Genetics reveal not one but many breeding populations of Black Marlin

Project Black Marlin has reached a major milestone with the completion of Samuel William’s honours thesis.

Small black marlineWe have been able to reject the idea of only one breeding population of Black Marlin the Indian and Pacific Ocean, using fin-clips collected by the game-fishing community in Australia and by Sam from fish markets in Taiwan.

Sam has evidence of three breeding populations. There may be more, which will require tissue sample collection from all parts of the distribution of the species.

More details can be found in the Black Marlin Bulletin for June 2014.