Genetic Diversity of Four Dolphin Species from eDNA Sampling Around Santa Catalina Island

126 seawater samples were collected during 15 encounters with four dolphin taxa around Santa Catalina Island, California, USA. The dataset contains 240 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) of mitochondrial DNA, assigned to species using next-generation sequencing and reference databases. It was authored by Frederick I. Archer and last updated in May 2026.

Use Cases

• Estimating population genetic diversity based on Amplicon Sequence Variant (ASV) richness and Hill numbers
• Comparing mitochondrial DNA diversity between dolphin species (e.g., Delphinus vs. Grampus griseus) based on eDNA sampling
• Designing future eDNA sampling strategies for wild delphinids based on rarefaction analysis results
• Monitoring species in proximity to anthropogenic threats using environmental DNA metabarcoding techniques

Strengths

• Contains 126 spatially and temporally referenced seawater samples from 15 dolphin encounters
• Resolves 240 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) for four distinct dolphin taxa
• Applies a standardized metabarcoding methodology with a region-specific reference database

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• The 16.7 KB file size suggests a very small, likely summary-level dataset
• Rarefaction analysis indicated population diversity was not fully represented for the more abundant Delphinus species

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of seawater samples collected near dolphin schools, followed by next-generation sequencing.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-19 04:19:28

Geography

Waters around Santa Catalina Island, California, USA