Myths and moderation in marine ‘metapopulations’?

The metapopulation concept is appearing with increasing frequency in the marine population dynamics and genetics literature, though its applicability to marine systems remains an open question. Moreover, in recent years, the meaning of the term ‘metapopulation’ has become blurred, concomitant with its increasing use. In this paper, we summarize the concept of metapopulation dynamics and the associated theoretical assumptions. We call for a stricter definition and use of the term ‘metapopulation’, critically evaluate the applicability of metapopulation theory to marine population dynamics and its use in the related literature, and consider two published case‐studies that investigate metapopulation structuring in specific marine populations. Finally, we urge scientists to carefully articulate what is meant by the term ‘metapopulation’ and to use appropriate citations in the primary literature to circumvent the potential for nebulous (and possibly damaging) conclusions in the future.