Southern African Marine Mammal

Database: assessment and review of

cetacean collections

Keshni Gopal1, Simon H. Elwen2, Wayne K. Florence1

1 - Iziko Museums Of South Africa, PO Box 61, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.

2 - Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, c/o Sea Search Research and Conservation NPC, 4 Bath Rd, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa.

Corresponding Author Email: kgopal@iziko.org.za

Background

• Southern Africa: recognized global hotspot of cetacean diversity

• World wide = 89 living cetacean species

• Southern African region = 51 species/ 57% (Best 2007)

• Mammal Red List: 22 % assigned – Threatened; 50 % considered Data Deficient. SA = 23 species Data Deficient

Commerson's

Background (cont.)

• Despite SA’s excellent track record of research

– Use of modern genetic techniques

• Underutilized tool

• < 10 % publications to date (total of over 500 papers in

the region)

– Combination of reasons:

• Inaccessibility of samples,

• Shortage of local capacity,

• Lack institutional momentum

• Lack of coordination between

national research groups

Background (cont.)

• Late Prof. Best exemplifies

huge research potential

• Strandings records: single

most long-term and species diverse dataset – As early as 1900’s – Housed in two museums: iSAM and PEM

• iSAM wet collection – currently unknown

• Museum collections – Invaluable data source

• Since 2010 research using iSAM cetacean collection has effectively STALLED – Last recorded specimen – 2013

– Loss of institutional knowledge – Late Prof. Best

Background (cont.)

Natural Science Collections

Facility (NSCF)

Objectives

1. Produce a inventory of all cetacean material

in southern Africa

– Efficient and accurate curation

– iSAM collection

2. Establish DNA Cetacean

Tissue Bank at iSAM

3. Conduct DNA Barcoding

Data sources and methods

• Metadata platforms – Museums

– Tertiary Institutes

– NGOs

– Cetacean Researchers

– Private Collectors

• All data – Conform to international practice (standards

Darwin Core)

– Type of material • tissue, blood, blubber, bone, teeth, skull, baleen, stool, parasites, etc.

– Metadata • genus, species, locality, GPS co-ordinates, collector name, date, material type,

corresponding voucher, and associated observations

• Tissue Curation – Involves rebottling, relabelling

– Storage medium (formalin/alcohol)

– Material - degraded or not

Data received thus far:

Institute Type No. of records No. of specimens Years collected No. of species

iSAM Osteological 983 762 1896 – 2013 51

MRI – Peter Best Strandings data 1374 unknown 1905 - 2013 40

MRI – Nico de Bruyn Killer Whale Biopsies 58 172 2011 - 2017 1

MRI – Whale Unit Biopsies and other 1160 1160 1984 - 2017 27

NMU – Vargas-Fonseca Biopsies 64 64 2016 1

DEA Biopsies 932 932 1997 - 2017 24

SSRC & NDP – Sea Search Research

and Conservation & Namibian

Dolphin Project

Biopsies & Strandings 423 + 380 423 + unknown 1964 - 2017 32

Total specimens thus far = 3 500

Preliminary Results

• Status of these (formalin/alcohol based)

• Determine genetic viability

• Number of samples per material type per species

Anticipated Outputs Species 1 Species 2 Species 3 Species 4 Species 5

Post-cranial skeleton

Skull

Rostrum

Mandible

Hyoids

Ear bones

Bulla

Skin

Blubber

Stable Isotope

Parasites and mutualists

Baleen

Faeces

Teeth

Cyamids

Skin and tissue pathology

Reproductive Organs

Foetus &/ Cord

Milk

Flippers

Eyes

Stomach & associated organs

Muscle

Brain

Kidney

Liver

Heart

Lung

Other

Anticipated Outputs (cont.)

gaps

Cephalorhynhus heavisidii

Anticipated Outputs (cont.)

• Inventory and tissue curation – Enrich the iSAM marine mammal collection

– Make information easily accessible

• Ensure samples available from a wide

variety of locations – Difficult to sample some species depending

on their distribution

– Highly threatened in the wild

• Data verification and quality control – Promote research

– Generation of scientific knowledge • taxonomy, population genetic structure, phylogeography, cryptic

speciation

– Add value to current and future conservation management

– Development of marine policies

Acknowledgements

• Funders

– NSCF, iSAM

• BIMF-FBIP organizers

– Travel grant

• Current Collaborators

– Denise Hamerton, Nico de Bryun, Ryan Reisinger, Chris Wilkinson, Tess Gridley, Mdu Seakamela, Pierre Pistorius, Steve Kirkman, Alejandra Vargas

• Staff at iSAM

– Albè Bosman, Noel Fouten, Jofred Opperman

• Interns

– Asma Damon, Bianca Jooste, Megan Shipton

Thank

you