PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

DNA barcoding to monitor marine mammal genetic diversity

2013-12-30
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Jean-Luc Jung
jung@univ-brest.fr
Pensoft Publishers
DNA barcoding to monitor marine mammal genetic diversity

Marine mammals are flagship and charismatic species, very attractive for the general public. Nowadays, they are also considered as highly relevant sentinel of the marine realm. Their presence and their welfare in an area is thought to indicate the health of the place, whereas their disappearance, their displacement, or a decrease in their abundance or health could reflect negative environmental changes, whether of anthropogenic origin or not.

Monitoring marine mammal biodiversity is often difficult to perform. If some species can be easily observed, others are more difficult to detect, because for instance, of their scarcity or their discrete behavior. One of the solution suggested by scientists is based on the organization of stranding networks, listing and recording marine mammal strandings, which represent a cost-effective means to follow the marine mammal biodiversity.

Researchers from Océanopolis and from the Laboratory BioGeMME (Biologie et Génétique des Mammifères Marins dans leur Environnement) of the University of Brest, in collaboration with the Parc naturel marin d'Iroise and PELAGIS, have evaluated the usefulness of DNA barcoding in the monitoring of marine mammal biodiversity. They confirmed the species identifications performed by field correspondents, identified degraded carcasses or parts of carcasses, and examined intraspecific genetic variations for the harbour porpoise and the grey seal, undetectable by visual observation.

The conclusions of their study, published in a special issue of the open access journal Zookeys dedicated to DNA barcoding (DNA barcoding: a practical tool for fundamental and applied biodiversity research), are that the use of DNA barcoding in conjunction with a stranding network will clearly increase the accuracy of the monitoring of marine mammal biodiversity. Global climate change, as well as more localized environmental changes (some of which are caused by humans), has impacts on the marine realm. A routine use of DNA barcoding to monitor marine mammal biodiversity will clearly increase our capacity to detect such impacts, which is a necessary first step to take appropriate conservation measures.

In France, the French marine mammal stranding recording program has been created at the beginning of the 70s by the CRMM (Centre de Recherche sur les Mammifères Marins, La Rochelle, presently the Joint Service Unit PELAGIS, UMS 3462, University of La Rochelle- CNRS). The network comprises about 260 field correspondents, members of organizations or volunteers (Peltier et al. 2013, PloS One, e62180).

In Brittany (a region located at the northwest of France), the network is coordinated by Océanopolis in Brest. In this area, and all species included, an average of 150 animals strand each year, representing, in the last ten years, 14 species of cetaceans and five species of pinnipeds. These species include for instance, common and bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises, but also larger animals like minke whales and fin whales. Some rare stranding events include deep-diving or exotic species, such as arctic seals.



INFORMATION:



Original source:

Alfonsi E, Méheust E, Fuchs S, Carpentier F-G, Quillivic Y, Viricel A, Hassani S, Jung J-L (2013) The use of DNA barcoding to monitor the marine mammal biodiversity along the French Atlantic coast. In: Nagy ZT, Backeljau T, De Meyer M, Jordaens K (Eds) DNA barcoding: a practical tool for fundamental and applied biodiversity research. ZooKeys 365: 5–24. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.365.5873



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Toward a molecular explanation for schizophrenia

2013-12-30
Toward a molecular explanation for schizophrenia Tel Aviv University researchers find inhibition of a basic cellular process may contribute to the mysterious disease Surprisingly little is known about schizophrenia. It was only recognized as a medical ...

Imaging technology could unlock mysteries of a childhood disease

2013-12-30
Imaging technology could unlock mysteries of a childhood disease By the time they're two, most children have had respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and suffered symptoms no worse than a bad cold. But for some children, especially premature babies and those with ...

Fetal alcohol syndrome heart defects may be caused by altered function, not structure

2013-12-30
Fetal alcohol syndrome heart defects may be caused by altered function, not structure Study utilizing animal model is published in the American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology Bethesda, Md. (Dec. 30, 2013)—Recent data shows that more than 500,000 ...

I'll have what they're having: Study finds social norms influence food choices

2013-12-30
I'll have what they're having: Study finds social norms influence food choices According to report published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Philadelphia, PA, December 30, 2013 – Is obesity a socially transmitted disease? In order ...

Slower-paced meal reduces hunger but affects calorie consumption differently

2013-12-30
Slower-paced meal reduces hunger but affects calorie consumption differently According to new study of normal-weight and overweight or obese individuals published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Philadelphia, PA, December 30, 2013 ...

The secret to fewer doctor office visits after 70 -- play high school sports

2013-12-30
The secret to fewer doctor office visits after 70 -- play high school sports Fit in 50 years: participation in high school sports best predicts one's physical activity after age 70 Seventy year olds who don't frequently visit the doctor have something unexpected ...

NASA's TRMM satellite sees new Tropical Depression forming near Australia's Kimberly coast

2013-12-28
NASA's TRMM satellite sees new Tropical Depression forming near Australia's Kimberly coast Low pressure System 98S appears ripe to form into Tropical Cyclone 05S as NASA satellite imagery is showing some hot towering clouds in the storm and heaviest rains south of ...

New study: High mortality in Central Southern states most likely due to smoking

2013-12-27
New study: High mortality in Central Southern states most likely due to smoking 'Geographic divergence in mortality in the United States,' by Andrew Fenelon NEW YORK (26 December 2013) — Between 1965 and 2004, the distribution of states with the highest mortality ...

How does Rho-associated protein kinase modulate neurite extension?

2013-12-27
How does Rho-associated protein kinase modulate neurite extension? Rho-associated protein kinase is an essential regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics during the process of neurite extension. However, whether Rho kinase regulates microtubule remodeling or the distribution ...

Normobaric oxygen preconditioning for cerebral ischemic injury

2013-12-27
Normobaric oxygen preconditioning for cerebral ischemic injury Normobaric oxygen has the rapid and non-invasive characteristics and may have therapeutic effects on ischemic/hypoxic disease. Dr. Chunhua Chen and colleagues from Peking University, China found ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time

‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’

Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible

Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound

American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care

Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential

Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research

Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration

Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce

Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care

Resident physician intentions regarding unionization

[Press-News.org] DNA barcoding to monitor marine mammal genetic diversity