High‐energy Behaviors in Humpback Whales as a Source of Sloughed Skin for Molecular Analysis

Clapham, PJ; Palsbøll, Per J.; Mattila, DK

doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.1993.tb00448.x

Cited by 27 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…In most cases, skin tissue was collected from free‐ranging whales using a biopsy dart described in detail by Lambertsen (1987), with slight modifications (Weinrich et al 1991; Baker et al 1994). In the Ogasawara Islands, skin tissue was collected as it sloughed naturally from whales during activities such as aerial behaviour or competitive interactions (Baker et al 1991; Clapham et al 1993). Tissue samples were stored in 70% ethanol or a solution of 5 M NaCl and 20% DMSO while in the field and placed at – 80 °C for long‐term storage.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population structure of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA variation among humpback whales in the North Pacific

et al. 1998

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The population structure of variation in a nuclear actin intron and the control region of mitochondrial DNA is described for humpback whales from eight regions in the North Pacific Ocean: central California, Baja Peninsula, nearshore Mexico (Bahia Banderas), offshore Mexico (Socorro Island), southeastern Alaska, central Alaska (Prince Williams Sound), Hawaii and Japan (Ogasawara Islands). Primary mtDNA haplotypes and intron alleles were identified using selected restriction fragment length polymorphisms of target sequences amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR-RFLP). There was little evidence of heterogeneity in the frequencies of mtDNA haplotypes or actin intron alleles due to the year or sex composition of the sample. However, frequencies of four mtDNA haplotypes showed marked regional differences in their distributions (phi ST = 0.277; P < 0.001; n = 205 individuals) while the two alleles showed significant, but less marked, regional differences (phi ST = 0.033; P < 0.013; n = 400 chromosomes). An hierarchical analysis of variance in frequencies of haplotypes and alleles supported the grouping of six regions into a central and eastern stock with further partitioning of variance among regions within stocks for haplotypes but not for alleles. Based on available genetic and demographic evidence, the southeastern Alaska and central California feeding grounds were selected for additional analyses of nuclear differentiation using allelic variation at four microsatellite loci. All four loci showed significant differences in allele frequencies (overall FST = 0.043; P < 0.001; average n = 139 chromosomes per locus), indicating at least partial reproductive isolation between the two regions as well as the segregation of mtDNA lineages. Although the two feeding grounds were not panmictic for nuclear or mitochondrial loci, estimates of long-term migration rates suggested that male-mediated gene flow was several-fold greater than female gene flow. These results include and extend the range and sample size of previously published work, providing additional evidence for the significance of genetic management units within oceanic populations of humpback whales.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population structure of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA variation among humpback whales in the North Pacific

et al. 1998

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“…Scanning electron microscopy of humpback whale skin revealed a rich layer of microbial cells on the skin surface 26 , but as humpback whales regularly undergo skin sloughing through both behavioural 27 and physiological activities 28 it is possible that the robust Tenacibaculum and Psychrobacter cells may have some means to maintain their residence on the whale skin and could provide benefits to their host. Sequencing survey-based data also demonstrate differences between the skin bacterial associates of healthy and health-compromised humpbacks 18,26 .…”

Section: Skin Microbiomementioning

confidence: 99%

The marine mammal microbiome: current knowledge and future directions

et al. 2015

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“…Most tissue samples (n = 285) were collected using a stainless-steel biopsy dart deployed from a crossbow (Lambertsen 1987). The remaining samples (n = 36) were collected from skin sloughed naturally from individuals during surface-active behavior (Clapham et al 1993). The samples were preserved in 70% ethanol and stored at -20°C.…”

Section: Molecular Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Organismal and 'gametic' capture-recapture using microsatellite genotyping confirm low abundance and reproductive autonomy of humpback whales on the wintering grounds of New Caledonia

Garrigue¹,

Dodémont²,

Steel³

et al. 2004

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The abundance and reproductive autonomy of humpback whales from the New Caledonia (South Pacific) wintering grounds were investigated using capture-recapture models and paternity inference based on nuclear microsatellite genotyping, mitochondrial DNA sequencing, molecular sex identification and photographs of natural markings (photo-identification). The analyses included records of 213 individuals (excluding 16 calves used in paternity inference) identified by genotypes (9 loci), and 210 identified by fluke photographs, collected from 1995 to 2001. By comparing records of 175 individuals identified using both genotypes and photographs, a small number of errors were detected (and corrected) in the photo-identification catalogue and in the field and laboratory notes of the genotypes. Using the weighted mean of the Petersen capture-recapture model, the estimate of abundance based on genotyping (N = 533, CV = 0.15) was larger than the estimate based on photo-identification (N = 327, CV = 0.11). Sex-specific estimates of abundance based on genotypes were similar for males and females although the variance of the female estimate was greater than the male (N f = 248, CV = 0.30; N m = 288, CV = 0.18, respectively). The paternity of 5 calves from 16 sampled cow/calf pairs was inferred from the total sample of 133 non-calf males (one offspring each). The 16 sampled cow/calf pairs and the 5 inferred paternities were used for an alternate 'gametic recapture' estimate of male abundance. This gametic recapture estimate (N m = 379, CV = 0.30) was similar to the sex-specific estimate based on the organismal recapture using a 2-sample model (N m = 382, CV = 0.22). The close agreement of the organismal and gametic recapture estimates support the assumption that this humpback whale wintering ground represents an autonomous population unit that is relatively closed to demographic and reproductive interchange. The current low abundance of the New Caledonian breeding unit highlights the slow recovery of this and some other regional populations in the Southern Hemisphere following intensive 20th century commercial and illegal whaling.

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High‐energy Behaviors in Humpback Whales as a Source of Sloughed Skin for Molecular Analysis

Cited by 27 publications

References 9 publications

Population structure of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA variation among humpback whales in the North Pacific

Population structure of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA variation among humpback whales in the North Pacific

The marine mammal microbiome: current knowledge and future directions

Organismal and 'gametic' capture-recapture using microsatellite genotyping confirm low abundance and reproductive autonomy of humpback whales on the wintering grounds of New Caledonia

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