Microsatellite loci identified in the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

Abstract

The detection of within- and between-population genetic variability in the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, a difficult species to work with because of its genotypic homogeneity, longevity, and clonal growth, has been achieved through the development of six polymorphic microsatellite markers. The development of these markers is significant because previous studies indicate extreme levels of clonality in this seagrass species using minisatellite multilocus DNA fingerprints and RAPD markers. A further eight microsatellite regions were found to be monomorphic, but wider and more extensive population surveys may find variation with these microsatellite regions. Ten of the 14 microsatellite regions were observed to be present in two Australian con generic species, P australis and P. sinuosa, suggesting that there is potential for their wide application in population genetic analyses in this genus. These markers represent an important contribution to population genetic analysis in seagrasses, a group of considerable interest because of their important role in nearshore benthic marine communities worldwide.