DNA Surveillance Unit: Is That an Endangered Whale You’re Eating?
Overview and concepts
Overview
In order to better understand DNA fingerprinting and its’ real world applications, students will use a real
genomic site, DNA Surveillance, based in New Zealand, to test whale samples against a standard
database. This is done to monitor the sale of protected whale species in Japanese fish markets.
Students will be using sequences generated from whale meat, where the mitochondrial DNA has been
isolated and sequenced. The sequences are then compared - via the production of cladograms - to
reference data sets of all common whales both protected and fished. The closeness of a match,
between a reference sequence and the test sequence, then generates a calculation of evolutionary
distance. A distance of 0 indicates a certain match. A distance of 1 is no correlation, definitely not a
match. Greater distances increase the uncertainty. The interpretation of the data, with students learning
to appreciate degrees of uncertainty, favors higher-level cognitive skills, as described in Bloom's
taxonomy.
Grade level
Grades 9 through 12
Concepts covered
Whales Genomics, DNA Surveillance, Population Genetics, Endangered Species, Cladograms
Prior knowledge required
A review of DNA and its use in this activity is provided the day before the activity. Students should also
be familiar with DNA, as they usually complete biology (9th or 10th grade) before environmental science
(11th or 12th grade).
Activity notes
Time frame
2 days
Materials
 Q and A for Fish tale has DNA hook: students find bad labels
 Copies of Fish tale has DNA hook: students find bad labels
 Computer, Word and web browser, Web access, printer and paper
 Web site for DNA Surveillance http://www.cebl.auckland.ac.nz:9000/
 Instructions, and Q and A sheet for DNA Surveillance site
Teaching Tips
Day one:
 Provide lecture and notes to reinforce basic DNA and Genomics understanding.
 Students will also read and respond to the article “ Fish tale has DNA hook: students find bad
labels”
 To build relevancy and interest, touch upon the following questions:
o Are we moving into an era where typical citizens can help to enforce laws?
o Is this good or bad? Re: Whale Wars (the TV show), and liability mentioned in the NYC
fish market article.
Day two
 Students will access the DNA Surveillance site, and initially answer a series of orienting questions,
grouped under the following themes:
o Intro to DNA Surveillance..link at bottom of entrance portal,
o What is bioinformatics..icon in top right corner,
o Witness for the Whales intro page.
o About..top icon bar..details on program
o How to use site…top icon bar
o Cluster simple
o Sample data
 Students will then use DNA Student Instructions Lab 1 to test whale samples.
o They will start with 4 whale unknowns. They cut and past the UNKNOWN DNA test
sequences into the interface, choose the correct DNA reference sequence for each
analysis, and generate the identities of the unknown animals. These will be presented
visually in cladistic diagrams, as well as in table form, as descending correlation( 1 is
perfect, 0 is no correlation). Results can then be confirmed on the site.
o Students will also have the chance to use the wrong reference sequences, and explore
how the results change.
o Students will use Wiki to confirm protected status of Whales once identified.
 Students will use DNA Student Instructions Lab 2 and the Inspector Foode website to test other
samples.
o Students will then progress to the Inspector Foode site, where they will use data sets
from Whales and Parrots, to see what the results will be. The student s will then be
required to assess the quality of the results, and identify the causes of the different
results obtained.
 Skills practiced: Organizational, web/word document interfacing, logic, level 3, 4 and 5 of
Blooms Taxonomy for processing, interpreting and experimenting.
Assessment
Students will be able to immediately assess their accuracy and interpretation via the same web portal.
They will also complete the analysis worksheet, which will be then shared between groups. This will
allow collegial discussion, and vetting of errors.
This activity will be followed up with a quiz, on same.
Extensions
 Students will explore DNA bar-coding at CBOL website, following the link.. ’New to bar-coding’.
Some classes may be provided with questions to direct inquiry and acquisition of desired
content.
 The students will then have the ability to go on a web hunt, and to capture and return with
mitochondrial sequences, which they can then input into the site for analysis. It is the results of
this process that generates truly interesting dialog. Why are the results we see appearing? What
is the validity of the sample, of the reference samples, of the site itself?
Resources
 Web site for DNA Surveillance
http://www.cebl.auckland.ac.nz:9000/
Acknowledgments
These teacher notes and resources were produced by George Tucker
Downingtown Area High School, West Campus August 2010