Data from: Fine-scale population genetic structure of sugar kelp, Saccharina latissima (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae), in eastern Maine, USA

There is an interest to develop sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) cultivation in the rural, eastern Maine region of the United States. Future farming efforts would benefit from an understanding of the genetic diversity and population structure of kelp to inform management and conservation, and to identify genetic resources. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the fine-scale population genetic structure of kelp in eastern Maine using 12 microsatellite loci. A total of 188 samples were genotyped from five sampling locations. Overall, kelp exhibited relatively low genetic diversity and small but significant differentiation among populations (FST = 0.0157). The greatest genetic difference was detected between two geographically close populations in Penobscot and Frenchman Bays, which is likely due to patterns in the Eastern Maine Coastal Current that may limit meiospore recruitment. The population structure could not be fully explained by an isolation-by-distance model. Fine-scale structuring was also detected among populations along the more continuous eastern Maine coastline. These differences highlight that sugar kelp populations are finely structured across small spatial scales, and that future management and farming efforts should aim to maintain genetic diversity and assess the culture potential of local populations.

美国缅因州东部乡村地区正有意开展糖海带（Saccharina latissima）的养殖工作。若能明晰该海带的遗传多样性与种群结构，可为养殖管理、资源保护提供科学参考，并助力优良遗传资源的发掘，将对未来的养殖实践大有裨益。本研究旨在利用12个微卫星位点（microsatellite loci），对缅因州东部海域糖海带的精细尺度种群遗传结构进行解析。研究共从5个采样位点采集了188份样本并完成基因分型。整体而言，该区域糖海带的遗传多样性水平相对较低，种群间虽分化程度较小但差异显著（FST=0.0157）。在地理距离相近的彭诺布斯科特湾与法国曼湾的两个种群间，检测到了最大的遗传分化，该现象大概率与缅因州东部沿岸流的运动模式有关——该洋流可能会限制海带减数孢子的定殖扩散。种群结构无法通过距离隔离（isolation-by-distance）模型得到完全解释。在缅因州东部更为连续的海岸线沿线的种群中，同样检测到了精细尺度的种群遗传结构。上述结果表明，糖海带种群在小空间尺度下即存在精细的遗传结构，因此未来的养殖管理与生产实践应注重维持种群遗传多样性，并评估本地种群的养殖潜力。