Genetic structure and population trend of humback whales mingrating to Okinawa Islands

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07547
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aquatic bioproduction science
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kato Hidehiro 東京海洋大学, 学術研究院, 教授 (30371917)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 吉田 英可 国立研究開発法人水産研究・教育機構, 国際水産資源研究所, 主任研究員 (60371936) ; 鈴木 直樹 東京海洋大学, 学術研究院, 准教授 (70293090)
• Research Collaborator: Kawazu Isao 沖縄美ら島財団総合研究センター, 研究係長 ; Okabe Haruna 沖縄美ら島財団総合研究センター, 主任研究員 ; Kobayashi Nozomi 沖縄美ら島財団総合研究センター, 研究員
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ザトウクジラ / ミトコンドリアDNA / 個体識別 / 沖縄海域 / 奄美大島海域 / 八丈島海域 / バイオプシー / 種の保全

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The abundance of the humpback whales migrating to Okinawa waters in winter for breeding has been currently increasing, thus it is necessary to obtain further biological information including genetic structure, vital rate and population trends for management and conservation of this stock as well as minimizing risks due to increasing this stock. While it had been believed that they were genetically myophily before starting the present project, additional analyses on new samples revealed some different haplo-types of mitochondrial DNA sequences due to other breeding grope were found among new samples, suggesting some incomings other genetic sure to Okinawa waters. It was also noted probable new breeding sites are going to be organized in Amami and Hachijo Islands suggesting from the photo-identification. There were accumulations of data on population analyses including local movements and population trends, but further data analysis/analyses are necessary from now on.

Free Research Field

水産