Data from: Population characteristics of a large whale shark aggregation inferred from seawater environmental DNA

Population genetics is essential for understanding and managing marine
ecosystems, but sampling remains challenging. We demonstrate that
high-throughput sequencing of seawater environmental DNA can provide
useful estimates of genetic diversity in a whale shark (Rhincodon typus)
aggregation. We recover similar mitochondrial haplotype frequencies in
seawater compared to tissue samples, reliably placing the studied
aggregation in a global genetic context and expanding the applications of
environmental DNA to encompass population genetics of aquatic organisms.