Genomics and Whale Conservation
Biota Sciences and Dr. Scott Baker, Associate Director of the OSU Marine Mammal Institute are working together to use the latest DNA sequencing technology to understand population structures of endangered whales in the North Pacific Ocean.
Working with Dr. Jason Boone and the team at Biota Sciences, Dr. Baker is using the latest in next-generation DNA sequencing technology to understand the implications of natural hybridization between blue and fin whales in the wild. These are two of the largest species of animal that have ever lived and both were hunted to near extinction during the last century.
“The goal,” says Dr. Baker, “is to determine whether hybrids of blue and fin whales are simply unsuccessful accidents, or if these hybrids reproduce with either blue or fin whale populations, contributing genetic diversity across species barriers.”
For more than 20 years, Dr. Baker has been using genetics to advance conservation of whales and dolphins. His early use of genetic markers, unique segments of DNA, provided the first information that humpback whales from Southeast Alaska and California were not just members of a single ocean population, but actually members of completely distinct subpopulations, each with their own unique genetic background.
That study led to a better understanding of whale migration patterns and, in turn, the specific needs for conservation of local populations within oceans. More recently, Dr. Baker’s use of forensic genetics to identify meat from whales and dolphins sold in Japanese markets was featured in the Academy Award winning documentary ‘The Cove’.
The difference between Dr. Baker’s early use of single-gene markers and today’s ‘genomic’ research is as stark as the difference between the single side of a 45-rpm record and an iPod that holds the equivalent of room’s worth of 45-rpm records in the same size package.
Today, using the latest DNA sequencing instruments and analysis software, Biota’s unique sequencing technology identified several thousand data points that enable ‘digital’ analysis. In the field of population genetics more data is a good thing. More information enables deeper understanding, letting Dr. Baker evaluate not only differences between populations, but enabling future study of individual whales within populations.
The enabling technology behind these advancements is the rapidly expanding field of genome sequencing. The race by dozens of companies to make sequencing the human genome faster and cheaper is now enabling rapid advances in all fields of biological study, allowing researchers working in any plant or animal species to generate DNA sequence data faster and cheaper than ever before. Biota Sciences brings to this field a tool for sequencing selected portions of a species’ DNA, which allows evaluation of more samples for less money. In fields such as marine mammal research where research dollars are precious and population studies with many samples are critical, this approach is ideal.
The market for this type of work is just beginning to take hold around the world as technology accelerates our ability to understand the natural world. Beyond marine mammals, other researchers around the world are working with Biota Sciences and its parent company Floragenex in all manner of species, from elephants to mosquitoes, sweet corn to poplar trees, and any other organism. Biologists who have spent decades working on projects that can enlighten and educate now have access to tools and technology to make a significant impact. The power to conserve our planet will be driven by our understanding of it. Dr. Scott Baker and Biota Sciences are helping advance that understanding one whale at a time.