The relationship between genetic diversity, function, and stability in marine foundation species

Abstract

Seagrasses, corals, marsh plants, kelps, and mangroves support valuable coastal ecosystems but are threatened by environmental stressors. The need to manage these foundation taxa has spurred more than a decade of study on the relationship between genetic diversity and function or stability. We synthesized this literature base (129 relevant publications) and found more reported instances of neutral to positive relationships between genetic diversity and function than negative. However, much of the scientific understanding is based on the response of three genera and from unreplicated observational studies that correlate genetic diversity to measured response variables. When a disturbance was present, the studies often lacked controls or baseline data. Only 5.5% of the studies robustly tested for stability. These shortcomings preclude a rigorous evaluation of whether more genetically diverse foundation populations increase stability and hinder the use of genetics-based conservation strategies. Future studies should be focused on diverse species and ecosystem-level impacts using manipulative designs.