Genetic population structure of harbour seals in the United Kingdom and neighbouring waters

• Published in: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
• Main Authors: Tange, Olsen Morten, Islas, Valentina, Graves, Jeff A., Onoufriou, Aubrie, Vincent, Cécile, Brasseur, Sophie, Frie, Anne Kirstine, Hall, Ailsa
• Other Authors: Section for GeoGenetics, Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH)-University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH)-Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH)-University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH), Sea Mammal Research Unit University of St Andrews (SMRU), School of Biology University of St Andrews, University of St Andrews Scotland -University of St Andrews Scotland -Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Puerto Ángel, Distrito de San Pedro Pochutla, Universidad del Mar, Ciudad Universitaria, School of Biology, University of St Andrews Scotland, Xelect Ltd, Scottish Oceans Institute, LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Ecology, IMARES, AD, IMARES, AD, Institute of Marine Research Bergen (IMR), University of Bergen (UiB)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2017
• Subjects: coastal; genetics; mammal; microsatellite loci; Phoca vitulina; Seal Management Units; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; harbour seal
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01541870; https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2760

International audience 1. In the United Kingdom (UK), several harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) populations have been declining over the past decade. In order to understand the effect of these changes in abundance, this study seeks to determine the population structure of harbour seals in the UK, and in Scotland in particular, on a wider and finer spatial scale than has previously been reported. 2. Harbour seals were genotyped from 18 different localities throughout the UK and neighbouring localities in mainland Europe, at 12 microsatellite loci. Results from Bayesian and frequency based tests of population structure suggested an initial structural division into two main groups consisting of localities in northern UK and southern UK–mainland Europe, respectively. 3. These two clusters were further divided into four geographically distinct genetic clusters. 4. An overall agreement between the genetic results and the existing management areas for UK harbour seals was observed, but it is also clear that an adaptive management approach should be adopted, in which the delineation of the current management areas is maintained until further genetic and ecological information has been accumulated and analysed.