Evaluate possible coral nurseries in Onna to work as source of larvae.

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K15179
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
• Principal Investigator: Zayasu Yuna 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, マリンゲノミックスユニット, 研究員 (50746691)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 集団遺伝学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Generally, there are concerns about the risks of stocking and releasing animals to the wild, such as the breakdown of population structure, a reduction of genetic diversity, and the spread of diseases. This study aimed to collect helpful scientific knowledge for creating concrete guidelines based on the genetic diversity of corals in their natural state for appropriate and practical conservation activities. We assessed the genetic diversity and the proportion of clonal colonies of corals in farms in Onna Village, Okinawa Prefecture used microsatellite markers. Then, we compared them with that of the wild. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected using MIG-seq methods. We conducted population genetic analyses of corals in Kumejima and kinship analyses of the coral colonies in the farms in Onna Village and the surrounding wild colonies.

Free Research Field

海洋生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

サンゴ保全活動の長期モニタリング記録が少ないことが指摘される中、養殖サンゴの遺伝的多様性や、養殖サンゴが周辺の野生海域へ幼生供給基地としてどれくらいの効果があるのかを調べたことは保全活動の効果を知る上で意義があると考える。広範囲に渡る集団遺伝学的解析はソースシンクを調べる上で必須であるが、実際に保全活動が行われる地域的スケールの情報も重要である。MIG-seqで得られたSNPs解析の結果は島内という狭い範囲の遺伝的構造を明らかにするのに十分な解像度があることが確かめられた。