it’s central to processes such as speciation.
The exchange of individuals between populations of a species is also known as population connectivity, and it plays important roles on different time scales. To visualize the effects of population connectivity over time, let’s imagine that Pacific cleaner wrasses, that are abundant in the South Pacific, once migrated here from New Guinea soon after the emergence of the Hawaiian Islands. If this migration continued, then recruits from the South Pacific would contribute to the population size and genetic structure of the Hawaii population. For some reason, migration between the populations ceased, and eventually the two populations diverged enough to become separate species. Therefore, on ecological time scales population connectivity shapes population dynamics, while on evolutionary timescales, it’s central to processes such as speciation.
The exchange of individuals between populations of a species is also known as population connectivity, and it plays important roles on different time scales. To visualize the effects of population connectivity over time, let’s imagine that Pacific cleaner wrasses, that are abundant in the South Pacific, once migrated here from New Guinea soon after the emergence of the Hawaiian Islands. If this migration continued, then recruits from the South Pacific would contribute to the population size and genetic structure of the Hawaii population. For some reason, migration between the populations ceased, and eventually the two populations diverged enough to become separate species. Therefore, on ecological time scales population connectivity shapes population dynamics, while on evolutionary timescales, it’s central to processes such as speciation.
One application of larval dispersal is towards marine conservation. There has been growing interest in the establishment of marine protected areas to: preserve critical habitat encourage recovery of depleted fisheries and to even augment stocks outside the boundary of the reserve through the export of juveniles and/or adults from the MPA to outer areas. The potential for these objectives to be met can be improved by resolving the pattern and degree of exchange between populations prior to reserve establishment.
One application of larval dispersal is towards marine conservation. There has been growing interest in the establishment of marine protected areas to: preserve critical habitat encourage recovery of depleted fisheries and to even augment stocks outside the boundary of the reserve through the export of juveniles and/or adults from the MPA to outer areas. The potential for these objectives to be met can be improved by resolving the pattern and degree of exchange between populations prior to reserve establishment.
One application of larval dispersal is towards marine conservation. There has been growing interest in the establishment of marine protected areas to: preserve critical habitat encourage recovery of depleted fisheries and to even augment stocks outside the boundary of the reserve through the export of juveniles and/or adults from the MPA to outer areas. The potential for these objectives to be met can be improved by resolving the pattern and degree of exchange between populations prior to reserve establishment.
One application of larval dispersal is towards marine conservation. There has been growing interest in the establishment of marine protected areas to: preserve critical habitat encourage recovery of depleted fisheries and to even augment stocks outside the boundary of the reserve through the export of juveniles and/or adults from the MPA to outer areas. The potential for these objectives to be met can be improved by resolving the pattern and degree of exchange between populations prior to reserve establishment.
One application of larval dispersal is towards marine conservation. There has been growing interest in the establishment of marine protected areas to: preserve critical habitat encourage recovery of depleted fisheries and to even augment stocks outside the boundary of the reserve through the export of juveniles and/or adults from the MPA to outer areas. The potential for these objectives to be met can be improved by resolving the pattern and degree of exchange between populations prior to reserve establishment.
One application of larval dispersal is towards marine conservation. There has been growing interest in the establishment of marine protected areas to: preserve critical habitat encourage recovery of depleted fisheries and to even augment stocks outside the boundary of the reserve through the export of juveniles and/or adults from the MPA to outer areas. The potential for these objectives to be met can be improved by resolving the pattern and degree of exchange between populations prior to reserve establishment.
One application of larval dispersal is towards marine conservation. There has been growing interest in the establishment of marine protected areas to: preserve critical habitat encourage recovery of depleted fisheries and to even augment stocks outside the boundary of the reserve through the export of juveniles and/or adults from the MPA to outer areas. The potential for these objectives to be met can be improved by resolving the pattern and degree of exchange between populations prior to reserve establishment.
For example, based on the finding that, in general, propagules either dispersed <1 km or >20 km, a group of researchers suggested that reserves be between 4-6 km in diameter and spaced 20 km apart. In theory, this would allow short dispersers to settle within the reserve and allow for longer range ones to be transported to adjacent reserves. So, once again, the effective design of MPAs relies in part on our understanding of larval dispersal and population exchange.