Genetic Dynamics of Marine Invertebrate Populations
Summary
Marine invertebrates encompass a vast array of taxa whose population genetic dynamics are shaped by complex life-history traits, oceanographic processes and environmental pressures. Larval dispersal modes, from brooding to long-distance planktonic stages, govern gene flow and connectivity among populations, while local selection and genetic drift drive differentiation at multiple spatial scales. Historical events such as glaciations and contemporary stressors including pollution, habitat fragmentation and disease outbreaks further modulate genetic diversity and structure. Advances in genomic techniques—from single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels and genome-wide sequencing to transcriptomics—have revealed fine-scale patterns of panmixia, cryptic species boundaries and adaptive loci underlying phenotypic divergence. Understanding these genetic dynamics is essential for conservation planning, sustainable fisheries management and predicting responses to global change.
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Genetic Dynamics of Marine Invertebrate Populations publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic dynamics of marine invertebrate populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Allele frequency: The proportion of a specific variant of a gene in a population at a given time.
Gene flow: The transfer of genetic material between populations through dispersal of individuals or gametes.
Genetic drift: Random fluctuations in allele frequencies that occur in populations, especially small or isolated ones.
Panmixia: A population state in which all individuals are potential mates, resulting in no genetic subdivision.
Heterochrony: Evolutionary changes in the timing or rate of developmental events, affecting morphology and gene expression.
References
- The role of heterochronic gene expression and regulatory architecture in early developmental divergence. eLife (2024).
- Evolutionary responses of marine organisms to urbanized seascapes. Evolutionary Applications (2020).
- Temporal and spatial variation in population structure among brooding sea stars in the genus Leptasterias. Ecology and Evolution (2021).
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