Development of tools to rapidly identify cryptic species and characterize their genetic diversity in different European kelp species

Marine ecosystems formed by kelp forests are severely threatened by global change and local coastline disturbances in many regions. In order to take appropriate conservation, mitigation and restoration actions, it is crucial to identify the most diverse populations which could serve as a “reservoir” of genetic diversity. This requires the development of specific tools, such as microsatellite markers to investigate the level and spatial distribution of genetic diversity.  Here, we tested new polymorphic microsatellite loci from the genome of the kelp, Laminaria digitata, and tested them for cross-amplification and polymorphism in four closely related congeneric species (Laminaria hyperborea, Laminaria ochroleuca, Laminaria rodriguezii and Laminaria pallida). Adding these 20 new microsatellite loci to the ten L. digitata loci previously developed by Billot et al. (1998) and Brenan et al. (2014) and to the ten L. ochroleuca loci previously developed by Coelho et al. (2014), we retained a t...