DOI: 10.5061/dryad.6djh9w185
title: Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone: a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics

description: In coastal British Columbia, Canada, marine megafauna such as humpback
 whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus
 velifera) have been subject to a history of exploitation and near
 extirpation. While their populations have been in recovery, significant
 threats are posed by proposed natural resource ventures in this region, in
 addition to the compounding effects of increasingly severe marine
 heatwaves. Genetic tools play a vital role in informing conservation
 efforts, but the associated collection of tissue biopsy samples can be
 challenging for the investigators and disruptive to the ongoing behaviour
 of the targeted whales. Here we evaluate a minimally intrusive approach
 based on collecting exhaled breath condensate, or respiratory ‘blow’
 samples, from baleen whales using an unoccupied aerial system (UAS),
 within Gitga’at First Nation territory for conservation genetics. Minimal
 behavioural responses to the sampling technique were observed, with no
 response detected 87% of the time (of 112 UAS deployments). DNA from whale
 blow (n = 88 samples) was extracted, and DNA profiles consisting of 10
 nuclear microsatellite loci, sex identification, and mitochondrial (mt)
 DNA haplotypes, were constructed. An average of 7.5 microsatellite loci
 per individual were successfully genotyped. The success rates for mtDNA
 and sex assignment were 80% and 89% respectively. Thus, this minimally
 intrusive sampling method can be used to describe genetic diversity and
 generate genetic profiles for individual identification. The results of
 this research show the potential of UAS-collected whale blow for
 conservation genetics from a remote location.
description: Blow samples were collected in sterile Petri dishes attached to
 an Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS) or drone, which was flown through
 several breaths from an individual baleen whale (primarily humpback
 whales). These samples were paired with photo-identification of each
 individual. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA was extracted, and
 microsatellite genotypes, mtDNA haplotypes, and sex were determined where
 possible. 
description: # Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone: a minimally intrusive
 tool for conservation genetics
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6djh9w185](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6djh9w185) This submission includes three worksheets with the information required to replicate the primary analyses underlying the conclusions of the article: O’Mahony, É. N., Sremba, A., Keen, E., Robinson, N., Dundas, A., Steel, D., Wray, J., Baker, S., Gaggiotti, O. Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone: a minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics. ## Description of the data and file structure All data files have additional Excel sheets called 'Title and Abstract' and 'ReadMe'. Data files are as follows: ### mtDNA-Haplotype-Frequencies-OMahony-etal-2024.xlsx * This submission includes a worksheet with the mtDNA haplotype frequencies and associated sequences found through blow sampling of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Gitga’at First Nation territory, Northern British Columbia, Canada. * Haplotype tables – This worksheet includes mtDNA haplotype frequencies found by blow sampling in northern British Columbia compared with those found by biopsy sampling in the same region as published by Baker et al. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 494: 291–306 (2013) * Haplotypes sequences – This worksheet includes the Haplotype code, the colour used in Figure 4 of the manuscript, the GenBank code, and the 500 base pair sequence for each haplotype. ### supp-mat-table2-OMahony-etal-2024.xlsx * This submission includes a worksheet with the data presented in the Supplementary Materials Table 2. * It includes sample ID, species, month collected, mtDNA haplotype, sex, microsatellite loci amplified, and ddPCR concentrations (copies/ul) for each blow sample collected in Gitga'at First Nation territory. 'NA' or empty cells indicate missing data. ### supp-mat-table3-OMahony-etal-2024.xlsx * This submission includes a worksheet with the data presented in the Supplementary Materials Table 3. * It includes sample ID and microsatellite genotypes called for each blow sample collected in Gitga'at First Nation territory. '0' indicates missing data. The genotypes are first presented with each allele in individual columns; followed by the same genotypes combined into 'per locus' columns (e.g. 135/137).