West Coast Groundfish Observer Program Manual, Part2 - NOAA

CHAPTER 7
contamination. DNA contamination from any
source may compromise the sample.
2. Lightly scrape the sample area on the cetacean clean
with a knife to remove fish slime and to reduce
potential contamination of the sample. The sample
can be collected from anywhere on the animal, but
should preferably be taken from the back of the
animal just posterior to the dorsal fin.
3. Using a sterile scalpel, cut out a strip of skin
approximately 2 cm by 1 cm. Remove any excess
blubber from the strip of skin.
4. Place the skin sample in the vial of DMSO
provided (see DMSO warning below). Try not to
take a large sample, the skin sample must fit in the
DMSO vial and be completely covered by the
solution. There should be no more than one tissue
sample per vial. Store DMSO tissue samples at
room temperature. Do not freeze.
5. If DMSO vials are not available, preserve tissue
samples using one of the following methods.
• Place the tissue sample in a sterile otolith vial
and freeze it.
• Place the tissue sample in a sterile otolith vial
filled with a saturated salt solution or table
salt and store at room temperature.
6. Record the length, sex, weight (if possible) and
species on the Biospecimen Form. Also record a
Dissection Type of “4” (tissue) and the bar code
number from the otolith vial.
7. Record interaction and sighting information on the
Marine Mammal Sighting Form.
1/30/2004 7-11