Meeting Abstract
Population structure of the Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) was examined using genetic and genomic data. Tissue samples were collected throughout the GOM, along with the inclusion of reference samples from the western Pacific and Caribbean Sea. Since C. leucas is believed to exhibit female philopatric behavior towards their natal site, we characterized the patterns of variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome by inferring the phylogenetic relationships of representative samples using mtDNA control region (CR) sequences. The results suggest the population in the GOM has lower haplotypic diversity than those in the Caribbean Sea and in the western Pacific. To determine whether sex-biased dispersal exists, we also examined variation in the nuclear genome by characterizing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using double digest restriction based DNA (ddRAD) sequencing. We discuss the inferred patterns of migratory behavior and levels of gene flow within and between the GOM, Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific using both mtDNA and genomic data.
