An on-line tissue bank for marine mammals of the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent waters (original) (raw)
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Marine mammal life history : guide to biological sample collection and data archive
2018
The marine mammal life history sample and data archive originated with the fishery observer program for the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) yellowfin tuna purse-seine fishery. One goal of this observer program was to collect biological samples from individual dolphins that could contribute to the assessment of fishery impacts on dolphin populations. Subsequently, biological studies became an integral part of the marine mammal assessment process. Through time, these studies have expanded to include characterizing the health and ecology of marine mammal populations in addition to their life history. A broad suite of biological tissue samples and data are collected for these studies. This document presents an overview of the current protocols and procedures used to collect and archive biological samples and data. A summary of past protocols is also included along with references to additional detail about the collection and preservation of biological samples for marine mammals. ii Marine Mammal Life History: Guide to biological sample collection and data archive
Bilgmann dolphin carcass Plos One2011
Advances in molecular techniques have enabled the study of genetic diversity and population structure in many different contexts. Studies that assess the genetic structure of cetacean populations often use biopsy samples from free-ranging individuals and tissue samples from stranded animals or individuals that became entangled in fishery or aquaculture equipment. This leads to the question of how representative the location of a stranded or entangled animal is with respect to its natural range, and whether similar results would be obtained when comparing carcass samples with samples from free-ranging individuals in studies of population structure. Here we use tissue samples from carcasses of dolphins that stranded or died as a result of bycatch in South Australia to investigate spatial population structure in two species: coastal bottlenose (Tursiops sp.) and short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). We compare these results with those previously obtained from biopsy sampled free-ranging dolphins in the same area to test whether carcass samples yield similar patterns of genetic variability and population structure. Data from dolphin carcasses were gathered using seven microsatellite markers and a fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region. Analyses based on carcass samples alone failed to detect genetic structure in Tursiops sp., a species previously shown to exhibit restricted dispersal and moderate genetic differentiation across a small spatial scale in this region. However, genetic structure was correctly inferred in D. delphis, a species previously shown to have reduced genetic structure over a similar geographic area. We propose that in the absence of corroborating data, and when population structure is assessed over relatively small spatial scales, the sole use of carcasses may lead to an underestimate of genetic differentiation. This can lead to a failure in identifying management units for conservation. Therefore, this risk should be carefully assessed when planning population genetic studies of cetaceans. Citation: Bilgmann K, Mö ller LM, Harcourt RG, Kemper CM, Beheregaray LB (2011) The Use of Carcasses for the Analysis of Cetacean Population Genetic Structure: A Comparative Study in Two Dolphin Species. PLoS ONE 6(5): e20103.
Marine mammal studies to address future challenges in conservation management
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2012
During the 19th Century and much of the 20th Century, marine mammal studies, particularly of cetaceans, were based primarily upon dead animals-either the result of strandings or of catches as a direct product of human exploitation. The emphasis was on taxonomy and anatomy (see, for
Three species of cetaceans are found in the Black Sea: Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Stranded dolphins, dead or alive, are reported along the Ordu coasts from time to time. We examined one Common Dolphin and four Harbour Porpoises that were found stranded in the Ordu area in the Turbot fishing season between March and May 2010. The examination included maturity, body condition, morphological measurements, blubber, respiratory system and situation of the digestive systems. Apart from the five individuals we could get, we obtained information that at least approximately 20 dolphins were seen stranded and buried near Fatsa town in the same period.
Twenty years of marine mammal research in Europe
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK, 2007
This special issue on marine mammals marks the 20th anniversary of the European Cetacean Society (ECS). The Society's 2006 conference was held in Gdynia, Poland in April, with the theme of ‘Marine mammals and man in coastal ecosystems: can they co-exist?’ Several of the papers contained in this volume describe work that was presented at this conference, and most relate to research carried out by ECS members.