New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

DNA Used To Study Migration Of Threatened Whale Sharks

Date:
April 8, 2009
Source:
University of Illinois at Chicago
Summary:
Biologists used DNA tagging to show that whale sharks -- the world's largest fish -- show little genetic variation across widely separated tropical oceans, underscoring the need for wider protection against over-fishing.
Share:
FULL STORY

Whale sharks -- giants of the fish world that strike terror only among tiny creatures like the plankton and krill they eat -- are imperiled by over-fishing of the species in parts of its ocean range.

That threat is underscored in a new study from geneticists led by Jennifer Schmidt, University of Illinois at Chicago associate professor of biological sciences, reported online April 7 in the journal PLoS One.

Schmidt and her colleagues studied the DNA of 68 whale sharks from 11 locations across the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Caribbean Sea -- an area that covers most of the shark's known range. Results showed little genetic variation between the populations, which indicates migration and interbreeding among far-flung populations of the big fish.

"Our data show that whale sharks found in different oceans are genetically quite similar, which means that animals move and interbreed between populations," said Schmidt. "From a conservation standpoint, it means that whale sharks in protected waters cannot be assumed to stay in those waters, but may move into areas where they may be in danger."

A tropical fish that can grow 50 feet or longer and weigh over 20 tons, a whale shark's range can span oceans. They do not breed until they are about 25 to 30 years old, so it will take a long time for the species to recover from recent population declines.

Whale sharks are listed as threatened, but not every country protects them. The large animals are especially prized by fishermen for meat and fins used in soup.

Little is known about the shark's biology, perhaps because they have been studied primarily near shore, while mature animals may breed and give birth out in the open ocean. Nor is much known about neonatal or juvenile sharks, including where they grow to maturity, or how and when they move between regions. That has made devising effective conservation efforts a problem.

"The only real threat to whale sharks is us," said Schmidt. "To design proper conservation plans, we need to understand the sharks' lifestyle. We can only protect their habitat if we know what habitat they use."

Schmidt credits some countries for closing whale shark fisheries and hopes that efforts such as ecotourism programs, which sometimes include swims with the gentle giants, may prove an attractive economic alternative to fishing.

With the money brought in by well-managed ecotourism programs, Schmidt said, "people in many countries have come to realize that whale sharks are more valuable alive than dead."

The research was funded by UIC and the Shark Research Institute in Princeton, N.J.

Other authors of the report include Marie Levine, executive director of the Shark Research Institute; Mary Ashley, professor of biological sciences at UIC; and Kevin Feldheim, director of the Pritzker Laboratory at the Field Museum in Chicago.


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Illinois at Chicago. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Jennifer V. Schmidt, Claudia L. Schmidt, Fusun Ozer, Robin E. Ernst, Kevin A. Feldheim, Mary V. Ashley, Marie Levine. Low Genetic Differentiation across Three Major Ocean Populations of the Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus. PLoS ONE, 2009; 4 (4): e4988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004988

Cite This Page:

University of Illinois at Chicago. "DNA Used To Study Migration Of Threatened Whale Sharks." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 April 2009. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090407145159.htm>.
University of Illinois at Chicago. (2009, April 8). DNA Used To Study Migration Of Threatened Whale Sharks. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090407145159.htm
University of Illinois at Chicago. "DNA Used To Study Migration Of Threatened Whale Sharks." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090407145159.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES