Myths and moderation in marine ‘metapopulations’?

AbstractThemetapopulationconceptisappearingwithincreasingfrequencyinthemarinepopulationdynamicsandgeneticsliterature,thoughitsapplicabilitytomarinesys-tems remains an open question. Moreover, in recent years, the meaning of theterm‘metapopulation’hasbecomeblurred,concomitantwithitsincreasinguse.Inthispaper,wesummarizetheconceptofmetapopulationdynamicsandtheasso-ciated theoretical assumptions.We call for a stricter de¢nition and use of theterm‘metapopulation’,criticallyevaluatetheapplicabilityofmetapopulationtheorytomarinepopulationdynamicsanditsuseintherelatedliterature,andconsidertwopublishedcase-studiesthatinvestigatemetapopulationstructuringinspeci¢cmarinepopulations.Finally,weurgescientiststocarefullyarticulatewhatismeantbytheterm‘metapopulation’andtouseappropriatecitationsintheprimaryliteraturetocircumventthepotentialfornebulous(andpossiblydamaging)conclusionsinthefuture. Correspondence:RKentSmedbol,FisheriesandOceansCanada,BiologicalStation,531BrandyCoveRoad,St.Andrews,NewBrunswick,CanadaE5B2L9Tel: þ15065298854Fax: þ15065295976E-mail:SmedbolK@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.caReceived6Nov2001Accepted5Dec2001Introduction 21Models of population structure 22Early metapopulation theory 22Criteria for metapopulation structure 23Genetic consequences of metapopulation dynamics 26Use of genetics in analyses of metapopulation dynamics 27Applying the metapopulation concept to marine populations 28Review of the metapopulation concept in marine ecology 29Case-studies: northern Atlantic cod and tidepool sculpins 29Concluding recommendations 31Acknowledgements 32References 32