Data from: Barriers and corridors of gene flow in an urbanised tropical reef system

Information about the distribution of alleles among marine populations is
critical for determining patterns of genetic connectivity that are
essential in modern conservation planning. To estimate population
connectivity in Singapore’s urbanised equatorial reef system, we analysed
single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from two species of reef-building
corals with distinct life histories. For Porites sp., a broadcast-spawning
coral, we found cryptic lineages which were differentially distributed at
inshore and central-offshore sites that could be attributed to
contemporary surface current regimes. Near panmixia was observed for
Pocillopora acuta with differentiation of colonies at the farthest site
from mainland Singapore, a possible consequence of the brooding nature and
relatively long pelagic larval duration of the species. Furthermore,
analysis of recent gene flow showed that 60-80% of colonies in each
population were non-migrants, underscoring self-recruitment as an
important demographic process in this reef system. Apart from helping to
enhance the management of Singapore’s coral reef ecosystems, findings here
pave the way for better understanding of the evolution of marine
populations in Southeast Asia.