Fig 1.
Map of the Mediterranean Sea with the name of the sub-basins, main currents (white lines) and oceanographic fronts analysed (red lines).
The name of the fronts and the acronym used (in black) is as follows: GS (Gibraltar Strait), AOF (Almeria-Oran Front), IC (Ibiza Channel), BF (Balearic Front), SC (Sicily Channel), ADR (Otranto Channel), AEG (southern margin of the Aegean Sea).
Fig 2.
PRISMA flow diagram for literature search.
Fig 3.
Influence of Planktonic larval duration (PLD) categories on genetic connectivity.
(A) Frequency of significant genetic differences (P<0.05) between localities separated by a front and without a front. (B) Frequency of comparisons showing genetic reduction mediated by the front. PLD categories are identified as S = 1–15 days, M = 16–30 days and L ≥ 31 days.
Fig 4.
Influence of adult LIFE strategy categories on genetic connectivity.
(A) Frequency of significant genetic differences (P<0.05) between localities separated by a front and without a front. (B) Frequency of comparisons showing genetic reduction mediated by the front. LIFE strategy categories are identified as BS = Benthic sessile or limited motility, BM = benthic vagile and PEL = pelagic.
Fig 5.
Genetic differentiation patterns between localities separated by oceanographic fronts.
Frequency of species, for each PLD category (A) and LIFE strategy (B), showing significant genetic distances (black) and gene flow reduction (blue) between localities separated by oceanographic fronts. Each oceanographic front (red lines) is analysed separately: Gibraltar Strait (GS), Almeria-Oran Front (AOF), Ibiza Channel (IC), Balearic Front (BF), Sicily Channel (SC), Otranto Channel (ADR), and the southern margin of the Aegean Sea (AEG).
Table 1.
Wilcoxon matched pairs test comparing the standardized FST distances between localities separated by fronts (F) and those without front (NF) for different larval and adult stage categories, and type of molecular marker.
Fig 6.
Phylogenetic tree of analysed taxa representing life history traits and genetic differentiation patterns.
In the Life History column the number of species is given for each taxon, with the inner circle representing PLD categories (S = Orange, M = Brown, L = Blue) and the outer circle representing LIFE strategy categories (BS = Orange, BM = Brown, PEL = Blue). In the Genetic Differentiation column the number of front comparisons is given for each taxon, with the inner circle representing the frequency of comparisons showing genetic reduction patterns (YES = dark grey, NO = light grey), and the outer circle representing the frequency of significant genetic differences between localities separated by a front (YES = dark grey, NO = light grey).
Table 2.
Wilcoxon matched pairs test for each oceanographic front comparing the standardized FST values between localities separated by the front (F) and those without front (NF).
Table 3.
PERMANOVA analyses considering the effect of different variables and their interaction on gene flow reduction.
Fig 7.
Effect of life history traits on population genetic differentiation and their impact on connectivity reduction mediated by oceanographic discontinuities.
These effects influence the capacity of population recovery and species vulnerability.