DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Population Genetics of Black-footed Albatrosses using SNPs: Implications for Regional Differentiation, Mate Choice, and Species Conservation

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Black-footed albatrosses are one of three albatross species that breed exclusively in the North Pacific. Mortality of thousands of these seabirds annually has been recorded in North Pacific fisheries. When seabirds are taken as non-target catch (bycatch) in fisheries operations, the impact to the species as a whole must be evaluated. An effective means to determine colony of origin of individual bycatch specimens, and to evaluate the population-level impact of fisheries activities, is provided by the analysis of DNA data. The objectives of this study are to determine population parameters for the Black-footed albatross. Genetic (DNA) data will be collected to determine rates of population growth and/or decline, levels of migration among colonies, genetic correlates of mate choice, and whether or not populations of these seabirds consist of discrete and unique groups that could merit special and separate protection. Specifically, the identification and analysis of a large number of variable sites (named single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs) in the DNA of Black-footed albatrosses, as well as an analysis of genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), which are thought to play a role in mate choice in some species, will provide the above information. The information provided by DNA data can facilitate the design of efficient management strategies for species that are impacted by human activities. This work will identify those seabird populations that are most affected by interactions with fisheries operating throughout their ranges in the North Pacific Ocean. In collaboration with governmental agencies such as the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, these results will have important applications in the evaluation of fisheries regulations. For example, knowledge of which colonies are most at risk will allow managers to be proactive about species conservation and thus will inform the timing and location of time and area closures that already are standard practice in some fisheries (such as the Hawaii-based longline fishery).