Population structure and genetic connectivity of the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) across nursery grounds from the Eastern Tropical Pacific: Implications for management and conservation.

ABSTRACT: Defining demographically independent units and understanding patterns of gene flow between them is essential for managing and conserving exploited populations. The critically endangered scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini, is a coastal semi-oceanic species found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. Pregnant females give birth in shallow coastal estuarine habitats that serve as nursery grounds for neonates and small juveniles, whereas adults move offshore and become highly migratory. We evaluated the population structure and connectivity of S. lewini in coastal areas and one oceanic island (Cocos Island) across the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) using both sequences of the mitochondrial DNA control region (mtCR) and 9 nuclear-encoded microsatellite loci. The mtCR defined two

SUBMITTER: Elizondo-Sancho M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9757582 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature