Connectivity, small islands and large distances: the Cellana strigilis limpet complex in the Southern Ocean

A genetic investigation of the Cellana strigilis limpet complex, endemic to New Zealand's subantarctic islands, reveals two distinct lineages with high genetic structuring and minimal connectivity. Despite the Southern Ocean being a continuous medium, large distances between isolated island groups act as significant barriers to gene flow, leading to high self-recruitment and the presence of private haplotypes unique to individual islands. This study underscores the subantarctic islands' role as refugia during the last glacial maximum and provides insights into contemporary population connectivity in remote oceanic environments.

REISSER, C. M. O., WOOD, A. R., BELL, J. J., & GARDNER, J. P. A. (2011). Connectivity, small islands and large distances: the Cellana strigilis limpet complex in the Southern Ocean. Molecular Ecology, 20(16), 3399–3413. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05185.x