Genetic mixed-stock analysis of Atlantic herring populations in a mixed feeding area

Abstract

Determining spatio-temporal distributions of fish populations is of interest to marine ecology, in general, and to fisheries science in particular. Genetic mixed-stock analysis is routinely applied in several anadromous fishes for determining migratory routes and timing but has rarely been used for marine fishes, for which population differentiation is commonly weak and the method presumably less powerful. We used microsatellite information for Northeast Atlantic herring Clupea harengus L. populations and mixed stocks to address 2 questions. We used simulated mixture samples and 3 different statistical approaches to determine whether mixed stock composition could be determined with accuracy. Simulations showed that the applied approaches and mixture samples of 100 individuals enabled detailed composition analyses on a regional level, with resolution for tracing the ecologically dominant Rügen (Greifswalder Bodden) herring population. We then estimated spatio-temporal variation in herring migratory behaviour in the Skagerrak from 17 mixed samples collected over 2 seasons and 2 yr, and identified hitherto undescribed differences in distributions among populations that feed and winter in the area.KEY WORDS: Genetic clustering · Genetic stock identification · GSI · Population structure · Simulation analysis · Skagerrak · Baltic Sea · Migration · Clupea harengus Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 442: [187][188][189][190][191][192][193][194][195][196][197][198][199] 2011 stock analysis (MSA) comprises a number of statistical methods developed to estimate the composition of samples of individuals of mixed origin. MSA has been applied widely in anadromous salmonids (e.g. Ruzzante et al. 2004, Beacham et al. 2005, Koljonen et al. 2005, Smith et al. 2005, Gauthier-Ouellet et al. 2009, Miller et al. 2010), but in spite of the method's large potential for determining spatially and temporally explicit migratory behaviour, relatively few studies have yet been conducted in marine fishes (Waples & Naish 2009). One of the reasons for this paucity is that the generally modest levels of differentiation among marine populations (e.g. Ward et al. 1994) limit the statistical resolution for genetic stock identification (GSI), and, therefore, MSA (Manel et al. 2005, Waples & Gaggiotti 2006. However, when detailed sampling of the main populations contributing to mixed aggregations is attainable, approaches can be designed to overcome problems with low genetic resolution among populations (see e.g. Ruzzante et al. 2000Ruzzante et al. , 2006.Atlantic herring Clupea harengus L. is an abundant and widely distributed marine pelagic fish that spawns on substrate in coastal areas throughout most of the north Atlantic (Iles & Sinclair 1982). Most herring populations are migratory and often congregate on common feeding and wintering grounds where aggregations may consist of mixtures of individuals from several populations. One such area is found in the Skagerrak and ea...

Population Structure of Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)

“…Other migratory pelagic species, such as herring, are also structured into natal homing spawning stocks. These stocks are not isolated as straying between the stocks has been documented [11], [43]. Similar connectivity, between the mackerel stocks in the North Sea and the western areas, is a potential explanation for the observed interannual variation of North Sea mackerel.…”

Genetic mixed stock analysis of an interceptory Atlantic salmon fishery in the Northwest Atlantic

“…Mixed stock fisheries commonly exploit fish populations either in feeding areas or along migratory routes (e.g., Bekkevold et al, 2011;Ruzzante et al, 2000;Shepard et al, 2010). The results of this study indicate that the catch composition of the SPM Atlantic salmon fishery is dominated by three regions including (1) Gaspe Peninsula, (2) the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence/Cape Breton, and (3) Newfoundland.…”

Seasonal Dynamics of Atlantic Herring (Clupea harengus L.) Populations Spawning in the Vicinity of Marginal Habitats

“…There is also no clear evidence of the origin of this population, however, they could have arisen from either WBSS or other local CSS. The presence of mixtures of these and other stocks and populations in the Skagerrak area have been shown previously [6], [82]. Recent genetic studies using microsatellite DNA [83] have demonstrated differences between Landvik herring and many other stocks, in addition, unpublished results on one microsatellite locus (Carl André, pers.…”