Population genetic structure of Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) across Indonesian archipelago revealed by mitochondrial DNA: Implication for management

The Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) is one of the smallest species of sea turtles well known for its migration across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as Southeast Asia waters. However, there is currently no available information on their population structure across Indonesia, which will be beneficial to their management. Therefore this study was conducted to determine the genetic structure and population connectivity of L. olivacea across the Indonesian archipelago. The samples were obtained from the waters of the archipelago, and divided into four groups depending on: (i) sampling sites, (ii) Indonesian marine ecoregion, (iii) regional territory, and (iv) pooled population of both Indonesian and Indo-Pacific sites. Furthermore, the analysis was based on 791-bp fragment of the DNA control region from 132 individuals, and additional 84 sequences (India, Australia, and Mexico) from Genbank. A significant genetic differentiation was observed among Indonesian sampling sites (FST=0.44, p