We isolated 17 microsatellite loci in the whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea) and tested them
for amplification in 48 species from 13 seabird families (including 42 seabirds). Fifteen of
these loci were also tested for polymorphism in 38 of the species, which included nine species
of Alcinae (four auklets, Atlantic puffin, dovekie, razorbill and two murre species). On the
average, nine loci were polymorphic per Alcinae species.