Dolphins doing this may help them overcome climate change challenges

By Danny Halpin via SWNS

Allowing dolphins to mingle and share DNA may help them overcome the impact of climate change and human activity, researchers said.

More intermixing means genes that encourage adaptation to habitat changes, such as ocean temperature or chemical composition, will spread further through the population.

This comes after scientists in Australia took the first widespread genetic census of common dolphins living along a 3,000 km stretch of the continent’s southern coastline.

Researchers looked at more than 200 dolphins from five separate groups between Western Australia and Victoria.

They compared the genetic differences among and between the groups and compared that with the different environmental conditions and the availability of fish caused by ocean currents and seasonal migrations.

Dr. Andrea Barceló, first author in the study from Flinders University, said: “Information about how the environment affects DNA diversity of marine populations can assist with the population management and in forecasting how they may cope with climate change and other anthropogenic impacts.”

She added that more genetic variation could support the long-term survival of not just dolphins but other species too by boosting their chances of adapting to the changing climate.

Genetic variation among the dolphins in the west of Australia were linked with local currents while genetic variation among dolphins in the east by Tasmania were down to varying levels of photosynthesis from aquatic plants and sea surface temperatures.

In contrast, genetic differences among dolphins in protected coastal areas or enclosed bays were associated with changes in salt levels and environmental temperatures, scientists said.

The assessment identified specific genes that could be studied in other dolphin species that share similar environments, the researchers said.

Associate Professor Luciana Möller, who is a co-author of the study, added: “While so many breeding and feeding conditions are still unknown, it’s important for managers of our coastal environments to consider the importance of DNA diversity, particularly in the event of changes in key environmental conditions such as water temperatures, salinity and food sources.”

The study was published in BMC Ecology and Evolution.