Mucus: aiding elasmobranch conservation through non-invasive genetic sampling

Lilian Lieber; Simon Berrow; Emmett Johnston; Graham Hall; Jackie Hall; Chrysoula Gubili; David W. Sims; Catherine S. Jones; Leslie R. Noble

doi:10.3354/esr00524

Mucus: aiding elasmobranch conservation through non-invasive genetic sampling

Lilian Lieber, Simon Berrow, Emmett Johnston, Graham Hall, Jackie Hall, Chrysoula Gubili, David W. Sims, Catherine S. Jones, Leslie R. Noble^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

23 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Large-scale genetic sampling by non-invasive methods is of vital importance for the conservation of vulnerable or elusive species. In the marine environment, non-invasive genetic sampling can provide a powerful alternative to conventional biopsies. We designed and implemented mucus swabbing for a free-ranging elasmobranch, thereby demonstrating the utility of this method in the field. We report the first attempt at mucus collection from 30 plankton-feeding basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus from 3 spatially distinct 'hotspots' in Irish waters. C. maximus DNA was successfully extracted and verified using DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene (99% sequence similarity) and basking shark species-specific multiplex PCRs derived from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 locus. Mitochondrial control region sequencing (1086 bp) showed that Irish samples were dominated by 2 haplotypes previously found to be globally distributed. Additionally, 1 novel haplotype was defined from western County Kerry. On-going genetic tagging will eventually provide more accurate estimates of global basking shark population structuring, abundance and behavioural ecology.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	215-222
Number of pages	8
Journal	Endangered Species Research
Volume	21
Issue number	3
Early online date	6 Sept 2013
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00524
Publication status	Published - 2013

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements.
The fieldwork for this study in Ireland was funded by a Heritage Council Wildlife Grant (Grant Reference 16759). This work received funding from the
MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland) and their support is gratefully acknowledged. MASTS is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions. Thanks to Margaret Wallace for technical support, and Michaél Cottrell, Darren Craig, Laura Kavanagh, Lucy Hunt, Nick Massett and Ian O’Connor for help with fieldwork and sample collection.

Keywords

Basking shark
Cetorhinus maximus
Elasmobranchs
Genetic monitoring
Mucus swabs
Non-invasive sampling

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.3354/esr00524Licence: Other

Mucus: aiding elasmobranch conservation through non-invasive genetic sampling
Copyright © 2013 Inter-Research. All articles are are freely available to all users ('Free Access').
Final published version, 485 KBLicence: Other

Cite this

@article{c966367a0ebe4beeafad65549bc55fc2,

title = "Mucus: aiding elasmobranch conservation through non-invasive genetic sampling",

abstract = "Large-scale genetic sampling by non-invasive methods is of vital importance for the conservation of vulnerable or elusive species. In the marine environment, non-invasive genetic sampling can provide a powerful alternative to conventional biopsies. We designed and implemented mucus swabbing for a free-ranging elasmobranch, thereby demonstrating the utility of this method in the field. We report the first attempt at mucus collection from 30 plankton-feeding basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus from 3 spatially distinct 'hotspots' in Irish waters. C. maximus DNA was successfully extracted and verified using DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene (99% sequence similarity) and basking shark species-specific multiplex PCRs derived from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 locus. Mitochondrial control region sequencing (1086 bp) showed that Irish samples were dominated by 2 haplotypes previously found to be globally distributed. Additionally, 1 novel haplotype was defined from western County Kerry. On-going genetic tagging will eventually provide more accurate estimates of global basking shark population structuring, abundance and behavioural ecology.",

keywords = "Basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, Elasmobranchs, Genetic monitoring, Mucus swabs, Non-invasive sampling",

author = "Lilian Lieber and Simon Berrow and Emmett Johnston and Graham Hall and Jackie Hall and Chrysoula Gubili and Sims, {David W.} and Jones, {Catherine S.} and Noble, {Leslie R.}",

note = "Acknowledgements. The fieldwork for this study in Ireland was funded by a Heritage Council Wildlife Grant (Grant Reference 16759). This work received funding from the MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland) and their support is gratefully acknowledged. MASTS is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions. Thanks to Margaret Wallace for technical support, and Micha{\'e}l Cottrell, Darren Craig, Laura Kavanagh, Lucy Hunt, Nick Massett and Ian O{\textquoteright}Connor for help with fieldwork and sample collection.",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.3354/esr00524",

language = "English",

volume = "21",

pages = "215--222",

journal = "Endangered Species Research",

issn = "1863-5407",

publisher = "Inter-Research",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mucus

T2 - aiding elasmobranch conservation through non-invasive genetic sampling

AU - Lieber, Lilian

AU - Berrow, Simon

AU - Johnston, Emmett

AU - Hall, Graham

AU - Hall, Jackie

AU - Gubili, Chrysoula

AU - Sims, David W.

AU - Jones, Catherine S.

AU - Noble, Leslie R.

N1 - Acknowledgements. The fieldwork for this study in Ireland was funded by a Heritage Council Wildlife Grant (Grant Reference 16759). This work received funding from the MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland) and their support is gratefully acknowledged. MASTS is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions. Thanks to Margaret Wallace for technical support, and Michaél Cottrell, Darren Craig, Laura Kavanagh, Lucy Hunt, Nick Massett and Ian O’Connor for help with fieldwork and sample collection.

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Large-scale genetic sampling by non-invasive methods is of vital importance for the conservation of vulnerable or elusive species. In the marine environment, non-invasive genetic sampling can provide a powerful alternative to conventional biopsies. We designed and implemented mucus swabbing for a free-ranging elasmobranch, thereby demonstrating the utility of this method in the field. We report the first attempt at mucus collection from 30 plankton-feeding basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus from 3 spatially distinct 'hotspots' in Irish waters. C. maximus DNA was successfully extracted and verified using DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene (99% sequence similarity) and basking shark species-specific multiplex PCRs derived from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 locus. Mitochondrial control region sequencing (1086 bp) showed that Irish samples were dominated by 2 haplotypes previously found to be globally distributed. Additionally, 1 novel haplotype was defined from western County Kerry. On-going genetic tagging will eventually provide more accurate estimates of global basking shark population structuring, abundance and behavioural ecology.

AB - Large-scale genetic sampling by non-invasive methods is of vital importance for the conservation of vulnerable or elusive species. In the marine environment, non-invasive genetic sampling can provide a powerful alternative to conventional biopsies. We designed and implemented mucus swabbing for a free-ranging elasmobranch, thereby demonstrating the utility of this method in the field. We report the first attempt at mucus collection from 30 plankton-feeding basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus from 3 spatially distinct 'hotspots' in Irish waters. C. maximus DNA was successfully extracted and verified using DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene (99% sequence similarity) and basking shark species-specific multiplex PCRs derived from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 locus. Mitochondrial control region sequencing (1086 bp) showed that Irish samples were dominated by 2 haplotypes previously found to be globally distributed. Additionally, 1 novel haplotype was defined from western County Kerry. On-going genetic tagging will eventually provide more accurate estimates of global basking shark population structuring, abundance and behavioural ecology.

KW - Basking shark

KW - Cetorhinus maximus

KW - Elasmobranchs

KW - Genetic monitoring

KW - Mucus swabs

KW - Non-invasive sampling

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84911446069&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3354/esr00524

DO - 10.3354/esr00524

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84911446069

SN - 1863-5407

VL - 21

SP - 215

EP - 222

JO - Endangered Species Research

JF - Endangered Species Research

IS - 3

ER -

Mucus: aiding elasmobranch conservation through non-invasive genetic sampling

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this