Characterization of 10 microsatellite loci for the deep-sea coral Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus 1758)

The scleractinian coral, Lophelia pertusa, is distributed globally on continental slopes, mid-oceanic ridges and in fjords. This species forms cold-water reefs, which are associated with a diverse animal community. These communities are poorly understood but are currently under threat from human activities. Molecular markers are required to assess the spatial genetic population structure of this key species for management and conservation purposes. Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated for Lophelia pertusa using an enriched partial library technique. Nine loci showed significant differences from Hardy-Weinberg expected genotype frequencies, eight of which showed heterozygote deficiencies.