M. Waycott, ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC-VARIATION AND CLONALITY IN THE SEAGRASS POSIDONIA-AUSTRALIS USING RAPD AND ALLOZYME ANALYSIS, Marine ecology. Progress series, 116(1-3), 1995, pp. 289-295
The genetic structure of a meadow of Posidonia australis Hook. f., an
endemic seagrass from southern Australian coasts, was investigated at
Warnbro Sound, Western Australia. A high level of genetic Variation as
determined by allozyme and RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) an
alyses was found within a small area of the meadow. Allozyme analysis
identified 15 four-locus genotypes from 43 samples (35%). RAPD analysi
s identified 16 four-primer genotypes from 22 samples (73 %). The leve
ls of genetic variation in P. australis are equivalent to or greater t
han that observed in other hydrophilous species. The intrapopulational
genetic Variation demonstrated in this study shows that meadows of P.
australis need not be monoclonal in all cases.