Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics
_Carol Newell, Donner Canadian Foundation, Elizabeth Haan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada_ Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, Save Our Seas Foundation, Willow Grove Foundation_ In coastal British Columbia, Canada, marine megafauna such as humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and fin w...
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10023/29615 https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13957 |
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ftstandrewserep:oai:research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk:10023/29615 2024-04-28T08:14:05+00:00 Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics O'Mahony, Éadin Sremba, Angela Keen, Eric Robinson, Nicole Dundas, Archie Steele, Debbie Wray, Janie Baker, Charles Gaggiotti, Oscar Eduardo University of St Andrews. School of Biology University of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Institute 2024-04-05T10:30:05Z 2933610 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10023/29615 https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13957 eng eng Molecular Ecology Resources 300538234 969c1ff2-392c-4a2e-81bb-1948a81e6467 O'Mahony , É , Sremba , A , Keen , E , Robinson , N , Dundas , A , Steele , D , Wray , J , Baker , C & Gaggiotti , O E 2024 , ' Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics ' , Molecular Ecology Resources , vol. Early View . https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13957 1755-098X ORCID: /0000-0002-0755-1329/work/157140756 ORCID: /0000-0003-1827-1493/work/157141131 https://hdl.handle.net/10023/29615 doi:10.1111/1755-0998.13957 Conservation genetics Drones Unoccupied aerial systems Baleen whales Respiratory blow Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) DAS Journal article 2024 ftstandrewserep https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13957 2024-04-09T23:33:08Z _Carol Newell, Donner Canadian Foundation, Elizabeth Haan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada_ Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, Save Our Seas Foundation, Willow Grove Foundation_ In coastal British Columbia, Canada, marine megafauna such as humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus velifera) have been subject to a history of exploitation and near extirpation. While their populations have been in recovery, significant threats are posed to these vulnerable species by proposed natural resource ventures in this region, in addition to the compounding effects of anthropogenic climate change. Genetic tools play a vital role in informing conservation efforts, but the associated collection of tissue biopsy samples can be challenging for the investigators and disruptive to the ongoing behaviour of the targeted whales. Here, we evaluate a minimally intrusive approach based on collecting exhaled breath condensate, or respiratory ‘blow’ samples, from baleen whales using an unoccupied aerial system (UAS), within Gitga'at First Nation territory for conservation genetics. Minimal behavioural responses to the sampling technique were observed, with no response detected 87% of the time (of 112 UAS deployments). DNA from whale blow (n = 88 samples) was extracted, and DNA profiles consisting of 10 nuclear microsatellite loci, sex identification and mitochondrial (mt) DNA haplotypes were constructed. An average of 7.5 microsatellite loci per individual were successfully genotyped. The success rates for mtDNA and sex assignment were 80% and 89% respectively. Thus, this minimally intrusive sampling method can be used to describe genetic diversity and generate genetic profiles for individual identification. The results of this research demonstrate the potential of UAS-collected whale blow for conservation genetics from a remote location. Peer reviewed Article in Journal/Newspaper Balaenoptera physalus baleen whale baleen whales Megaptera novaeangliae University of St Andrews: Digital Research Repository Molecular Ecology Resources |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Digital Research Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftstandrewserep |
language |
English |
topic |
Conservation genetics Drones Unoccupied aerial systems Baleen whales Respiratory blow Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) DAS |
spellingShingle |
Conservation genetics Drones Unoccupied aerial systems Baleen whales Respiratory blow Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) DAS O'Mahony, Éadin Sremba, Angela Keen, Eric Robinson, Nicole Dundas, Archie Steele, Debbie Wray, Janie Baker, Charles Gaggiotti, Oscar Eduardo Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics |
topic_facet |
Conservation genetics Drones Unoccupied aerial systems Baleen whales Respiratory blow Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) DAS |
description |
_Carol Newell, Donner Canadian Foundation, Elizabeth Haan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada_ Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, Save Our Seas Foundation, Willow Grove Foundation_ In coastal British Columbia, Canada, marine megafauna such as humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus velifera) have been subject to a history of exploitation and near extirpation. While their populations have been in recovery, significant threats are posed to these vulnerable species by proposed natural resource ventures in this region, in addition to the compounding effects of anthropogenic climate change. Genetic tools play a vital role in informing conservation efforts, but the associated collection of tissue biopsy samples can be challenging for the investigators and disruptive to the ongoing behaviour of the targeted whales. Here, we evaluate a minimally intrusive approach based on collecting exhaled breath condensate, or respiratory ‘blow’ samples, from baleen whales using an unoccupied aerial system (UAS), within Gitga'at First Nation territory for conservation genetics. Minimal behavioural responses to the sampling technique were observed, with no response detected 87% of the time (of 112 UAS deployments). DNA from whale blow (n = 88 samples) was extracted, and DNA profiles consisting of 10 nuclear microsatellite loci, sex identification and mitochondrial (mt) DNA haplotypes were constructed. An average of 7.5 microsatellite loci per individual were successfully genotyped. The success rates for mtDNA and sex assignment were 80% and 89% respectively. Thus, this minimally intrusive sampling method can be used to describe genetic diversity and generate genetic profiles for individual identification. The results of this research demonstrate the potential of UAS-collected whale blow for conservation genetics from a remote location. Peer reviewed |
author2 |
University of St Andrews. School of Biology University of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Institute |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
O'Mahony, Éadin Sremba, Angela Keen, Eric Robinson, Nicole Dundas, Archie Steele, Debbie Wray, Janie Baker, Charles Gaggiotti, Oscar Eduardo |
author_facet |
O'Mahony, Éadin Sremba, Angela Keen, Eric Robinson, Nicole Dundas, Archie Steele, Debbie Wray, Janie Baker, Charles Gaggiotti, Oscar Eduardo |
author_sort |
O'Mahony, Éadin |
title |
Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics |
title_short |
Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics |
title_full |
Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics |
title_fullStr |
Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics |
title_full_unstemmed |
Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics |
title_sort |
collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10023/29615 https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13957 |
genre |
Balaenoptera physalus baleen whale baleen whales Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Balaenoptera physalus baleen whale baleen whales Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_relation |
Molecular Ecology Resources 300538234 969c1ff2-392c-4a2e-81bb-1948a81e6467 O'Mahony , É , Sremba , A , Keen , E , Robinson , N , Dundas , A , Steele , D , Wray , J , Baker , C & Gaggiotti , O E 2024 , ' Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone : a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics ' , Molecular Ecology Resources , vol. Early View . https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13957 1755-098X ORCID: /0000-0002-0755-1329/work/157140756 ORCID: /0000-0003-1827-1493/work/157141131 https://hdl.handle.net/10023/29615 doi:10.1111/1755-0998.13957 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13957 |
container_title |
Molecular Ecology Resources |
_version_ |
1797580307393675264 |