Mitochondrial DNA and local ecological knowledge reveal two lineages of leatherback turtle on the beaches of Oaxaca, Mexico

Despite multiple conservation efforts of the Mexican government, the leatherback turtle is at serious risk of extinction. In this study, we investigated the possible presence of a genetic bottleneck that could prevent the recovery of this species and compared these findings with those of the olive ridley turtle, which is in true recovery. Our results confirmed that a demographic change occurred in the past and the presence of two different leatherback turtle lineages that diverged approximately 13.5 million years ago. Local ecological knowledge (LEK) also described the presence of these two lineages and warned that one is at higher risk of extinction than the other. Genetic analysis confirmed 124 mutations between the two lineages, and much lower genetic diversity in one lineage than the other. Our study highlights and substantiates the power of mixing LEK, environmental history, and genetics to better understand conservation challenges of highly threatened species such as the leatherback turtle. Moreover, we report a new lineage of the leatherback turtle which may represent a distinct species. Future studies should focus on morphological, ecological, biogeographical, evolutionary and conservation perspectives for the analysis of the new lineage.

Knowledge connections for conservation of the Atlantic Goliath Grouper, Epinephelus itajara: records of tropical Brazilian coast

Abstract The Atlantic Goliath Grouper (AGG), Epinephelus itajara, the largest Epinephelidae in the Atlantic Ocean, it is classified as critically endangered in Brazil. In the Brazilian northeast, studies focusing on the species are still incipient. Here we study the occurrence, habitat use, and spatial distribution of AGG in Alagoas (Brazil) by combining participatory methods, such as Citizen Science and Local Ecological Knowledge. Living individuals represented 64% (n = 85) of the records, while dead individuals were 36% (n = 47), with 14 records from illegal captures. Juveniles are common in estuaries and shallow natural coastal reefs, while adults are distributed in deeper areas on natural and artificial reefs. The occurrence was significantly higher on Alagoas’ southern coast. The São Francisco River (SFR) estuary stood out with 52 occurrences. We mapped 37 occurrence sites for AGG distributed along the coast, emphasising an artificial reef near SFR that received 12 reports about aggregations. The influence area of the SFR was indicated as a priority for species conservation due to the identification of a nursery and possible aggregations close to its mouth. We highlight the urgency of implementing short and long-term management actions along Alagoas’ coast.