Population genetic structure of harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena in Turkish Waters – What does mtDNA Control Region say?

Uzun B., Tonay M. A., Dede A., Danyer E., Aytemiz I., Bilgin S., ...Daha Fazla

30th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, Funchal, Portekiz, 14 - 16 Mart 2016, ss.233, (Özet Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Funchal
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Portekiz
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.233
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

The Black Sea harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena relicta) mainly inhabits the Black Sea, as well as in the Turkish Straits System (TSS, consisting of the Istanbul Strait, Marmara Sea and Canakkale Strait) and the Aegean Sea although less common. It is a species of conservation concern with Endangered status in the IUCN Redlist. In previous studies, 186 individuals from the Black, Marmara and the Aegean Sea were analyzed in total based on mitochondrial DNA control region sequence variation, and 24 different haplotypes were found. In the present study, mitochondrial DNA sequences of 28 new samples of the harbour porpoise collected between 2007 and 2015 in the Turkish Black Sea coast (9 western, 10 eastern), Istanbul Strait (2), Marmara Sea (5), and northern Aegean Sea (2), exhibited five haplotypes. A unique haplotype, which previous research suggested to be predominantly found in the Marmara Sea, was also found in one individual in the same area, Silivri, strengthening the possibility of an isolated population. In addition, a haplotype previously recorded from only northern and western Black Sea was detected for the first time in the TSS, and another haplotype previously found in the northern Black Sea, TSS, and Aegean Sea were detected in the western Black Sea. The most common Black Sea haplotype was found not only in two individuals in the northern Aegean Sea, but also in one individual sampled for the first time in the southern Marmara Sea, supported the idea that harbour porpoises from the Black Sea dispersed into the Aegean Sea through the TSS, and that the Black Sea is the source of Aegean Sea porpoises. Additional samples will be sequenced with the same mtDNA marker, as well as with RAD sequencing in the context of an ongoing project, CetaGen.