Introduction Ringed seals ( Pusa hispida ) are sentinel species of Arctic change, yet baseline microbiome data across their circumpolar range remain limited. Methods We profiled nasal and anal microbiomes from 90 free-ranging ringed seals across eight Arctic and sub-Arctic locations in Canada using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Results Body site was the primary determinant of microbiome structure, with nasal and anal asse...

Genetic studies have differentiated three subspecies of humpback whales: Megaptera novaeangliae novaeangliae in the North Atlantic, M. n. australis in the Southern Hemisphere and M. n. kuzira in the North Pacific. However, these analyses did not include samples from the Arabian Sea humpback whale population (ASHW). Historic, behavioural, and previously published genetic data suggested that ASHWs are a discrete, isolated and re...