“Utilización de una estrategia multidisciplinar para definir las unidades de gestión de las orcas (Orcinus orca) al sur de España

  1. Ruth Esteban 1
  2. Philippe Verborgh 1
  3. Pauline Gauffier 1
  4. Joan Giménez 2
  5. Vidal Martín 3
  6. Mónica Pérez Gil 3
  7. Marisa Tejedor 3
  8. Andrew Foote 4
  9. Renaud de Stephanis 1
  1. 1 CIRCE (Conservación, Información y Estudio sobre Cetáceos)
  2. 2 Department of Conservation Biology. Estación Biológica de Doñana - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC).
  3. 3 SECAC, Sociedad para el Estudio de los Cetáceos en el Archipiélago Canario
  4. 4 Centre for GeoGenetics. The Natural History Museum of Denmark
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Journal:
Almoraima: revista de estudios campogibraltareños

ISSN: 1133-5319

Year of publication: 2017

Issue: 47

Pages: 29-37

Type: Article

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More publications in: Almoraima: revista de estudios campogibraltareños

Abstract

Identifying discrete, demographically independent conservation units is a key goal for management. Previous genetic work showed similarities between killer whales from the Strait of Gibraltar and the Canary Islands, but with a weak differentiation between places. This could result from historic gene flow and an absence of contemporary gene flow or migration between the Canary Islands and Gibraltar. Analyses of photo-identification and individual genotypes will assess the level of contemporary gene flow and migration between groups. A total of 26,430 dorsal fin images collected over 10 years were analyzed, showing the presence of 47 different individuals in the Strait of Gibraltar and 16 individuals in the Canary Islands, with no matches between areas. Group structure was analysed with Socprog, resulting in the identification of 5 pods in the Strait and 2 pods in the Canary Islands. The temporal relationships were fitted to models calculating their lagged association rates resulting in a social system based on Rapid Dissociation and Constant Companions and Casual Acquaintances. Mitochondrial DNA haplotype was shared by all individuals sampled within each group (constant companions), but differed between the two Canaries groups and between groups within the Strait (casual acquaintances), suggesting that social structure was matrifocal and there was little or no migration between groups. Kinship analysis detected no close kin between Canaries and Gibraltar individuals, suggesting low or no contemporary gene flow. The results suggest that the individuals from Gibraltar are a distinct ‘conservation unit’, contributing to propose a SCI in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Data source: Dialnet