Genetic panmixia in New Zealand's Grey-faced Petrel: implications for conservation and restoration

Abstract

Seabirds are highly vagile yet many have restricted gene flow owing to physical barriers (e.g. land or ice) or non-physical barriers (e.g. philopatry), which often results in population divergence. Identification of distinct units is important for defining conservation status, guiding restoration of populations and coastal ecosystems, and managing the effect of anthropogenic activities (e.g. fisheries by-catch, customary harvesting). We collected DNA samples from 390 Grey-faced Petrels (Pterodroma macroptera gouldi) at 13 colonies across their New Zealand breeding range to examine population genetic structure. We sequenced part of the mitochondrial control region and genotyped 12 microsatellite DNA loci. We found high diversity in mitochondrial DNA in all colonies. Analyses showed a lack of genetic structure in Grey-faced Petrels that we propose is a result of high levels of gene flow. Although, we found no genetically distinct populations we suggest that any translocations for conservation should be done with caution and with some consideration of the proximity of a restoration site to a natal Grey-faced Petrel colony. Also, the high levels of gene flow we found suggest that the method of using acoustic attraction and natural behaviour to establish new colonies offers a useful addition, or alternative, to translocations of chicks. These results provide a genetic basis for conservation and restoration efforts for the Grey-faced Petrel.