Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers in northern fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis (Procellariiformes), and cross-species amplification in eight other seabirds

Background In the North Pacific, northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) forms extensive colonies in few locales, which may lead to limited gene flow and locale-specific population threats. In the Atlantic, there are thousands of colonies of varying sizes and in Europe the species is considered threatened. Prior screens and classical microsatellite development in fulmar failed to provide a suite of markers adequate for population genetics studies.