Download Population connectivity in marine protected areas

Parks Victoria Research Partners Panel Project Summary Report
Population connectivity in marine protected areas
Background
Population connectivity is an important factor in the biodiversity of marine
protected areas. Marine protected areas may act as source populations,
providing larvae and gametes to habitats outside of the marine protected
area and maintaining those external populations. They may also be
dependent on propagules from outside protected areas. Good
connectivity between populations may improve their resilience to threats
through the ability to recolonise and through genetic diversity. However,
little is known about the extent and direction of dispersal for many marine
species, and therefore their connectivity.
Implications
• Bay populations may be more
vulnerable to extinction than
coastal populations.
• This information is valuable for
management strategies
(particularly managing threats)
and biodiversity conservation.
• These results may apply to other
species with similar life histories.
Aims
• To understand how marine protected areas may sustain and enhance
populations within and beyond their boundaries using gastropods
(snails) as a model group of organisms.
Relevant parks and ecosystems
All marine protected areas
Results
• Gastropods with a brief planktonic stage tend to remain within the
marine protected area and replenish local populations.
• Within Port Phillip Bay, larvae showed limited dispersal with limited
connectivity amongst populations on other reefs, particularly in the
north of the Bay.
• Larvae from ocean coastal protected areas could be dispersed several
kilometres and may act as source populations for other sites.
• There was weak connectivity between ocean coastal and bay marine
protected areas.
Left: limptes. Right: rocky shore. Photo credits - Museum Victoria
More information
Contact Science and Management
Effectiveness Branch, Parks Victoria
on 13 1963
Publications
Bathgate, R. S. 2010. Ecological
processes and connectivity of
gastropod populations in a system of
Marine Protected Areas. PhD thesis.
The University of Melbourne,
Melbourne.