Current Search: UWF Theses and Dissertations (x) » Mobile River Watershed (Ala.) (x)
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Title
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Using environmental DNA and metabarcoding to investigate population genetic characteristics of the Alabama sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus suttkusi, in the Mobile River Basin.
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Author
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King, Jenna Diane
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Abstract/Description
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Genetics at the population level can illuminate important information about the evolutionary health and history of a population, which can be especially important for threatened or endangered species. The Alabama sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi) is the rarest and most endangered species of sturgeon in the world. The decline of this species is attributed largely to historic overfishing and habitat fragmentation by the installation of dams and impoundments in the Mobile River Basin. Despite...
Show moreGenetics at the population level can illuminate important information about the evolutionary health and history of a population, which can be especially important for threatened or endangered species. The Alabama sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi) is the rarest and most endangered species of sturgeon in the world. The decline of this species is attributed largely to historic overfishing and habitat fragmentation by the installation of dams and impoundments in the Mobile River Basin. Despite extensive catch efforts through the conventional catch methods, only six individuals have been captured since 1997. Recently, however, positive detections of the Alabama sturgeon in the Mobile River Basin have been confirmed using environmental DNA (eDNA) water samples. This research used 61 eDNA samples that tested positive for Alabama sturgeon DNA to investigate and inventory the population genetic structure. Using high throughput sequencing (metabarcoding) and bioinformatic analyses, ten haplotypes were identified. Calculations on genetic differentiation based on locality revealed that three major dams may be a significant barrier to gene flow. The population genetics data gleaned from eDNA samples will ultimately provide conservation managers with valuable information for future decision-making and management.
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Date Issued
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2020, 2020
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Identifier
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1232478451, WFE0000739
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Format
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Document (PDF)