Ms Eldridge Wisely1, Ms Savannah Ryburn2, Dr. Diana Pazmiño3,4, Dr. Alex Hearn3,4, Dr. John Bruno5, Dr. Melanie Culver6,7,1
1Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, University Of Arizona, Tucson, USA, 2Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA, 3Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Galápagos Science Center, San Cristóbal, Ecuador, 4Migramar, Olema, USA, 5The Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA, 6United States Geological Survey, Tucson, USA, 7School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
Biography:
Eldridge Wisely anticipates graduating with a PhD in Genetics from the University of Arizona in December of 2024. She is interested in non-invasive genetic monitoring of threatened and endangered species, and drivers of community structure and biodiversity in threatened ecosystems. She has studied genomic diversity of jaguars, diets of juvenile scalloped hammerheads, and marine biodiversity in the Galápagos archipelago. She enjoys incorporating her love of scuba diving with her work. Eldridge is currently looking for a post-doctoral position in Australia or New Zealand. She would be happy to discuss any of these topics over the course of this conference.
Abstract:
The mitochondrial control region gene has long been used to study population-level patterns of biogeography, genetic diversity, and geographic distribution of many species, including sharks. Traditional methods of monitoring mitochondrial haplotype diversity in sharks require capture and collection of blood or tissue, or sampling specimens from fish markets. Capture methods are costly and invasive, and fish market studies typically lack associated environmental metadata. Therefore, existing shark haplotype data is restricted to only a few isolated locations and time periods and is yet to be used to full advantage. Understanding the distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes of sharks over time, space, and environmental gradients could aid our understanding of their basic biology and ecology and assist with their conservation. We developed and validated a species-specific environmental DNA metabarcoding assay for the mitochondrial control region of blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus), in shark nursery bays in the Galápagos archipelago. We then applied it to water samples taken at open ocean locations in the Galápagos, and on a citizen-science cruise in the Gulf of California. The environmental DNA results recapitulated the results of blood samples taken during the validation phase, which added an additional Galápagos-specific mitochondrial haplotype to the database and detected the presence of a known Gulf of California haplotype in the Gulf of California samples. This assay will be useful for understanding the distribution, population structure, and habitat use patterns of this species. It could additionally be used in forensic applications to identify the geographic regions most impacted by the shark trade.