NERP TE Project 8.3 Significance of no-take marine protected areas to regional recruitment and population persistence on the GBR (JCU)

This project uses genetic parentage analysis, biophysical modelling and information on coral trout larval behaviour to determine patterns of recruitment of coral trout larvae within and among inshore and offshore reefs in the southern Great Barrier Reef. The overall goal of this project will be to assess larval dispersal patterns, demographic connectivity and levels of recruitment subsidies from green zones at a regional scale. Tasks include:\n\n1. Collect tissue samples from adult and juvenile coral trout, develop a new set of hyper-variable microsatellite markers, conduct DNA genotyping analyses of all samples, carry out genetic parentage analysis to examine parent-offspring relationships.\n\n2. Refine the existing biophysical model and assess likely origins of larvae at key recruitment hot spots in the region.\n\n3. Undertake demographic metapopulation analyses using dispersal distances and trajectories derived from this study and available demographic data (growth, natural mortality, fishing mortality) to evaluate long-term persistence of green zone and blue zone populations under different levels of fishing pressure and habitat condition.

本研究采用遗传亲权分析（genetic parentage analysis）、生物物理建模（biophysical modelling）以及珊瑚鳟（coral trout）幼体行为相关数据，旨在明确大堡礁南部近岸与离岸礁内部及礁间的珊瑚鳟幼体补充模式。

本项目的总体目标是在区域尺度上评估幼体扩散模式、种群连通性以及来自绿色禁渔区（green zones）的幼体补充补给水平。

研究任务包括：
1. 采集成年与幼年珊瑚鳟的组织样本，开发一套全新的高变微卫星标记（hyper-variable microsatellite markers），对所有样本开展DNA基因分型（DNA genotyping）分析，并实施遗传亲权分析以探究亲子关系。
2. 优化现有生物物理模型，评估该区域关键补充热点区的幼体潜在来源。
3. 结合本研究获取的扩散距离与扩散轨迹，以及现有种群统计数据（生长率、自然死亡率、捕捞死亡率），开展种群统计集合种群分析，以评估不同捕捞压力与栖息地条件下，绿色禁渔区与蓝色捕捞区（blue zone）种群的长期存续能力。