Project Title: Novel Genetic Markers for Stock Identification of Blue Whales and Differentiation between the Two Main Australian Feeding Aggregations.
Chief Investigator: Dr Luciana Möller
A manuscript entitled Genetic structure of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) in Australian feeding aggregations (by Catherine Attard, Luciano B. Beheregaray, Curt Jenner, Peter Gill, Naohisa Kanda, Micheline Jenner, Margaret Morrice, John Bannister, Rick LeDuc, Luciana Möller) has been submitted to publication as a short communication in the Journal Conservation Genetics.
The main findings from this study, which were based on six nuclear microsatellite loci and the mitochondrial DNA control region gene, revealed high gene flow between the two blue whale feeding aggregations at the Bonney Upwelling Region (southern Australia) and Perth Canyon (WA), strongly indicating they constitute one genetic population. This was especially evident when Australian samples were compared to Antarctic samples, suggesting low gene flow between Australian blue whales and the Antarctic subspecies of blue whales (B. m. intermedia).
We have developed another microsatellite library using the enrichment protocol (Fischer, Bachmann, 1998) modified as in Saltonstall (2003), using the pCR 2.1-TOPO vector (Invitrogen). We have sequenced so far 92 microsatellite enriched fragments and 18 unique sequences have been found. For unique sequences that contain microsatellite loci with sufficient flanking regions, primers will be designed using PRIMER3 (Rozen, Skaletsky, 1997). The development of this marker system will allow identification of blue whale stocks and, potentially, differentiation of blue whale subspecies.
Sampling of additional blue whale samples was attempted at the Bonney Upwelling Region, around Portland (VIC) between 24/03 and 30/03 with Dr Peter Gill from the Blue Whale Study. Severe weather conditions precluded boat surveys to be carried out in all but one day. On 28/03 with marginal conditions (10-12kt NW wind, 3-4m swell) a survey was conducted between 08:00 and 13:00. The survey was curtailed due to a gale warning. During the survey two blue whales were sighted (one photo-identified by P. Gill). However, due to the weather conditions and whales evasive behaviour, it was not possible to approach whales at close range for successful biopsying. Only one biopsy attempt was made but the dart dropped short.
