The Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta-Caretta, in Queensland - Population Breeding Structure

1988 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Gyuris ◽  
CJ Limpus

Population models proposed as a result of independent tagging programs of nesting Caretta caretta in Queensland are in disagreement about the size of discrete breeding units. An electrophoretic survey was conducted to assess the relevance of genetic variation as revealed by electrophoresis to the investigation of Caretta caretta population breeding structure. Low level electrophoretic variability (H*L(obs) = 0.016) was found. The geographical distribution of alleles, when compared with tag-recapture data and other aspects of life history, indicated that discrete breeding populations of C. caretta in Queensland are larger than previously thought. C. caretta nesting on the mainland beaches and on the cays of the Capricornia Section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park form a panmictic population. The data indicate that those nesting on the Swain Reefs cays do not interbreed with the mainland-Capricornia breeding population.

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-13
Author(s):  
C.J.A Shelbourne

Abstract Advanced generation selection (AS) for the future breeding population (BP), becam a focus of tree breeders‘ thinking in the mid 1970s., particularly with Pinus radiata in New Zealand (NZ). Multitrait selection among families was generally recommen­ded, but this reduced genetic variation in the future breeding population. From Shaw and Hood‘s (1985) stochastic simulation, later confirmed by Rosvall, Lindgren and Mullin‘s (1998) stochastic simulation on Norway spruce, it was realised that selecting within families rather than among families of a new breeding population avoided any reduction of genetic variation in the BP. Heritabilities were low for seedling within-family selection but clonal replication within families should strongly increase heritabilities. Gains from cloned versus seedling populations of equal numbers of plants were also deterministically simulated (Shelbourne et al. 2007), and balanced (within-family) selec­tion gains from the cloned populations were all higher than seedling equivalents at heritabilities of 0.5 and under. The late P.A. Jefferson‘s (2016) Breeding Management Plan (which will be soon superceded) contains a re description of New Zealand (NZ) radiata pine breeding. Selections were made in crosses from the earlier program and OP see and scion mate­rial were collected from all 360 selections. OP family tests of selections have been planted at 11 sites in NZ and 7 in New South Wales and Tasmania, and scions of their female parents have all been grafted at an archive. Crosses made in the archive are being cloned and the programme was committed to within-family selection to retain genetic variance for the future closed breeding population. Clonally-replicated testing paired with within-family selection is the solution for balancing long-term gain and diversity in BP and PP.


1989 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Woodley

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. It is recognised and appreciated worldwide as a unique environment and for this reason has been inscribed on the World Heritage List. The Reef is economically-important to Queensland and Australia, supporting substantial tourism and fishing industries. Management of the Great Barrier Reef to ensure conservation of its natural qualities in perpetuity is achieved through the establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The maintenance of water quality to protect the reef and the industries which depend on it is becoming an increasingly important management issue requiring better knowledge and possibly new standards of treatment and discharge.


2004 ◽  
Vol 71 (sup2) ◽  
pp. 213-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanna Piovano ◽  
Emilio Balletto ◽  
Stefano Di Marco ◽  
Alberto Dominici ◽  
Cristina Giacoma ◽  
...  

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 239 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Marsh ◽  
WK Saalfeld

In 1984 and 1985, during surveys designed primarily to census dugongs, six species of sea turtles were counted from the air at an overall sampling intensity of 9% over a total area of 31 288 km2 within the northern sections of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The sea turtles were not identified to species. We attempted to correct sightings for perception bias (the proportion of animals visible in the transect which are missed by observers), and to standardise for availability bias (the.proportion of animals that are invisible due to water turbidity) with survey-specific correction factors. The resultant minimum population estimate in November 1985 was (mean � s.e.) 32 187 � 2532 sea turtles at an overall density of 1.03 � 0.08 km-2, a precision of 8%. We consider this to be a gross underestimate of numbers present. Significant differences between population and density estimates obtained from repeat surveys of the same areas were accounted for by differences in Beaufort sea state and cloud cover. The analysis of covariance data suggested that we had not been successful in standardising all biases. Turtles were widely distributed throughout the Great Barrier Reef lagoon from inshore seagrass beds to mid- and outer-shelf reefs. Highest densities were observed on inshore seagrass beds and on mid-shelf reefs, particularly between Murdoch Island and Cape Melville, and in Princess Charlotte Bay. Maps of density and distribution are given. We discuss the value and limitations of this survey regime for censusing sea turtles.


2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (11) ◽  
pp. 985-988 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.F. Kahrl ◽  
R.H. Laushman ◽  
A.J. Roles

Multiple mating is expected to be common in organisms that produce large clutches as a mechanism by which sexual reproduction can enrich genetic variation. For freshwater crayfish, observation of multiple mating suggests the potential for high rates of multiple paternity, but genetic confirmation is largely lacking from natural populations. We studied paternity within wild-caught broods of two crayfish species in the genus Orconectes (Sanborn’s crayfish (Orconectes sanbornii (Faxon, 1884)) and the Allegheny crayfish (Orconectes obscurus (Hagen, 1870))). Although females have been observed mating with multiple males, this is the first genetic confirmation of multiple paternity in broods of these two species. Berried females were collected in the field and maintained in aquaria until their eggs hatched. We amplified and genotyped extracted DNA from maternal and hatchling tissue for several microsatellite loci. For both species, paternity reconstruction (GERUD 2.0) yielded 2–3 sires per brood and no single paternity clutches. We discuss these results from natural populations in light of the body of work on reproductive ecology of decapod crustaceans and in the context of changes in life history following the transition from marine to freshwater habitats.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikhail V. Matz ◽  
Eric A. Treml ◽  
Galina V. Aglyamova ◽  
Madeleine J. H. van Oppen ◽  
Line K. Bay

AbstractCan genetic adaptation in reef-building corals keep pace with the current rate of sea surface warming? Here we combine population genomic, biophysical modeling, and evolutionary simulations to predict future adaptation of the common coralAcropora milleporaon the Great Barrier Reef. Loss of coral cover in recent decades did not yet have detectable effect on genetic diversity in our species. Genomic analysis of migration patterns closely matched the biophysical model of larval dispersal in favoring the spread of existing heat-tolerant alleles from lower to higher latitudes. Given these conditions we find that standing genetic variation could be sufficient to fuel rapid adaptation ofA. milleporato warming for the next 100-200 years, although random thermal anomalies would drive increasingly severe mortality episodes. However, this adaptation will inevitably cease unless the warming is slowed down, since no realistic mutation rate could replenish adaptive genetic variation fast enough.


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