Population structure and genetic connectivity reveals distinctiveness of Irish harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and implications for conservation management

• Published in: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
• Main Authors: Steinmetz, Kristina, Murphy, Sinéad, Cadhla, Oliver Ó., Carroll, Emma L., Onoufriou, Aubrie B., Russell, Debbie J. F., Cronin, Michelle, Mirimin, Luca
• Other Authors: NERC, University of St Andrews. School of Biology, University of St Andrews. Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews. Centre for Energy Ethics, University of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews. Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews. Marine Alliance for Science & Technology Scotland
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Genetics; Management unit; Marine mammal; Microsatellite loci; mtDNA; Non-invasive sampling; Phoca vitulina; Seals; QH426 Genetics; QL Zoology; NDAS; AC; MCC; QH426; QL
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10023/28937; https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3909

Funding: This research was funded by the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (scholarship, now Atlantic Technological University), under research grants from the Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS, grant ref. SPU G07-2017) and the Marine Environment Section of the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage (DHLGH). The contribution from SMRU (sampling and genetic analyses and DJFR) was funded by NERC National Public Good- National Capability funding (NE/R015007/1), Nature Scot, and the Scottish Government. The identification of discrete intraspecific units, such as genetically informed management units (MUs), is important to effectively develop and implement conservation strategies for protected species. Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) occurring in Irish waters are currently viewed as a single nationwide panmictic population (and hence MU), although this assumption is not based on any knowledge of population structure because of the lack of available genetic data. Thus, the present study used mitochondrial control region sequences and between nine and 11 microsatellite loci from harbour seals from Ireland and Northern Ireland (up to n = 123) and adjacent UK/European waters (up to n = 289) to provide insights into the genetic population structure and diversity of harbour seals in the areas studied. Within the island of Ireland, genetic analyses revealed the presence of three genetically distinct local populations, characterized by high genetic diversity, hereby defined as: East Ireland (EI), North-west & Northern Ireland (NWNI), and South-west Ireland (SWI). Using previously published and newly generated data, a subsequent wider scale analysis revealed that the EI and SWI local populations were genetically distinct from neighbouring UK/European areas, whereas seals from the NWNI area could not be distinguished from a previously identified Northern UK metapopulation. Migration rate estimates showed that NWNI receives migrants from North-west Scotland, with NWNI acting as a genetic ...