Abstract

Identifying ecologically relevant patterns of connectivity is an important factor for understanding resilience in coral reef ecosystems, and crucial for managers seeking to build socio-ecological resilience into the management of marine protected areas (MPAs) and fishery resources. We are using neutral genetic microsatellite analyses to test whether spiny lobster populations from MPAs located in regions with high levels of local recruitment are more resilient than those dependent on larvae produced from distant regions. As part of that research, we compared the microsatellite-derived population structure of Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) in two MPAs in Belize. Despite separation of < 100vkm, we found limited genetic connectivity between those populations suggesting that larval dispersal may be more limited than expected in regions with complex oceanographic regimes.