Eleven new microsatellite loci in the globally threatened Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola)

We report the isolation and characterization of eleven microsatellite markers from the Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) the only globally threatened passerine species in Europe. We tested the markers in 23 samples of the species collected in the Biebrza marshes, Poland, between 1990 and 1997. All markers were polymorphic, with 2–16 alleles per locus, and no differences were found between the observed and expected heterozygosity when applying Bonferroni correction and a table-wide significance level of 0.05. We found no evidence for linkage disequilibrium between the markers. The frequency of null alleles was 0.00–0.43. The new markers will allow further insight in the population genetics and population structure of the Aquatic Warbler. Assessing the potential connectivity between breeding populations and wintering areas can guide further conservation efforts.