Dataset Information

Long-term assessment of whale shark population demography and connectivity using photo-identification in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

ABSTRACT: The predictable occurrence of whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, has been well documented in several areas. However, information relating to their migratory patterns, residency times and connectivity across broad spatial scales is limited. In the present study photo-identification data is used to describe whale shark population structure and connectivity among known aggregation sites within the Western Central Atlantic Ocean (WCA). From 1999 to 2015, 1,361 individuals were identified from four distinct areas: the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (n = 1,115); Honduras (n = 146); northern Gulf of Mexico, United States (n = 112), and Belize (n = 49). Seasonal patterns in whale shark occurrence were evident with encounters occurring in the western Caribbean Sea earlier in the year than in the GOM. There was also a significant sex bias with 2.6 times more males present than females. Seventy sharks were observed in more than one area and the highest degree of connectivity occurred among three aggregation sites along the Mesoamerican Reef. Despite this, the majority of resightings occurred in the area where the respective sharks were first identified. This was true for the WCA as a whole, with the exception of Belize. Site fidelity was highest in Mexico. Maximum likelihood modelling resulted in a population estimate of 2,167 (95% c.i. 1585.21-2909.86) sharks throughout the entire region. This study is the first attempt to provide a broad, regional population estimate using photo-identification data from multiple whale shark aggregations. Our aim is to provide population metrics, along with the description of region-scale connectivity, that will help guide conservation action in the WCA. At a global level, rapidly growing photographic databases are allowing for researchers to look beyond the description of single aggregation sites and into the ocean-scale ecology of this pelagic species.

SUBMITTER: McKinney JA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5560665 | biostudies-other | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:The whale shark Rhincodon typus is found throughout the world's tropical and warm-temperate ocean basins. Despite their broad physical distribution, research on the species has been concentrated at a few aggregation sites. Comparing DNA sequences from sharks at different sites can provide a demographically neutral understanding of the whale shark's global ecology. Here, we created genetic profiles for 84 whale sharks from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea and 72 individuals from the coast of Tanzania using a combination of microsatellite and mitochondrial sequences. These two sites, separated by approximately 4500 km (shortest over-water distance), exhibit markedly different population demographics and behavioral ecologies. Eleven microsatellite DNA markers revealed that the two aggregation sites have similar levels of allelic richness and appear to be derived from the same source population. We sequenced the mitochondrial control region to produce multiple global haplotype networks (based on different alignment methodologies) that were broadly similar to each other in terms of population structure but suggested different demographic histories. Data from both microsatellite and mitochondrial markers demonstrated the stability of genetic diversity within the Saudi Arabian aggregation site throughout the sampling period. These results contrast previously measured declines in diversity at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Mapping the geographic distribution of whale shark lineages provides insight into the species' connectivity and can be used to direct management efforts at both local and global scales. Similarly, understanding historical fluctuations in whale shark abundance provides a baseline by which to assess current trends. Continued development of new sequencing methods and the incorporation of genomic data could lead to considerable advances in the scientific understanding of whale shark population ecology and corresponding improvements to conservation policy.

Project description:Scalloped Hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) is an endangered species which its populations have been declining globally including in Indonesia, the world's top shark fishing country. However, there is a lack of information on the recent population structure of this species to promote proper management and its conservation status. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity, population structure, and connectivity of the S. lewini population, in three major shark landing sites: Aceh (n = 41), Balikpapan (n = 30), and Lombok (n = 29). Meanwhile, additional sequences were retrieved from West Papua (n = 14) and the Western Indian Ocean (n = 65) populations. From the analyses of the mitochondrial CO1 gene, a total of 179 sequences of S. lewini, with an average size of 594 bp, and 40 polymorphic loci in four and eight haplotypes for the Indonesian population and the Western Indian Ocean population were identified. The overall values of genetic diversity were high (h = 0.717; ? = 0.013), with the highest values recorded in Aceh (h = 0.668; ? = 0.002) and the lowest in Papua (h = 0.143; ? = 0.000). On the contrary, the overall value was fairly low in the Western Indian Ocean (h = 0.232; ? = 0.001). Furthermore, AMOVA and FST showed three significant subdivisions in Indonesia (FST = 0.442; P < 0.001), with separated populations for Aceh and West Papua, and mixed between Balikpapan and Lombok (FST = 0.044; P = 0.091). In contrast, genetic homogeneity was observed within the population of the Western Indian Ocean (FST = -0.013; P = 0.612). The establishment of a haplotype network provided evidence of a significantly different population and a limited genetic distribution between the Indonesian and the Western Indian Ocean populations (FST = 0.740; P < 0.001). This study showed the presence of a complex population of S. lewini with limited connectivity only in Indonesia separated from the Western Indian Ocean and requiring specific management measures based on the population structure at the regional level.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Whale sharks are a declining species for which little biological data is available. While these animals are protected in many parts of their range, they are fished legally and illegally in some countries. Baseline biological and ecological data are needed to allow the formulation of an effective conservation plan for whale sharks. It is not known, for example, whether the whale shark is represented by a single worldwide panmictic population or by numerous, reproductively isolated populations. Genetic analysis of population structure is one essential component of the baseline data required for whale shark conservation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We have identified 8 polymorphic microsatellites in the whale shark and used these markers to assess genetic variation and population structure in a panel of whale sharks covering a broad geographic region. This is the first record of microsatellite loci in the whale shark, which displayed an average of 9 alleles per locus and mean H(o) = 0.66 and H(e) = 0.69. All but one of the eight loci meet the expectations of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Analysis of these loci in whale sharks representing three major portions of their range, the Pacific (P), Caribbean (C), and Indian (I) Oceans, determined that there is little population differentiation between animals sampled in different geographic regions, indicating historical gene flow between populations. F(ST) values for inter-ocean comparisons were low (PxC = 0.0387, CxI = 0.0296 and PxI = -0.0022), and only CxI approached statistical significance (p = 0.0495). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:We have shown only low levels of genetic differentiation between geographically distinct whale shark populations. Existing satellite tracking data have revealed both regional and long-range migration of whale sharks throughout their range, which supports the finding of gene flow between populations. Whale sharks traverse geographic and political boundaries during their life history and interbreed with animals from distant populations; conservation efforts must therefore target international protection for this species.

Dataset Information

Long-term assessment of whale shark population demography and connectivity using photo-identification in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

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