Population characteristics of a large whale shark aggregation inferred from seawater environmental DNA
Published online on 21. November 2016
Population characteristics of a large whale shark aggregation inferred from seawater environmental DNA
Eva Egelyng Sigsgaard, Ida Broman Nielsen, Steffen Sanvig Bach, Eline D. Lorenzen, David Philip Robinson, Steen Wilhelm Knudsen, Mikkel Winther Pedersen, Mohammed Al Jaidah, Ludovic Orlando, Eske Willerslev, Peter Rask Møller, Philip Francis Thomsen
ABSTRACT:
Population genetics is essential for understanding and managing marine ecosystems, but sampling remains challenging. We demonstrate that high-throughput sequencing of seawater environmental DNA can provide useful estimates of genetic diversity in a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregation. We recover similar mitochondrial haplotype frequencies in seawater compared to tissue samples, reliably placing the studied aggregation in a global genetic context and expanding the applications of environmental DNA to encompass population genetics of aquatic organisms.
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Nature Ecology & Evolution 1, Article number: 0004 (2016), doi:10.1038/s41559-016-0004