Population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics
Historical exploitation, and a combination of current anthropogenic impacts, such as climate change and habitat degradation, impact the population dynamics of marine mammalian megafauna. Right whales (Eubalaena spp.) are large cetaceans recovering from hunting, whose reproductive and population grow...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:7b9fb120ee1843edb118428a0af488f0 2023-05-15T18:26:17+02:00 Population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics Petra Neveceralova Emma L. Carroll Debbie Steel Els Vermeulen Simon Elwen Jakub Zidek Jason K. Stafford Wilfred Chivell Pavel Hulva 2022-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02141 https://doaj.org/article/7b9fb120ee1843edb118428a0af488f0 EN eng Elsevier http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989422001433 https://doaj.org/toc/2351-9894 2351-9894 doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02141 https://doaj.org/article/7b9fb120ee1843edb118428a0af488f0 Global Ecology and Conservation, Vol 37, Iss , Pp e02141- (2022) Cetacean Citizen science Noninvasive genetics Sloughed skin Southern Africa Southern right whale Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02141 2022-12-31T02:38:07Z Historical exploitation, and a combination of current anthropogenic impacts, such as climate change and habitat degradation, impact the population dynamics of marine mammalian megafauna. Right whales (Eubalaena spp.) are large cetaceans recovering from hunting, whose reproductive and population growth rate appear to be impacted by climate change. We apply noninvasive genetic methods to monitor southern right whale (E. australis, SRW) and test the application of noninvasive genetics to minimise the observer effects on the population. Our aim is to describe population structure, and interdecadal and interannual changes to assess species status in the Great Acceleration period of Anthropocene. As a basis for population genetic analyses, we collected samples from sloughed skin during post-migration epidermal moult. Considering the exploration-exploitation dilemma, we collaborated with whale watching companies, as part of a citizen science approach and to reduce ad hoc logistic operations and biopsy equipment. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite data and population genetic tools. We report for the first time the genetic composition and differentiation of the Namibian portion of the range. Population genetic parameters suggest that South Africa hosts the largest population. This corresponds with higher estimates of current gene flow from Africa compared to older samples. We have observed considerable interannual variation in population density at the breeding ground and an interdecadal shift in genetic variability, evidenced by an increase in the point estimate inbreeding. Clustering analyses confirmed differentiation between the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, presumably originating during the ice ages. We show that population monitoring of large whales, essential for their conservation management, is feasible using noninvasive sampling within non-scientific platforms. Observed patterns are concurrent to changes of movement ecology and decline in reproductive success of the South African population, probably ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Southern Right Whale Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Pacific Global Ecology and Conservation 37 e02141 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Cetacean Citizen science Noninvasive genetics Sloughed skin Southern Africa Southern right whale Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Cetacean Citizen science Noninvasive genetics Sloughed skin Southern Africa Southern right whale Ecology QH540-549.5 Petra Neveceralova Emma L. Carroll Debbie Steel Els Vermeulen Simon Elwen Jakub Zidek Jason K. Stafford Wilfred Chivell Pavel Hulva Population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics |
topic_facet |
Cetacean Citizen science Noninvasive genetics Sloughed skin Southern Africa Southern right whale Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Historical exploitation, and a combination of current anthropogenic impacts, such as climate change and habitat degradation, impact the population dynamics of marine mammalian megafauna. Right whales (Eubalaena spp.) are large cetaceans recovering from hunting, whose reproductive and population growth rate appear to be impacted by climate change. We apply noninvasive genetic methods to monitor southern right whale (E. australis, SRW) and test the application of noninvasive genetics to minimise the observer effects on the population. Our aim is to describe population structure, and interdecadal and interannual changes to assess species status in the Great Acceleration period of Anthropocene. As a basis for population genetic analyses, we collected samples from sloughed skin during post-migration epidermal moult. Considering the exploration-exploitation dilemma, we collaborated with whale watching companies, as part of a citizen science approach and to reduce ad hoc logistic operations and biopsy equipment. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite data and population genetic tools. We report for the first time the genetic composition and differentiation of the Namibian portion of the range. Population genetic parameters suggest that South Africa hosts the largest population. This corresponds with higher estimates of current gene flow from Africa compared to older samples. We have observed considerable interannual variation in population density at the breeding ground and an interdecadal shift in genetic variability, evidenced by an increase in the point estimate inbreeding. Clustering analyses confirmed differentiation between the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, presumably originating during the ice ages. We show that population monitoring of large whales, essential for their conservation management, is feasible using noninvasive sampling within non-scientific platforms. Observed patterns are concurrent to changes of movement ecology and decline in reproductive success of the South African population, probably ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Petra Neveceralova Emma L. Carroll Debbie Steel Els Vermeulen Simon Elwen Jakub Zidek Jason K. Stafford Wilfred Chivell Pavel Hulva |
author_facet |
Petra Neveceralova Emma L. Carroll Debbie Steel Els Vermeulen Simon Elwen Jakub Zidek Jason K. Stafford Wilfred Chivell Pavel Hulva |
author_sort |
Petra Neveceralova |
title |
Population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics |
title_short |
Population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics |
title_full |
Population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics |
title_fullStr |
Population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics |
title_full_unstemmed |
Population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics |
title_sort |
population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02141 https://doaj.org/article/7b9fb120ee1843edb118428a0af488f0 |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Southern Right Whale |
genre_facet |
Southern Right Whale |
op_source |
Global Ecology and Conservation, Vol 37, Iss , Pp e02141- (2022) |
op_relation |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989422001433 https://doaj.org/toc/2351-9894 2351-9894 doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02141 https://doaj.org/article/7b9fb120ee1843edb118428a0af488f0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02141 |
container_title |
Global Ecology and Conservation |
container_volume |
37 |
container_start_page |
e02141 |
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1766208231267368960 |