Multiple origins of vagrant Subantarctic fur seals: a long journey to the Brazilian coast detected by molecular markers

• DOI: 10.1007/s00300-007-0358-z
• Publication Date: 2007-09-18T14:56:50Z
• Authors: Juliana Machado F...; Larissa Rosa de O...; Louise Wynen; Marthán N. Bester; Christophe Guinet; Nadia Moraes-Barros; Felipe Mello Martins; Mônica M. C. Muel...; Ignacio B. Moreno; Salvatore Siciliano; Paulo Henrique Ott; João Stenghel Mor...
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Vagrants; mtDNA; Wildlife conservation -- Brazil; [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes; 590; [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society; 03 medical and health sciences; Seal populations -- Brazil; Vagrants · Arctocephalus tropicalis · Brazilian coast · mtDNA; Brazilian coast; 14. Life underwater; Arctocephalus tropicalis; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Southern fur seals -- Brazil

In this study, we present the first data about putative source populations of the vagrant Subantarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus tropicalis, found on the Brazilian coast, through the comparison of their mitochondrial DNA control sequences to exclusive haplotypes from the main breeding colonies of the species. The results indicated that, despite the majority of the vagrant individuals are from Gough Island (the closest breeding site to the Brazilian coast), they also come from other reproductive colonies, such as Crozet Island, a distance around 16,500 km from the Brazilian coast. Furthermore, the molecular data identified three possible management units: (1) Gough, (2) Amsterdam, and (3) Marion, Macquarie and Crozet. This significant genetic subdivision must be taken into account in any future management plan for the species conservation, including rehabilitation and even reintroduction of vagrant fur seals.