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Gose MA, Humble E, Brownlow A, Wall D, Rogan E, Sigurðsson GM, Kiszka JJ, Thøstesen CB, IJsseldijk LL, Ten Doeschate M, Davison NJ, Øien N, Deaville R, Siebert U, Ogden R. Population genomics of the white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris): Implications for conservation amid climate-driven range shifts. Heredity (Edinb) 2024; 132:192-201. [PMID: 38302666 PMCID: PMC10997624 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-024-00672-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change is rapidly affecting species distributions across the globe, particularly in the North Atlantic. For highly mobile and elusive cetaceans, the genetic data needed to understand population dynamics are often scarce. Cold-water obligate species such as the white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) face pressures from habitat shifts due to rising sea surface temperatures in addition to other direct anthropogenic threats. Unravelling the genetic connectivity between white-beaked dolphins across their range is needed to understand the extent to which climate change and anthropogenic pressures may impact species-wide genetic diversity and identify ways to protect remaining habitat. We address this by performing a population genomic assessment of white-beaked dolphins using samples from much of their contemporary range. We show that the species displays significant population structure across the North Atlantic at multiple scales. Analysis of contemporary migration rates suggests a remarkably high connectivity between populations in the western North Atlantic, Iceland and the Barents Sea, while two regional populations in the North Sea and adjacent UK and Irish waters are highly differentiated from all other clades. Our results have important implications for the conservation of white-beaked dolphins by providing guidance for the delineation of more appropriate management units and highlighting the risk that local extirpation may have on species-wide genetic diversity. In a broader context, this study highlights the importance of understanding genetic structure of all species threatened with climate change-driven range shifts to assess the risk of loss of species-wide genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc-Alexander Gose
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Emily Humble
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew Brownlow
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Dave Wall
- Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), Kilrush, Ireland
| | - Emer Rogan
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Jeremy J Kiszka
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Lonneke L IJsseldijk
- Division of Pathology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mariel Ten Doeschate
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nicholas J Davison
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nils Øien
- Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway
| | - Rob Deaville
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rob Ogden
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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