Current patterns, habitat discontinuities and population genetic structure: the case of the kelp Laminaria digitata in the English Channel

Abstract

Most marine algae are characterised by relatively short-lived spores and gametes However, although they lack the strict equivalent of 'planktonic larvae' as in benthic invertebrates, drifting (detached) fertile thallus fragments occasionally constitute a mechanism for long-distance dispersal and reinforce gene flow. Although less abundant in comparison to benthic invertebrates, studies of genetic structure in seaweeds have effectively shown that genetic differentiation occurs at relatively short distances (<1 m to <10 km) and that different modes of spore