Reproductive success of Mariana Swiftlets (Aerodramus bartschi) on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu

Mariana Swiftlets (Aerodramus bartschi) are federally listed as endangered, with populations currently limited to just three islands in the Mariana Islands plus an introduced population on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. Before efforts are made to reintroduce Mariana Swiftlets to other islands in the Mariana archipelago, additional information is needed concerning their breeding biology. Therefore, our objective was to examine the reproductive biology of Mariana Swiftlets over five annual cycles on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. This introduced population used a human‐made tunnel for roosting and nesting, and was studied as a surrogate to negate interference with endangered populations in the Mariana Islands. Active nests (N = 478) were observed in every month of the year, with peak nesting activity between May and September. All clutches consisted of one egg. Mean duration of incubation and nestling periods were 23.9 d (range = 18–30 d, N = 233) and 55.0 d (range = 41–84 d, N = 228), respectively. Estimated nest success was 63%. Over half (52%) of nest failures were attributed to eggs found on the tunnel floor. Predation by rats (Rattus spp.) was also an important cause of nest failure and often resulted in the loss of most active nests. However, Mariana Swiftlets did re‐nest after these predation events. Our results suggest that rat predation of both nests and adults may limit growth of the Mariana Swiftlet population on O'ahu, and could also affect the chances for successful establishment of relocated populations in the Mariana Islands. Another limiting factor on O'ahu is that only one nesting site is apparently available on the island. Current goals for downlisting Mariana Swiftlets from endangered to threatened include establishing populations on Guam, Rota, Aguiguan, and Saipan. To meet these goals, the population of Mariana Swiftlets on O'ahu can be important for testing reintroduction techniques, learning more about the natural history of these swiftlets, and providing individuals for reintroduction efforts in the Mariana Islands.     

A metabarcoding comparison of windward and leeward airborne algal diversity across the Ko‘olau mountain range on the island of O'ahu,Hawai‘i1

Airborne algae from sites on the windward (n = 3) and leeward (n = 3) sides of the Ko‘olau Mountain range of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, were sampled for a 16 d period during January and February 2015 using passive collection devices and were characterized using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the universal plastid amplicon marker. Amplicons were assigned to 3,023 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), which included 1,189 cyanobacteria, 1,009 heterotrophic bacteria, and 304 Eukaryota (of which 284 were algae and land plants). Analyses demonstrated substantially more OTUs at windward than leeward O‘ahu sites during the sampling period. Removal of nonalgal OTUs revealed a greater number of algal reads recovered from windward (839,853) than leeward sites (355,387), with the majority of these being cyanobacteria. The 1,234 total algal OTUs included cyanobacteria, diatoms, cryptophytes, brown algae, chlorophyte green algae, and charophyte green algae. A total of 208 algal OTUs were identified from leeward side samplers (including OTUs in common among samplers) and 1,995 algal OTUs were identified from windward samplers. Barcoding analyses of the most abundant algal OTUs indicated that very few were shared between the windward and leeward sides of the Ko‘olau Mountains, highlighting the localized scale at which these airborne algae communities differ. Back trajectories of air masses arriving on O‘ahu during the sampling period were calculated using the NOAA HY‐SPLIT model and suggested that the sampling period was composed of three large‐scale meteorological events, indicating a diversity of potential sources of airborne algae outside of the Hawaiian Islands.     

Three gene phylogeny of the Thoreales (Rhodophyta) reveals high species diversity

The freshwater red algal order Thoreales has triphasic life history composed of a diminutive diploid “Chantransia” stage, a distinctive macroscopic gametophyte with multi‐axial growth and carposporophytes that develop on the gametophyte thallus. This order is comprised of two genera, Thorea and Nemalionopsis. Thorea has been widely reported with numerous species, whereas Nemalionopsis has been more rarely observed with only a few species described. DNA sequences from three loci (rbcL, cox1, and LSU) were used to examine the phylogenetic affinity of specimens collected from geographically distant locations including North America, South America, Europe, Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, China, and India. Sixteen species of Thorea and two species of Nemalionopsis were recognized. Morphological observations confirmed the distinctness of the two genera and also provided some characters to distinguish species. However, many of the collections were in “Chantransia” stage rather than gametophyte stage, meaning that key diagnostic morphological characters were unavailable. Three new species are proposed primarily based on the DNA sequence data generated in this study, Thorea kokosinga‐pueschelii, T. mauitukitukii, and T. quisqueyana. In addition to these newly described species, one DNA sequence from GenBank was not closely associated with other Thorea clades and may represent further diversity in the genus. Two species in Nemalionopsis are recognized, N. shawii and N. parkeri nom. et stat. nov. Thorea harbors more diversity than had been recognized by morphological data alone. Distribution data indicated that Nemalionopsis is common in the Pacific region, whereas Thorea is more globally distributed. Most species of Thorea have a regional distribution, but Thorea hispida appears to be cosmopolitan.     

Familial social structure and socially driven genetic differentiation in Hawaiian short‐finned pilot whales

Social structure can have a significant impact on divergence and evolution within species, especially in the marine environment, which has few environmental boundaries to dispersal. On the other hand, genetic structure can affect social structure in many species, through an individual preference towards associating with relatives. One social species, the short‐finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus), has been shown to live in stable social groups for periods of at least a decade. Using mitochondrial control sequences from 242 individuals and single nucleotide polymorphisms from 106 individuals, we examine population structure among geographic and social groups of short‐finned pilot whales in the Hawaiian Islands, and test for links between social and genetic structure. Our results show that there are at least two geographic populations in the Hawaiian Islands: a Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) population and a Northwestern Hawaiian Islands/Pelagic population (F_ST and Φ_ST p < .001), as well as an eastern MHI community and a western MHI community (F_ST p = .009). We find genetically driven social structure, or high relatedness among social units and clusters (p < .001), and a positive relationship between relatedness and association between individuals (p < .0001). Further, socially organized clusters are genetically distinct, indicating that social structure drives genetic divergence within the population, likely through restricted mate selection (F_ST p = .05). This genetic divergence among social groups can make the species less resilient to anthropogenic or ecological disturbance. Conservation of this species therefore depends on understanding links among social structure, genetic structure and ecological variability within the species.     

The Hawaiian Archipelago is a stepping stone for dispersal in the Pacific: an example from the plant genus Melicope (Rutaceae)

Aim Pacific biogeographical patterns in the widespread plant genus Melicope J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Rutaceae) were examined by generating phylogenetic hypotheses based on chloroplast and nuclear ribosomal sequence data. The aims of the study were to identify the number of colonization events of Melicope to the Hawaiian Islands and to reveal the relationship of Hawaiian Melicope to the Hawaiian endemic genus Platydesma H. Mann. The ultimate goal was to determine if the Hawaiian Islands served as a source area for the colonization of Polynesia. Location Nineteen accessions were sampled in this study, namely eight Melicope species from the Hawaiian Islands, four from the Marquesas Islands, one species each from Tahiti, Australia and Lord Howe Island, two Australian outgroups and two species of the Hawaiian endemic genus Platydesma. To place our results in a broader context, 19 sequences obtained from GenBank were included in an additional analysis, including samples from Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Southeast Polynesia and Asia. Methods DNA sequences were generated across 19 accessions for one nuclear ribosomal and three chloroplast gene regions. Maximum parsimony analyses were conducted on separate and combined data sets, and a maximum likelihood analysis was conducted on the combined nuclear ribosomal and chloroplast data set. A broader nuclear ribosomal maximum parsimony analysis using sequences obtained from GenBank was also performed. Geographic areas were mapped onto the combined chloroplast and nuclear ribosomal tree, as well as onto the broader tree, using the parsimony criterion to determine the dispersal patterns. Results Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Platydesma is nested within Melicope and is sister to the Hawaiian members of Melicope. The Hawaiian Melicope + Platydesma lineage was a result of a single colonization event, probably from the Austral region. Finally, Marquesan Melicope descended from at least one, and possibly two, colonization events from the Hawaiian Islands. Main conclusions These data demonstrate a shifting paradigm of Pacific oceanic island biogeography, in which the patterns of long‐distance dispersal and colonization in the Pacific are more dynamic than previously thought, and suggest that the Hawaiian Islands may act as a stepping stone for dispersal throughout the Pacific.     

Beneath the hairy look: the hidden reproductive diversity of the Gibsmithia hawaiiensis complex (Dumontiaceae,Rhodophyta)

The tropical alga previously recognized as Gibsmithia hawaiiensis (Dumontiaceae, Rhodophyta) was recently suggested to represent a complex of species distributed throughout the Indo‐Pacific Ocean and characterized by a peculiar combination of hairy (pilose) gelatinous lobes growing on cartilaginous stalks. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on three genetic markers are presented here with the inclusion of new samples. Further diversity is reported within the complex, with nine lineages spread in four major phylogenetic groups. The threshold between intra‐ and interspecific relationships was assessed by species delimitation methods, which indicate the existence of 8–10 putative species in the complex. Two species belonging to the G. hawaiiensis complex are described here: Gibsmithia malayensis sp. nov. from the Coral Triangle and Gibsmithia indopacifica sp. nov., widely distributed in the Central and Eastern Indo‐Pacific. Morphological differences in the vegetative and reproductive structures of the newly described species are provided and compared to the previously described species of the complex. Additional lineages represent putative species, which await further investigation to clarify their taxonomic status. Gibsmithia hawaiiensis sensu stricto is confirmed to be endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, and Gibsmithia eilatensis is apparently confined to the Red Sea, with an expanded distribution in the region. New records of the G. hawaiiensis complex are reported from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Philippines, and the Federated States of Micronesia, indicating that the complex is more broadly distributed than previously considered. The isolated position of Gibsmithia within the Dumontiaceae is corroborated by molecular data.     

Two deep-sea spiny eels, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Notacanthus abbotti</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lipogenys gillii</Emphasis> (Albuliformes: Notacanthidae), from the Hawaiian Archipelago and Emperor Seamounts with notes on their identification and biogeography

Deep-sea spiny eels (Notacanthidae) were previously reported from the Hawaiian Archipelago; however, these reports lacked detailed information to confirm the identity of the species. We provide collection and taxonomic data for the earlier records. The first central Pacific specimen of Lipogenys gillii is reported from Hawai’i Island. A record of Notacanthus abbotti from the Hancock Seamounts, at the northern end of the Archipelago, is confirmed. Specimens from Maui, main Hawaiian Islands, previously reported as N. chemnitzii, are reidentified as N. abbotti. The Hawaiian records of notacanthids are the only reports of the family from the Pacific tectonic plate.     

Population structure and phylogeography reveal pathways of colonization by a migratory marine reptile (Chelonia mydas) in the central and eastern Pacific

Climate, behavior, ecology, and oceanography shape patterns of biodiversity in marine faunas in the absence of obvious geographic barriers. Marine turtles are an example of highly migratory creatures with deep evolutionary lineages and complex life histories that span both terrestrial and marine environments. Previous studies have focused on the deep isolation of evolutionary lineages (>3 mya) through vicariance; however, little attention has been given to the pathways of colonization of the eastern Pacific and the processes that have shaped diversity within the most recent evolutionary time. We sequenced 770 bp of the mtDNA control region to examine the stock structure and phylogeography of 545 green turtles from eight different rookeries in the central and eastern Pacific. We found significant differentiation between the geographically separated nesting populations and identified five distinct stocks (F_ST = 0.08–0.44, P < 0.005). Central and eastern Pacific Chelonia mydas form a monophyletic group containing 3 subclades, with Hawaii more closely related to the eastern Pacific than western Pacific populations. The split between sampled central/eastern and western Pacific haplotypes was estimated at around 0.34 mya, suggesting that the Pacific region west of Hawaii has been a more formidable barrier to gene flow in C. mydas than the East Pacific Barrier. Our results suggest that the eastern Pacific was colonized from the western Pacific via the Central North Pacific and that the Revillagigedos Islands provided a stepping‐stone for radiation of green turtles from the Hawaiian Archipelago to the eastern Pacific. Our results fit with a broader paradigm that has been described for marine biodiversity, where oceanic islands, such as Hawaii and Revillagigedo, rather than being peripheral evolutionary “graveyards”, serve as sources and recipients of diversity and provide a mechanism for further radiation.     

Population structure of island‐associated dolphins: Evidence from mitochondrial and microsatellite markers for common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) around the main Hawaiian Islands

We used mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers to investigate population structure of common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, around the main Hawaiian Islands. Though broadly distributed throughout the world's oceans, bottlenose dolphins are known to form small populations in coastal waters. Recent photo‐identification data suggest the same is true in Hawaiian waters. We found genetic differentiation among (mtDNA Φ_ST= 0.014–0.141, microsatellite F’_ST= 0.019–0.050) and low dispersal rates between (0.17–5.77 dispersers per generation) the main Hawaiian Island groups. Our results are consistent with movement rates estimated from photo‐identification data and suggest that each island group supports a demographically independent population. Inclusion in our analyses of samples collected near Palmyra Atoll provided evidence that the Hawaiian Islands are also occasionally visited by members of a genetically distinct, pelagic population. Two of our samples exhibited evidence of partial ancestry from Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins (T. aduncus), a species not known to inhabit the Hawaiian Archipelago. Our findings have important implications for the management of Hawaiian bottlenose dolphins and raise concerns about the vulnerability to human impacts of pelagic species in island ecosystems.     

Geographical origin of Leucobryum boninense Sull. & Lesq. (Leucobryaceae,Musci) endemic to the Bonin Islands,Japan

Leucobryum boninense is endemic to the Bonin Islands, Japan, and its related species are widely distributed in Asia and the Pacific. We aimed to clarify the phylogenetic relationships among Leucobryum species and infer the origin of L. boninense. We also describe the utility of the chloroplast trnK intron including matK for resolving the phylogenetic relationships among Leucobryum species, as phylogenetic analyses using trnK intron and/or matK have not been performed well in bryophytes to date. Fifty samples containing 15 species of Leucobryum from Asia and the Pacific were examined for six chloroplast DNA regions including rbcL, rps4, partial 5′ trnK intron, matK, partial 3′ trnK intron, and trnL‐F intergenic spacer plus one nuclear DNA region including ITS. A molecular phylogenetic tree showed that L. boninense made a clade with L. scabrum from Japan, Taiwan and, Hong Kong; L. javense which is widely distributed in East and Southeast Asia, and L. pachyphyllum and L. seemannii restricted to the Hawaii Islands, as well as with L. scaberulum from the Ryukyus, Japan, Taiwan, and southeastern China. Leucobryum boninense from various islands of the Bonin Islands made a monophylic group that was closely related to L. scabrum and L. javense from Japan. Therefore, L. boninense may have evolved from L. scabrum from Japan, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, or L. javense from Japan. We also described the utility of trnK intron including matK. A percentage of the parsimony‐informative characters in trnK intron sequence data (5.8%) was significantly higher than that from other chloroplast regions, rbcL (2.4%) and rps4 (3.2%) sequence data. Nucleotide sequence data of the trnK intron including matK are more informative than other chloroplast DNA regions for identifying the phylogenetic relationships among Leucobryum species.     

Radiation following long‐distance dispersal: the contributions of time,opportunity and diaspore morphology in Sicyos (Cucurbitaceae)

Aim  To infer the most plausible explanations for the presence of 14 species of the Neotropical cucurbit genus Sicyos on the Hawaiian Islands, two on the Galápagos Islands, two in Australia, and one in New Zealand. Location  Neotropics, the Hawaiian and Galápagos archipelagos, Australia and New Zealand. Methods  We tested long‐problematic generic boundaries in the tribe Sicyoeae and reconstructed the history of Sicyos using plastid and nuclear DNA sequences from 87 species (many with multiple accessions) representing the group’s generic and geographic diversity. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches were used to infer relationships, divergence times, biogeographic history and ancestral traits. Results  Thirteen smaller genera, including Sechium, are embedded in Sicyos, which when re‐circumscribed as a monophyletic group comprises 75 species. The 14 Hawaiian species of Sicyos descended from a single ancestor that arrived c. 3 million years ago (Ma), Galápagos was reached twice at c. 4.5 and 1 Ma, the species in Australia descended from a Neotropical ancestor (c. 2 Ma), and New Zealand was reached from Australia. Time since arrival thus does not correlate with Sicyos species numbers on the two archipelagos. Main conclusions  A plausible mechanism for the four trans‐Pacific dispersal events is adherence to birds of the tiny hard fruit with retrorsely barbed spines found in those lineages that underwent long‐distance migrations. The Hawaiian clade has lost these spines, resulting in a lower dispersal ability compared with the Galápagos and Australian lineages, and perhaps favouring allopatric speciation.     

Algal Parasite Herpodiscus durvillaeae (Phaeophyceae: Sphacelariales) Inferred to have Traversed the Pacific Ocean with its Buoyant Host

The parasitic phaeophycean endophyte Herpodiscus durvillaeae (Lindauer) G. R. South has previously only been recorded from New Zealand, in association with a single host species, Durvillaea antarctica (Chamisso) Hariot (southern bull‐kelp). Here we use DNA sequence data from plastid and nuclear markers (chloroplast rbcL, ribosomal LSU, and a nuclear pseudogene copy of COI) to test for the presence of H. durvillaeae beyond the New Zealand region, and on host species other than D. antarctica. Analyses of samples from the Falkland Islands confirm the first record of H. durvillaeae from the Atlantic Ocean. We report that Falkland Islands H. durvillaeae are genetically indistinguishable from samples of this species from New Zealand's sub‐Antarctic Campbell Island, suggesting recent dispersal of the parasite across the Pacific Ocean, presumably by rafting with its buoyant macroalgal host. We also here record H. durvillaeae from New Zealand endemics Durvillaea poha Fraser et al. and D. willana Lindauer.     

Revision of the Endemic Hawaiian genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trematolobelia</Emphasis> (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae)

Trematolobelia (Campanulaceae: Lobeliodeae) is a genus of semelparous pliestesial pachycaul rosette treelets endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Eight species are re-cognized. The most widespread is T. macrostachys, found in the Ko‘olau Mountains of O‘ahu and on Moloka‘i and Maui. The remainder are single-island endemics: T. auriculata (Lna‘i); T. grandiflora (Hawai‘i); T. kaalae, comb. et stat. nov. (Wai‘anae Mountains of O‘ahu); T. kauaiensis (Kaua‘i); T. rockii (Moloka‘i); T. singularis (Ko‘olau Mountains of O‘ahu); and T. wimmeri (Hawai‘i).     

Phylogenetic identification and population differentiation of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) in Melanesia,as revealed by mitochondrial DNA

The taxonomic status of many dolphin populations remains uncertain in poorly studied regions of the world's ocean. Here we attempt to clarify the phylogenetic identity of two distinct forms of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) described in the Melanesian region of the Pacific Ocean. Mitochondrial DNA control region sequences from samples collected in New Caledonia (n = 88) and the Solomon Islands (n = 19) were compared to previously published sequences of Tursiops spp., representing four phylogenetic units currently recognized within the genus. Phylogenetic reconstructions confirm that the smaller coastal form in Melanesia belongs to the same phylogenetic unit as T. aduncus populations in the Pacific, but differs from T. aduncus in Africa, and that the larger more oceanic form belongs to the species T. truncatus. Analyses of population diversity reveal high levels of regional population structuring among the two forms, with contrasting levels of diversity. From a conservation perspective, genetic isolation of T. aduncus in the Solomon Islands raises further concern about recent impacts of the commercial, live‐capture export industry. Furthermore, the low level of mtDNA diversity in T. aduncus of New Caledonia suggests a recent population bottleneck or founder effect and isolation. This raises concerns for the conservation status of these local populations.     

Paraliparis hawaiiensis,a new species of snailfish (Scorpaeniformes: Liparidae) and the first described from the Hawaiian Archipelago

Paraliparis hawaiiensis n.sp. is described from the north‐western Hawaiian Islands from two specimens collected at 2196 and 3055 m. It differs from other North Pacific Ocean species in its chin pore arrangement, tooth pattern and body proportions. Although liparid specimens have previously been collected from Hawaii, they were undescribed and are now lost. Therefore, this is the first liparid species described from the archipelago. In situ photographs of Hawaiian snailfishes are also shown and discussed here.     

Genomic signatures of geographic isolation and natural selection in coral reef fishes

The drivers of speciation remain among the most controversial topics in evolutionary biology. Initially, Darwin emphasized natural selection as a primary mechanism of speciation, but the architects of the modern synthesis largely abandoned that view in favour of divergence by geographic isolation. The balance between selection and isolation is still at the forefront of the evolutionary debate, especially for the world's tropical oceans where biodiversity is high, but isolating barriers are few. Here, we identify the drivers of speciation in Pacific reef fishes of the genus Acanthurus by comparative genome scans of two peripheral populations that split from a large Central‐West Pacific lineage at roughly the same time. Mitochondrial sequences indicate that populations in the Hawaiian Archipelago and the Marquesas Islands became isolated approximately 0.5 Ma. The Hawaiian lineage is morphologically indistinguishable from the widespread Pacific form, but the Marquesan form is recognized as a distinct species that occupies an unusual tropical ecosystem characterized by upwelling, turbidity, temperature fluctuations, algal blooms and little coral cover. An analysis of 3737 SNPs reveals a strong signal of selection at the Marquesas, with 59 loci under disruptive selection including an opsin Rh2 locus. While both the Hawaiian and Marquesan populations indicate signals of drift, the former shows a weak signal of selection that is comparable with populations in the Central‐West Pacific. This contrast between closely related lineages reveals one population diverging due primarily to geographic isolation and genetic drift, and the other achieving taxonomic species status under the influence of selection.     

Multiple origins of Hawaiian drosophilids: Phylogeography of Scaptomyza Hardy (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Scaptomyza is a highly diversified genus in the family Drosophilidae, having undergone an explosive radiation, along with the Hawaiian‐endemic genus Idiomyia in the Hawaiian Islands: about 60% of 269 Scaptomyza species so far described are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Two hypotheses have been proposed for the origin and diversification of Hawaiian drosophilids. One is the “single Hawaiian origin” hypothesis: Scaptomyza and Idiomyia diverged from a single common ancestor that had once colonized the Hawaiian Islands, and then non‐Hawaiian Scaptomyza migrated back to continents. The other is the “multiple origins” hypothesis: Hawaiian Scaptomyza and Idiomyia derived from different ancestors that independently colonized the Hawaiian Islands. A key issue for testing these two hypotheses is to clarify the phylogenetic relationships between Hawaiian and non‐Hawaiian species in Scaptomyza. Toward this goal, we sampled additional non‐Hawaiian Scaptomyza species, particularly in the Old World, and determined the nucleotide sequences of four mitochondrial and seven nuclear genes for these species. Combining these sequence data with published data for 79 species, we reconstructed the phylogeny and estimated ancestral distributions and divergence times. In the resulting phylogenetic trees, non‐Hawaiian Scaptomyza species were interspersed in two Hawaiian clades. From a reconstruction of ancestral biogeography, we inferred that Idiomyia and Scaptomyza diverged outside the Hawaiian Islands and then independently colonized the Hawaiian Islands, twice in Scaptomyza, thus supporting the “multiple origins” hypothesis.     

A molecular evaluation of the Liagoraceae sensu lato (Nemaliales,Rhodophyta) in Bermuda including Liagora nesophila sp. nov. and Yamadaella grassyi sp. nov.

We have undertaken a comprehensive, molecular‐assisted alpha‐taxonomic examination of the rhodophyte family Liagoraceae sensu lato, a group that has not previously been targeted for molecular studies in the western Atlantic. Sequence data from three molecular markers indicate that in Bermuda alone there are 10 species in nine different genera. These include the addition of three genera to the flora — Hommersandiophycus, Trichogloeopsis, and Yamadaella. Liagora pectinata, a species with a type locality in Bermuda, is phylogenetically allied with Indo‐Pacific species of Hommersandiophycus, and the species historically reported as L. ceranoides for the islands is morphologically and genetically distinct from that taxon, and is herein described as L. nesophila sp. nov. Molecular sequence data have also uncovered the Indo‐Pacific L. mannarensis in Bermuda, a long‐distance new western Atlantic record. DNA sequences of Trichogloeopsis pedicellata from the type locality (Bahamas) match with local specimens demonstrating its presence in Bermuda. We described Yamadaella grassyi sp. nov. from Bermuda, a species phylogenetically and morphologically distinct from the generitype, Y. caenomyce of the Indo‐Pacific. Our data also indicated a single species each of Ganonema, Gloiocallis, Helminthocladia, Titanophycus, and Trichogloea in the flora.     

No gene flow across the Eastern Pacific Barrier in the reef‐building coral Porites lobata

The expanse of deep water between the central Pacific islands and the continental shelf of the Eastern Tropical Pacific is regarded as the world's most potent marine biogeographic barrier. During recurrent climatic fluctuations (ENSO, El Niño Southern Oscillation), however, changes in water temperature and the speed and direction of currents become favourable for trans‐oceanic dispersal of larvae from central Pacific to marginal eastern Pacific reefs. Here, we investigate the population connectivity of the reef‐building coral Porites lobata across the Eastern Pacific Barrier (EPB). Patterns of recent gene flow in samples (n = 1173) from the central Pacific and the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) were analysed with 12 microsatellite loci. Results indicated that P. lobata from the ETP are strongly isolated from those in the central Pacific and Hawaii (  = 0.509; P < 0.001). However, samples from Clipperton Atoll, an oceanic island on the eastern side of the EPB, grouped with the central Pacific. Within the central Pacific, Hawaiian populations were strongly isolated from three co‐occurring clusters found throughout the remainder of the central Pacific. No further substructure was evident in the ETP. Changes in oceanographic conditions during ENSO over the past several thousand years thus appear insufficient to support larval deliveries from the central Pacific to the ETP or strong postsettlement selection acts on ETP settlers from the central Pacific. Recovery of P. lobata populations in the frequently disturbed ETP thus must depend on local larval sources.