Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci for storm-petrels

Primers were developed for 10 microsatellite loci for two species of Oceanodroma storm-petrels. Variability was tested in 27 O. castro and 22 O. monteiroi from the Azores, and 24 O. leucorhoa from Norway. At least six loci amplified reliably and were polymorphic in each species. The number of alleles per locus averaged 4.6, and observed heterozygosities averaged 0.41. Most primers also yielded polymerase chain reaction products in O. tethys, O. hornbyi and Pterodroma phaeopygia. These loci are being used to assay population genetic structure in storm-petrels.