Data from: Seascape genomics of red abalone: Limited range-wide population structure and evidence for local adaptation

Characterizing patterns of genetic diversity including evidence of local
adaptation is relevant for predicting and managing species recovering from
over-exploitation in the face of climate change. Red abalone (Haliotis
rufescens) is a species of conservation concern due to recent declines
from over-harvesting, disease, and climate change, resulting in the
closure of commercial and recreational fisheries. We hypothesized that the
environmental mosaic that defines nearshore habitats in the California
current ecosystem, including variable pH and temperature, has enriched
some regions for locally adapted genotypes that may be important for
species persistence in changing environments. Using whole genome
re-sequencing data from 23 populations spanning their entire range
(southern Oregon, USA, to Baja California, MEX) we investigated patterns
of population connectivity and local adaptation. We discovered high
genetic diversity that is shared within and among populations, suggesting
high historical range-wide gene flow. Using multiple layers of
environmental metadata, we tested for genotype-environment associations
that would reveal local adaptation across the mosaic of coastal
environments that define the California Current ecosystem. We found little
evidence for large selective sweeps between populations that occupy local
habitats that vary by pH, strength of upwelling, chlorophyll, salinity,
and sea surface temperature. This is consistent with a broad range of
species with similar life histories that show limited neutral or adaptive
genetic variation across the same region and the same environments,
suggesting that the mosaic of environmental variation across the CCS is
insufficient to drive local adaptation in the face of high gene flow.
Given the high genetic connectivity across their range, state-mandated
regulatory actions would be most effective if aligned across
jurisdictional boundaries (i.e., Mexico, California, and Oregon).