Seagrass Connectivity on the West Coast of Africa Supports the Hypothesis of Grazer-Mediated Seed Dispersal

Population connectivity influences the distribution of genetic diversity and divergence along a species range, as likelihood extinction or differentiation increases in isolated populations. However, there is still poor understanding processes mediating inter-population dispersal marine that are sessile lack planktonic life stages. One such case seagrass Halodule wrightii , which produces basal seeds, although detached plants can drift. Along tropical western coast Africa, this occurs distant discontinuous habitats, raising question how interpopulation mediated. The key source ecosystem functions including feeding large migratory grazers. This study aims to infer whether H. Africa supports hypothesis predominant transportation rafting by ocean currents, versus biotic vectors dispersal. Additional hypotheses were addressed concerning range-wide clonality diversity, assessed with microsatellite markers on populations west from Mauritania Angola. structure compared predictions biophysical models oceanographic currents. data revealed low among most populations, strong contrast very probability mediated currents African coastline. Moderate high genotypic showed important seed recruitment, but diversities lower at range edges. Populations north south equator differentiated, remarkably, so neighboring equatorial despite their proximity. These results reveal independent sources colonization meadows these islands, major habitat for grazing green turtles, also supporting biotically transport. importance conservation endangered macrofauna has been widely reported; here we report evidence reciprocal role, protection plays role long-term survival reproductive success seagrass.