Polymorphic microsatellites in nēnē, the endangered Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis).

The nēnē (Branta sandvicensis) is an endangered Hawaiian goose endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The nēnē nearly went extinct in the mid-19.00s and the majority of the approximately 1300 individuals currently in Hawai'i are descendants from less than 30 birds. The low adult breeding success and juvenile survival is likely due, in part, to inbreeding depression in wild individuals. Thirty-eight microsatellite primer sets developed in nēnē, Canada goose, and waterfowl species provided 8 polymorphic loci. Four of these polymorphic loci exhibited only two alleles, which is likely a reflection of the high inbreeding in this species.