Data from: Population genomics meet Lagrangian simulations: oceanographic patterns and long larval duration ensure connectivity among Paracentrotus lividus populations in the Adriatic and Ionian seas

Connectivity between populations is a key factor that influences both
their dynamics and the genetic structuring of marine species. In this
study, we explored connectivity patterns of a long-dispersing species, the
edible common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, focusing mainly on the
Adriatic-Ionian basins. We applied a multidisciplinary approach
integrating population genomics, based on 1122 Single Nucleotide
Polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained by 2b-RAD in 275 samples, with Lagrangian
simulations performed with a biophysical model of larval dispersal. We
detected genetic homogeneity among eight population samples spanning about
600 km and collected in the focal area (Adriatic-Ionian basins), whereas
weak but significant differentiation was found with respect to comparative
samples taken from French and Tunisian coasts. Genetic analyses performed
separately with putatively neutral and outlier loci confirmed genetic
homogeneity within Adriatic-Ionian basins, but showed a much higher
differentiation at the large scale. Lagrangian simulations found a
significant potential for larval exchange among the eight Adriatic-Ionian
locations, supporting the view of strong connectivity of P. lividus
populations in this area. A peculiar pattern emerged from the comparison
of our results with those obtained from published P. lividus cytochrome b
(cytb) sequences, which revealed genetic differentiation in the same area
despite a smaller sample size and a lower power to detect differences.
Comparison with studies conducted in the same Adriatic-Ionian locations
using nuclear markers on other species having similar pelagic larval
durations highlights differences both in realized and potential
connectivity patterns, and warns from generalizing single-species results
to the entire community of rocky shore habitats.