Microsatellite loci for basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) monitoring and conservation

• Published in: Conservation Genetics Resources
• Main Authors: Lieber, Lilian, Dawson, Deborah A., Horsburgh, Gavin J., Noble, Leslie R., Jones, Catherine S.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Cetorhinus maximus; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/microsatellite-loci-for-basking-shark-cetorhinus-maximus-monitoring-and-conservation(16b54e81-f38d-453a-addf-dc52ba52674f).html; https://doi.org/10.1007/s12686-015-0493-8; https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/199653000/Microsatellite_loci_for_basking_shark_Cetorhinus_maximus_monitoring_and_conservation.pdf

The filter-feeding basking shark ( Cetorhinus maximus ) is the largest fish found in the Northeast Atlantic, however there is little baseline ecological data despite its globally threatened status. In order to investigate the basking sharks’ population connectivity, patterns of relatedness and effective population numbers over time, we developed a microsatellite marker set suitable for genetic monitoring. Forty-seven markers were screened, of which 24 were assessed in 20 unrelated individuals from the Isle of Man using DNA extracted from skin mucus swabs. We selected 19 polymorphic loci with a mean observed heterozygosity of 0.73 to create a marker set with sufficient power to unambiguously resolve between individuals (PIsibs=1.7 x10 -7 ).