[MARMAM] new paper - population structure of Hawaiian bottlenose dolphins

[Karen Martien]

Dear list members,

The paper below is now available in Early View from Marine Mammal Science.

Martien, Karen K., Robin W. Baird, Nicole M. Hedrick, Antoinette M. 
Gorgone, Janet L. Thieleking, Daniel J. McSweeney, Kelly M. Robertson, 
Daniel L. Webster. 2011. Population structure of island-associated 
dolphins: evidence from mitochohndrial and microsatellite markers for 
common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) around the main Hawaiian 
Islands.  Marine Mammal Science. DOI: 10.111/j.1748-7692.2011.00506.x

We used mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers to investigate 
population structure of common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, 
around the main Hawai- ian Islands. Though broadly distributed 
throughout the world's oceans, bottlenose dolphins are known to form 
small populations in coastal waters. Recent photo- identification data 
suggest the same is true in Hawaiian waters. We found genetic 
differentiation among (mtDNA ?ST = 0.014--0.141, microsatellite F'ST = 
0.019-- 0.050) and low dispersal rates between (0.17--5.77 dispersers 
per generation) the main Hawaiian Island groups. Our results are 
consistent with movement rates estimated from photo-identification data 
and suggest that each island group supports a demographically 
independent population. Inclusion in our analyses of samples collected 
near Palmyra Atoll provided evidence that the Hawaiian Islands are also 
occasionally visited by members of a genetically distinct, pelagic 
population. Two of our samples exhibited evidence of partial ancestry 
from Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (T. aduncus), a species not known 
to inhabit the Hawaiian Archipelago. Our findings have important 
implications for the management of Hawaiian bottlenose dolphins and 
raise concerns about the vulnerability to human impacts of pelagic 
species in island ecosystems.

The paper is available at the following website:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00506.x/abstract

--
Karen K. Marten
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
8604 La Jolla Shores Drive
La Jolla, CA 92037
Tel: 858-546-7058
Fax: 858-546-7003
Karen.Martien at noaa.gov
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