Lento,G.M.,Dalebout,M.L.,Baker,C.S.
Species and individual identification of whale and dolphin products for sale in Japan by mtDNA sequences and nuclear microsatellite profiles Technical Report
no. 399, 1998.
Abstract | BibTeX | Tags: Atlantic, baleen whale, baleen whales, beaked whales, developing, DNA, dolphin, dolphins, fin whale, Japan, Microsatellite, minke whale, mtDNA, North Atlantic, Oman, population, Porpoise, pygmy sperm whale, Southern Hemisphere, sperm whale, stocks, survey, whale, whales, whaling
@techreport{,
title = {Species and individual identification of whale and dolphin products for sale in Japan by mtDNA sequences and nuclear microsatellite profiles },
author = {Lento,G.M.,Dalebout,M.L.,Baker,C.S.},
year = {1998},
date = {1998-01-01},
volume = {SC/50/O8},
number = {399},
pages = {1-12},
abstract = {We report on species and individual identification of whale and dolphin products available on commercial markets of Japan in 1997/98 based on analysis of mitochondria) DNA (mtDNA) sequences and microsatellite variation. The total sample of 74 products included four species of baleen whales, the fin (n=4), sei (n=1), northern minke (n=15) and southern minke (n=39) whales. The remaining 15 samples included dolphins (n = 8; at least four species), Baird's beaked whales (n=5), a porpoise (n=1), and a pygmy sperm whale (n=1), all sold as "kujira" in Japan. It is noted that two new species, the sei whale, and the pygmy sperm whale, appeared for the first time in this series of market surveys. With the inclusion of the sei whale, a total of eight species of baleen whale have been found for sale in post-moratorium surveys of markets in Korea and Japan. Comparison of the sei whale mtDNA to reference sequences from the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere suggested that this product originated from the Southern Hemisphere. The last legal hunting of this population was in 1979-80. To investigate the stock origins of northern minke whale products sold in Japan, in 1997-98, the mtDNA haplotypes of these products were compared to those found previously in Korea, 1994-97 (Lento et al. 1998). This comparison revealed that four (33%) of the 12 haplotypes among the Japanese products were identical to those from Korea. This is not consistent with the hypothesis that northern minke whale products sold in Japan originate exclusively from the scientific hunting of a stock that is genetically distinct from the Korean coastal bycatch. Instead, these findings could suggest that whales from both stocks are being hunted illegally or that whale products are being smuggled between the two countries. To further investigate the possibility of smuggling and to estimate the total number of individual whales represented in commercial products, we are developing protocols for DNA profiling using microsatellite loci. Based on preliminary analysis of three loci, the four fin whale products, representing three mtDNA haplotypes, were shown to have originated from four individuals. The 15 northern minke whale products found in 1997-98, representing 12 mtDNA haplotypes, were shown to have originated from a minimum of 14 individuals. One of these products that shared a haplotype with a 1997 product, was also shown to be unique.},
keywords = {Atlantic, baleen whale, baleen whales, beaked whales, developing, DNA, dolphin, dolphins, fin whale, Japan, Microsatellite, minke whale, mtDNA, North Atlantic, Oman, population, Porpoise, pygmy sperm whale, Southern Hemisphere, sperm whale, stocks, survey, whale, whales, whaling},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {techreport}
}
We report on species and individual identification of whale and dolphin products available on commercial markets of Japan in 1997/98 based on analysis of mitochondria) DNA (mtDNA) sequences and microsatellite variation. The total sample of 74 products included four species of baleen whales, the fin (n=4), sei (n=1), northern minke (n=15) and southern minke (n=39) whales. The remaining 15 samples included dolphins (n = 8; at least four species), Baird's beaked whales (n=5), a porpoise (n=1), and a pygmy sperm whale (n=1), all sold as "kujira" in Japan. It is noted that two new species, the sei whale, and the pygmy sperm whale, appeared for the first time in this series of market surveys. With the inclusion of the sei whale, a total of eight species of baleen whale have been found for sale in post-moratorium surveys of markets in Korea and Japan. Comparison of the sei whale mtDNA to reference sequences from the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere suggested that this product originated from the Southern Hemisphere. The last legal hunting of this population was in 1979-80. To investigate the stock origins of northern minke whale products sold in Japan, in 1997-98, the mtDNA haplotypes of these products were compared to those found previously in Korea, 1994-97 (Lento et al. 1998). This comparison revealed that four (33%) of the 12 haplotypes among the Japanese products were identical to those from Korea. This is not consistent with the hypothesis that northern minke whale products sold in Japan originate exclusively from the scientific hunting of a stock that is genetically distinct from the Korean coastal bycatch. Instead, these findings could suggest that whales from both stocks are being hunted illegally or that whale products are being smuggled between the two countries. To further investigate the possibility of smuggling and to estimate the total number of individual whales represented in commercial products, we are developing protocols for DNA profiling using microsatellite loci. Based on preliminary analysis of three loci, the four fin whale products, representing three mtDNA haplotypes, were shown to have originated from four individuals. The 15 northern minke whale products found in 1997-98, representing 12 mtDNA haplotypes, were shown to have originated from a minimum of 14 individuals. One of these products that shared a haplotype with a 1997 product, was also shown to be unique.
Al-Jabri,M.
Marine epilithic algal communities on artificial and natural substrates Technical Report
no. 5, 1996.
Abstract | BibTeX | Tags: Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, coral, developing, Green turtles, growth, Gulf of Oman, habitat, marine, monitoring, Oman, pollution, productivity, salinity, temperature, turtles
@techreport{,
title = {Marine epilithic algal communities on artificial and natural substrates },
author = {Al-Jabri,M.},
year = {1996},
date = {1996-01-01},
volume = {FSC 1580-91 },
number = {5},
pages = {1-15},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION The Epilithic Algal Community (EAC) of coral reefs are diverse assemblages of small filamentous green, red, blue-green algae ('turf species') and crustose coralline red algal. These have low biomass but show rapid growth rate (Klumpp and Mckinnon, 1989) and this algal community colonizes the reefs and serves as the primary food source for herbivores. The diversity and richness of reef fauna can also be attributed largely to the high productivity of EAC (Klumpp and Mckinnon, 1989); thus the EAC is the major source of food for herbivores such as damselfish, echinoids, surgeonfish (sohal and yellow tail), parrotfish and green turtles. The main algal functional form group (Littler et a¡.,1983) is the filamentous group. In the Arabian Sea, however, there is a diverse algal community of filamentous, sheet-group, coarsely branched group and thick leathery group due to upwelling, (Mardela, 1975, Jupp et al, 1996). The Gulf of Oman does not experience upwelling due to the summer S.W. monsoon, so in this part of Oman, because of the physical conditions prevailing, there are high salinities and temperatures in summer as well as wide temperature variation and, combined with largely sand substrates here, coral reefs are not as widely distributed as in many tropical seas and their growth and diversity is not as great. In spite of this, they still contribute a highly complex community (Sheppard and Salm, 1988). During the past three decades, many of the natural marine habitats in the world and Arabian Gulf in particular are being destroyed, degraded or are actually disappearing as a result of oil pollution, coastal infilling and other activities associated with industrial development. Because the EAC is very important for grazers, many studies on natural reefs and artificial reefs structures including oil platforms, piers, jetties and other coastal installations have been carried out (Seaman and Sprague, 1991). Artificial habitat enhancement has been practiced primarily to attract fishes in various parts of the world, however in Oman there are no studies yet that have been made to understand the mechanisms of attractive effect of artificial structures. In addition, few studies on reef coral community and no detailed study of EAC have been carried out in Oman with studies along the Gulf of Oman just mentioning few macroalgae and green filamentous algae, e.g. Entromorpha (Sheppard and Salm, 1988). On the Gulf of Oman coasts, only sparse clumps of larger macroalgae (>10cm) of sheet-group, coarsely branched and thick leathery groups are found (Mardela, 1975) with, for example, only scattered plants such as Padina and Halymenia (Cordero, 1992). In view of the importance of EAC on natural and artificial reefs this preliminary study will provide valuable baseline biological data about the growth of algae as well as the faunal assemblages that accumulate around artificial substrates. Data from this study would be useful to assist researchers in the future in monitoring herbivorous fish resources as well as the succession of communities developing on artificial reefs.},
keywords = {Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, coral, developing, Green turtles, growth, Gulf of Oman, habitat, marine, monitoring, Oman, pollution, productivity, salinity, temperature, turtles},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {techreport}
}
INTRODUCTION The Epilithic Algal Community (EAC) of coral reefs are diverse assemblages of small filamentous green, red, blue-green algae ('turf species') and crustose coralline red algal. These have low biomass but show rapid growth rate (Klumpp and Mckinnon, 1989) and this algal community colonizes the reefs and serves as the primary food source for herbivores. The diversity and richness of reef fauna can also be attributed largely to the high productivity of EAC (Klumpp and Mckinnon, 1989); thus the EAC is the major source of food for herbivores such as damselfish, echinoids, surgeonfish (sohal and yellow tail), parrotfish and green turtles. The main algal functional form group (Littler et a¡.,1983) is the filamentous group. In the Arabian Sea, however, there is a diverse algal community of filamentous, sheet-group, coarsely branched group and thick leathery group due to upwelling, (Mardela, 1975, Jupp et al, 1996). The Gulf of Oman does not experience upwelling due to the summer S.W. monsoon, so in this part of Oman, because of the physical conditions prevailing, there are high salinities and temperatures in summer as well as wide temperature variation and, combined with largely sand substrates here, coral reefs are not as widely distributed as in many tropical seas and their growth and diversity is not as great. In spite of this, they still contribute a highly complex community (Sheppard and Salm, 1988). During the past three decades, many of the natural marine habitats in the world and Arabian Gulf in particular are being destroyed, degraded or are actually disappearing as a result of oil pollution, coastal infilling and other activities associated with industrial development. Because the EAC is very important for grazers, many studies on natural reefs and artificial reefs structures including oil platforms, piers, jetties and other coastal installations have been carried out (Seaman and Sprague, 1991). Artificial habitat enhancement has been practiced primarily to attract fishes in various parts of the world, however in Oman there are no studies yet that have been made to understand the mechanisms of attractive effect of artificial structures. In addition, few studies on reef coral community and no detailed study of EAC have been carried out in Oman with studies along the Gulf of Oman just mentioning few macroalgae and green filamentous algae, e.g. Entromorpha (Sheppard and Salm, 1988). On the Gulf of Oman coasts, only sparse clumps of larger macroalgae (>10cm) of sheet-group, coarsely branched and thick leathery groups are found (Mardela, 1975) with, for example, only scattered plants such as Padina and Halymenia (Cordero, 1992). In view of the importance of EAC on natural and artificial reefs this preliminary study will provide valuable baseline biological data about the growth of algae as well as the faunal assemblages that accumulate around artificial substrates. Data from this study would be useful to assist researchers in the future in monitoring herbivorous fish resources as well as the succession of communities developing on artificial reefs.