Genetic differentiation in the mountainous star coral Orbicella faveolata around Cuba

Caribbean coral reefs are biodiversity-rich habitats which provide numerous ecosystem services with both ecological and economical values, but nowadays they are severely degraded. In particular, populations of the major framework-building coral Orbicella faveolata have declined sharply, and therefore, understanding how these threatened coral populations are interconnected and how demographic changes have impacted their genetic diversity is essential for their management and conservation. Previous population genetic surveys showed that gene flow in this species is sometimes locally restricted in the Caribbean; however, little genetic data are available for Cuban populations. Here, we analyzed the variation at the mitochondrial DNA control region and six microsatellite loci from O. faveolata colonies from five distant localities representing most of the main coral reefs around Cuba. Both genetic markers showed evidence of genetic differentiation between the northwestern area (Colorados Archipelago) and the other reefs. Colonies from the Colorados Archipelago harbored the largest number of unique mtDNA haplotypes and microsatellite alleles, which suggests long-term large population size or gene flow from other areas of the Caribbean. These results indicate that the Colorados Archipelago area is particularly important for O. faveolata populations and it is well suited for reef management and restoration efforts.