| Summary: | The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is the most endangered species of large whale in the world (IUCN). Efforts for the recovery of this species were initiated almost 20 years ago, yet the North Atlantic right whale shows little signs of recovery. Reliance on particular habitat areas and the effect of factors such as ship collisions, net entanglement and habitat disturbances are hampering the recovery of this species. Therefore, it is important to assess the level of genetic diversity left in this population and to identify and assess all habitat areas for potentially lethal threats. This study has identified a subset of the reproductive females that do not use the Bay of Fundy as a nursery area, through the genetic structuring of mtDNA control region haplotypes. Genetic structuring of the control region haplotypes was established and maintained by site fidelity of reproductive females to specific nursery areas. These results have identified a list of reproductive females that will be the targets of satellite tagging to elucidate the location of the alternative nursery area(s) to the Bay of Fundy. Analysis of mtDNA control region haplotypes in North and South Atlantic right whale has identified five haplotypes in the 180 North Atlantic right whales analyzed compared to 10 haplotypes in the 16 South Atlantic right whales analyzed. The low level ofhaplotypic variability in the North Atlantic right whale is a direct consequence of the extensive whaling period endured by this species. The genetic divergence between the North and South Atlantic right whales was estimated to have occurred 3.0-9.0 mya. This is similar to the genetic divergence of 2.0-5.3 mya found between the two clades identified in the South Atlantic samples. Thesis Master of Science (MSc)
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