SBC LTER: Reef: Microsatellite markers for the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera

These data were published as a technical note: Alberto, F., A. C. Whitmer, N. C. Coelho, M. Zippay, E. Varela-Alvarez, P. T. Raimondi, D. C. Reed and E. A. Serrão. 2009. Microsatellite markers for the giant kelp Macroystis pyrifera. Conservation Genetics. 10:1915-1917 doi: 10.1007/s10592-009-9853-9 Abstract: We report the isolation and characterization of 16 microsatellite loci to study the population genetics of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. Markers were obtained by screening a genomic library enriched for microsatellite motifs. Of the 37 primer pairs defined, 16 amplified clean polymorphic microsatellites and are described. These loci identified a number of alleles ranging from three to forty (mean= 16.5, and gene diversity ranging from 0.469 to 0.930 (mean= 0.774). The isolation and characterization of these highly polymorphic markers will greatly benefit much needed studies on the molecular ecology of this important macroalga. These data report the isolation and characterization of 16 microsatellite loci to study the population genetics of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. 180 samples of blade tissue were collected at Carpinteria Reef, Santa Barbara Channel, CA (USA) in July 2006. Sequence data are available from GenBank. These data were published as a Technical Note in the journal Conservation Genetics in 2009.