Mixed stock analysis of juvenile green turtles aggregating at two foraging grounds in Fiji reveals major contribution from the American Samoa Management Unit

Scientific Reports
Susanna PiovanoPeter H Dutton

Abstract

In this study we assessed the breeding population, or Management Unit (MU), origin of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) present at Yadua Island and Makogai Island foraging grounds in Fiji, central South Pacific. Based on analysis of mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequences from 150 immature green turtles caught during surveys carried out in 2015-2016, we identified a total of 18 haplotypes, the most common being CmP22.1 (44%) which is a primary haplotype characterizing the American Samoa breeding population. Results of a Bayesian mixed-stock analysis reveals that the two foraging grounds are used by green turtles from the American Samoa MU (72%, Credible Interval (CI): 56-87%), New Caledonia MU (17%, CI: 6-26%) and French Polynesia MU (7%, CI: 0-23%). The prominence of the contribution we found from the American Samoa MU compared to that of French Polynesia, both which have historic telemetry and tagging data showing connectivity with Fijian foraging areas, may reflect the current relative abundance of these two nesting populations and draws attention to a need to update population surveys and identify any significant nesting in Fiji that may have been overlooked.

References

Feb 11, 1988·Nucleic Acids Research·S A MillerH F Polesky
Aug 5, 1997·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·N N FitzSimmonsC Moritz
May 23, 2006·Current Biology : CB·Lucy A HawkesBrendan J Godley
Oct 20, 2007·Molecular Ecology·B W Bowen, S A Karl
Jun 12, 2009·Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine = Chung I Tsa Chih Ying Wen Pan·Man-xia ZhiZheng-zuo Wan
May 26, 2010·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Graeme C HaysMike B Gravenor
Jan 24, 2014·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Eugenia Naro-MacielEleanor J Sterling

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Aug 7, 2020·PloS One·Elena PapaleSusanna Piovano

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
biopsy

Software Mentioned

BAYES
Geneious
ImageJ

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Buruli Ulcer

Buruli ulcer is a progressive disease of subcutaneous tissues caused by mycobacterium ulcerans. Here is the latest research.