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Data from: Seascape genomics of red abalone: Limited range-wide population structure and evidence for local adaptation

Griffiths, Joanna1; Smith, Kendall2; Whitehead, Andrew3

Published Jan 29, 2025 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.z612jm6m8

Data files

Abstract

Characterizing patterns of genetic diversity including evidence of local adaptation is relevant for predicting and managing species recovering from over-exploitation in the face of climate change. Red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) is a species of conservation concern due to recent declines from over-harvesting, disease, and climate change, resulting in the closure of commercial and recreational fisheries. We hypothesized that the environmental mosaic that defines nearshore habitats in the California current ecosystem, including variable pH and temperature, has enriched some regions for locally adapted genotypes that may be important for species persistence in changing environments. Using whole genome re-sequencing data from 23 populations spanning their entire range (southern Oregon, USA, to Baja California, MEX) we investigated patterns of population connectivity and local adaptation. We discovered high genetic diversity that is shared within and among populations, suggesting high historical range-wide gene flow. Using multiple layers of environmental metadata, we tested for genotype-environment associations that would reveal local adaptation across the mosaic of coastal environments that define the California Current ecosystem. We found little evidence for large selective sweeps between populations that occupy local habitats that vary by pH, strength of upwelling, chlorophyll, salinity, and sea surface temperature. This is consistent with a broad range of species with similar life histories that show limited neutral or adaptive genetic variation across the same region and the same environments, suggesting that the mosaic of environmental variation across the CCS is insufficient to drive local adaptation in the face of high gene flow. Given the high genetic connectivity across their range, state-mandated regulatory actions would be most effective if aligned across jurisdictional boundaries (i.e., Mexico, California, and Oregon).