Advancing Genetic Stock Identification of Leatherback Turtles From Foraging Grounds in the Southwest Atlantic:...

The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) undertakes extensive migrations between nesting and foraging areas, where it is exposed to threats such as fisheries bycatch, coastal development, and pollution. Although classified globally as Vulnerable by the IUCN, the Southwest Atlantic subpopulation is considered Critically Endangered, with nesting restricted to Brazil. While satellite telemetry and previous mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Genetic Mixed Stock Analysis (MSA) studies have indicated that leatherbacks from West African rookeries migrate to foraging grounds off Argentina and Uruguay, the potential for connectivity with rookeries from other regions remains an open question. Genetic Stock Identification (GSI) using 15 nuclear DNA (nDNA) microsatellite markers was conducted on 78 stranded or incidentally caught leatherbacks from feeding grounds off the coasts of Argentina and Uruguay. Assignment analysis results demonstrated that 92% of the foraging leatherbacks originated from Ghana and Gabon in the Southeast Atlantic (SEA), with lesser contributions from the rookeries in the Northwest Atlantic (NEA; 6%) and the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWI; 1%) rookery in South Africa, all with assignment probabilities (AP) exceeding 95%. Our findings corroborate and extend previous mtDNA studies by enhancing the precision of GSI for individuals possessing common haplotypes and by clarifying the unknown origin of individuals with 'orphan' mtDNA haplotypes, such as Dc7.1, which were assigned to the SEA rookeries (AP = 99%). Furthermore, we directly assigned one individual, previously of uncertain mtDNA origin (Dc9.1), to the South Africa rookery (AP = 97%), highlighting the need to consider the extension of the SWI Regional Management Unit (RMU) boundaries to Southwest Atlantic waters in future assessments. The absence of detected connectivity with Brazilian nesting populations underscores the necessity for increased sample sizes and the application of advanced molecular markers. These results advance the understanding of population connectivity across oceanic scales and emphasize the crucial role of international collaboration in conservation endeavors.