Developing biomarkers for wildlife management

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Large terrestrial mammals play a vital role in regional ecosystems, local economies, and Indigenous cultures. Human harvest of wildlife populations has necessitated the need for management. Primary tools for management involve understanding demographics (age & sex) and causes of decline (e.g. disease). Such data, however, are difficult to generate in wild populations, particularly in more remote and northern regions. To address these data deficiencies we are proposing to use a novel mammalian methylation assay to develop a tool to accurately age white-tailed deer and black bear, and develop biomarkers indicative of health (e.g. disease, malnourishment). The project will develop an assay capable of bio-marking non-invasive samples that are currently collected our primary partner the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF). This will enable managers to quantify key population demographic parameters of two key species managed my OMNRF, and to place current trends in a historical context thereby informing harvest decisions and monitoring efforts. This work is being conducted in collaboration between Trent University, Carleton University, OMNRF and Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, and National Wildlife Center thereby building partnerships between academic, government and non-government agencies. It will provide training in state-of-the-art genomic tools for 1 PhD and 2 MSc students.