Microsatellite markers for the Baltic clam, Macoma balthica (Linne, 1758), a key species concerned by changing southern limit, in exploited littoral ecosystems

During the last 30 years, the southern European range limit of the Baltic clam Macoma balthica strongly shifted northward. To understand the consequences of such a retreat on populations located near the edge of its current geographic range, we developed nine microsatellite markers and tested their usefulness on 36 individuals from two populations. All loci were found to be polymorphic, with 5-26 alleles per locus. These results appear promising to study the fine scale genetic structure and dynamics of Macoma balthica populations near the range limit.