Crimean dolphins will receive genetic passports

The Black Sea bottlenose dolphins kept in captivity in Crimea will receive genetic passports for the first time.

The Crimean branch of the All-Russian research and development centre Ecology, together with the Laboratory for the Protection of Rare Species of Animals of the Scientific and Methodological Center "Biodiversity", collected material for molecular genetic certification of these dolphins.

Genetic methods will make it possible to accurately identify animals and exclude substitution of some individuals for others.

Currently, there are 12 dolphinariums in the Crimea.

Black Sea bottlenose dolphins are listed in the Red Book.

However, some dolphinariums are home to Pacific specimens purchased from Japan. They do not have such an environmental status in Russia.

It is not possible to reliably establish the subspecies of bottlenose dolphins by comparative morphological methods.