POPULATION GENETIC STRUCTURE OF COASTAL BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS

Population substructure has important implications for a species’ ecology and evolution. As such, knowledge of this structuring is critical for the conservation and management of natural populations. Among marine mammals, many examples exist of species that enjoy a broad geographical distribution, yet are characterized by fine-scale population subdivisions. Coastal bottlenose dolphins have been studied extensively in a few regions globally, and these studies have highlighted a great diversity in both social strategies and demographic isolation. Here we use molecular genetic markers to examine the degree of population subdivision among three study sites separated by less than 250 km on Little Bahama Bank in the northern Bahamas. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation and microsatellite