Isolation and characterization of ten microsatellite loci in Blue-footed (Sula nebouxii) and Peruvian Boobies (Sula variegata)

Ten microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from Blue-footed ( Sula nebouxii ) and Peruvian Boobies ( S. variegata ). The loci were screened in 24 Blue-footed Boobies and 27 Peruvian Boobies: 8 were polymorphic in Blue-footed Boobies with between 2 and 10 alleles per locus and 9 were polymorphic in Peruvian Boobies with between 2 and 12 alleles per locus. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.29 to 0.84. These loci were also tested in Brown Boobies ( S. leucogaster ) and were variably polymorphic. These new loci are currently being used to assess population genetic structure in Blue-footed and Peruvian Boobies and will also be used to examine hybridization between the species.