Publications by authors named "S Lavery"

, an iconic marine taxon with a tropical and subtropical worldwide distribution, face an uncertain future. All species are designated 'Vulnerable' to extinction by the IUCN. Nonetheless, a comprehensive understanding of geographic structuring across the global range is lacking, impeding our ability to highlight particularly vulnerable populations for conservation priority.

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Little is known about the biology of pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (K. sima) sperm whales as these animals are difficult to observe in the wild. However, both species strand frequently along the South African, Australian and New Zealand coastlines, providing samples for these otherwise inaccessible species.

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Article Synopsis
  • Evolutionary divergence in marine species, especially the spiny lobster Panulirus homarus, happens more slowly due to extensive larval dispersal, leading to complex genetic relationships among populations.
  • Researchers used a combination of SNP data and mitochondrial DNA to analyze genetic divergence and demographic history in widely-distributed lobsters from South Africa to the Marquesas Islands.
  • The study found significant regional genetic structure, evidence of hybrid origins in certain populations, and suggested that alternating phases of divergence and gene flow have shaped current genetic patterns and may influence broader marine species diversity in the Indo-Pacific.
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The emergence of high resolution population genetic techniques, such as genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), in combination with recent advances in particle modelling of larval dispersal in marine organisms, can deliver powerful new insights to support fisheries conservation and management. In this study, we used this combination to investigate the population connectivity of a commercial deep sea lobster species, the New Zealand scampi, Metanephrops challengeri, which ranges across a vast area of seafloor around New Zealand. This species has limited dispersal capabilities, including larvae with weak swimming abilities and short pelagic duration, while the reptant juvenile/adult stages of the lifecycle are obligate burrow dwellers with limited home ranges.

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