Data from: Population structure and connectivity of the mountainous star coral, Orbicella faveolata, throughout the wider Caribbean region

As coral reefs continue to decline worldwide, it becomes ever more
necessary to understand the connectivity between coral populations to
develop efficient management strategies facilitating survival and
adaptation of coral reefs in the future. Orbicella faveolata is one of the
most important reef-building corals in the Caribbean and has recently
experienced severe population reductions. Here, we utilize a panel of nine
microsatellite loci to evaluate the genetic structure of O. faveolata and
to infer connectivity across ten sites spanning the wider Caribbean
region. Populations are generally well-mixed throughout the basin (FST =
0.038), although notable patterns of substructure arise at local and
regional scales. Eastern and western populations appear segregated with a
genetic break around the Mona Passage in the north, as has been shown
previously in other species; however, we find evidence for significant
connectivity between Curaçao and Mexico, suggesting that the southern
margin of this barrier is permeable to dispersal. Our results also
identify a strong genetic break within the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef
System associated with complex oceanographic patterns that promote larval
retention in southern Belize. Additionally, the diverse genetic signature
at Flower Garden Banks suggests its possible function as a downstream
genetic sink. The findings reported here are relevant to the ongoing
conservation efforts for this important and threatened species, and
contribute to the growing understanding of large-scale coral reef
connectivity throughout the wider Caribbean.