Cetacean Genomes Status

Cetacean genome assemblies and data sets are being generated at an ever-increasing rate, using a variety of genomic sequencing and assembly methods. In order to minimize redundancy and cost, we are monitoring multiple genome databases and publications to catalog genome resources. Availability of genomic data can both reduce costs of completing a reference-quality genome, and shift the priorities for generating genome assemblies of species with no public genomic resources.

The table below lists the genome assemblies currently available through public genome databases and genome project-oriented web sites. If we have missed a recent genome release, please let us know by emailing phillip.morin@noaa.gov. Additional details of some cetacean genome assemblies are available from the Vertebrate Genomes Project, Darwin Tree of Like UK, and DNAzoo.

Figure 1. Contiguity assessment of public contig, scaffold, and chromosome-level cetacean genomes (from the CGP project GoaT web site, July 2025). Reference-quality genomes meet the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) assembly contiguity metrics highlighted by the EBP metric zone. Contigs are segments of contiguous, i.e. gapless, sequence. Scaffolds are sets of contigs that have been ordered and oriented using long-range mapping data such as optical maps and Hi-C. The scaffolds contain gaps. N50 is a measure of average length, e.g. 50% of all bases are contained in contigs of length N50 or longer. Bukhman et al. 2022.

Full table view: Open Dataset In New Window