Population structure of North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) in the Indian River Lagoon
Location
OC Auditorium
Start
4-2-2026 2:20 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Here, we investigated the genetic and genomic population structure, diversity, and relatedness of North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida. Recent research suggests the existence of two ecological units of otters based on differences in habitat preferences and diet inferred from stable isotope analysis: one primarily using freshwater water bodies upstream and another occurring in the estuarine to marine waters of the IRL. Using muscle samples (n = 68) from road-killed river otters (2016-2022), we used single-nucleotide polymorphisms from RADseq and 500bp mtDNA control-region sequences to assess population structure in relation to ecological differentiation among river otters in the IRL and adjacent upstream freshwater habitats. This work is important to further understand the mechanisms of co-evolution among subgroups within species, particularly to predict how those might continue to evolve, considering ongoing and future anthropogenic changes.
Population structure of North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) in the Indian River Lagoon
OC Auditorium
Here, we investigated the genetic and genomic population structure, diversity, and relatedness of North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida. Recent research suggests the existence of two ecological units of otters based on differences in habitat preferences and diet inferred from stable isotope analysis: one primarily using freshwater water bodies upstream and another occurring in the estuarine to marine waters of the IRL. Using muscle samples (n = 68) from road-killed river otters (2016-2022), we used single-nucleotide polymorphisms from RADseq and 500bp mtDNA control-region sequences to assess population structure in relation to ecological differentiation among river otters in the IRL and adjacent upstream freshwater habitats. This work is important to further understand the mechanisms of co-evolution among subgroups within species, particularly to predict how those might continue to evolve, considering ongoing and future anthropogenic changes.