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ESR 3:145-158 (2007)  -  doi:10.3354/esr003145

Genetic composition of the Ascension Island green turtle rookery based on mitochondrial DNA: implications for sampling and diversity

Angela Formia1,4,*, Annette C. Broderick2, Fiona Glen2,3, Brendan J. Godley2, Graeme C. Hays3, Michael W. Bruford1

1Biodiversity and Ecological Processes Research Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3TL, UK
2Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
3School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
4Present address: Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e Genetica, University of Florence, Via Romana 17, 50125 Firenze, Italy

ABSTRACT: In species of conservation concern it is often difficult to be certain that population diversity and structure have been adequately characterised by genetic sampling. Since practical and financial constraints tend to be associated with increasing sample sizes in many conservation genetic studies, it is important to consider the potential for sampling error and bias due to inadequate samples or spatio-temporal structure within populations. We analysed sequence data from the mitochondrial DNA control region in a large sample (n = 245) of green sea turtles Chelonia mydas collected at the globally important rookery of Ascension Island, South Atlantic. We examined genetic diversity and structure among 10 sampling sites, 4 beach clusters and 4 nesting seasons, and evaluated the genetic composition of Ascension against other Atlantic nesting populations, including the well-studied rookery at Tortuguero (Costa Rica). Finally, we used rarefaction and GENESAMP analyses to assess the ability of different sample sizes to provide acceptable genetic representations of a population, using Ascension and Tortuguero as models. On Ascension, we found 13 haplotypes, of which only 3 had been previously observed in the rookery, and 5 previously undescribed. We detected no differentiation among beach clusters or sampling seasons, and only weak differentiation among the 3 primary nesting sites. The increased sample size for Ascension provided higher resolution and statistical power in describing genetic structure among all other known Atlantic rookeries. Our extrapolations showed that a maximum of 18 and 6 haplotypes are expected to occur in Ascension and Tortuguero, respectively, and that current sample sizes are sufficient to describe most of the variation. We recommend using rarefaction and GENESAMP analyses on a rookery-by-rookery basis to evaluate whether a sample set adequately describes mitochondrial DNA diversity, thus strengthening subsequent phylogeographic and mixed stock analyses, and management recommendations for conservation.


KEY WORDS: Chelonia mydas · Control region · Sequences · Haplotypes · Analysis of variance · Rarefaction analysis


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Cite this article as: Formia A, Broderick AC, Glen F, Godley BJ, Hays GC, Bruford MW (2007) Genetic composition of the Ascension Island green turtle rookery based on mitochondrial DNA: implications for sampling and diversity. Endang Species Res 3:145-158. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr003145

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