Linking seascape with landscape genetics: Oceanic currents favour colonization across the Galápagos Islands by a coastal plant

Oceanic currents play a significant role in facilitating gene flow and population connectivity among distant populations of the coastal plant Cryptocarpus pyriformis in the Galápagos Islands. This study reveals that sea-driven seed dispersal, rather than inland movement, is the primary mechanism connecting populations across islands, as supported by genetic analysis using 1806 SNPs. The research employed landscape and seascape genetics approaches to test four hypotheses regarding dispersal patterns, confirming that isolation by sea resistance best explains inter-island gene flow. These findings highlight the importance of integrating marine and terrestrial ecological frameworks to understand the distribution and connectivity of thalassochorous species.

Arjona, Y., Fernández‐López, J., Navascués, M., Alvarez, N., Nogales, M., & Vargas, P. (2020). Linking seascape with landscape genetics: Oceanic currents favour colonization across the Galápagos Islands by a coastal plant. Journal of Biogeography, 47(12), 2622–2633. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13967