Project Details
Description
Knowledge about population structure and local adaptation is central for successful management of both freshwater and marine fisheries. For instance, recently accumulated knowledge about the geographical scale and extent of local adaptation in anadromous fishes has resulted in the abandonment of fish transplants and releases of foreign fish into natural populations, because such activities threaten the survival of natural populations.
In coastal habitats, local fishermen have expressed interests in moving marine fish between geographically distant areas, but until now a lack of scientific knowledge about the scale and extent of local adaptation has prevented any detailed advice on the scale that such movements may be possible. In one particular case, it was proposed to move European flounder from the western parts of the Limfjord to the Bay of Aarhus in order to support a fishery in the bay where the species had reached very low abundances. Since these two areas are both geographically distant and environmentally different, it is possible that fish are also adapted to local environmental conditions. However, although earlier work has strongly suggested that populations of European flounder may be locally adapted, no study had directly compared samples from these areas.
In this project, we aimed to use a combination of genetic markers previously found not to be affected by selection (so-called “neutral markers”) and markers situated in or close to genes which may be important for local adaption. The application of such a combination of genetic markers may allow the assessment of geographical patterns and scales of both population structure and local adaptation in natural populations.
The first stage of the project was the development of new genetic markers through screening candidate genes, identified as differentially expressed in relation to various stressors in laboratory experiments, for the presence of suitable genetic markers. Genetic markers were subsequently analyzed in individuals collected from the target as well as reference populations in 2011 and in additional reference samples available from 2003/2004.
Results showed markedly different levels of genetic variation in putatively neutral and candidate gene associated markers throughput the species’ distribution. Furthermore, different frequencies of genetic variants near the stress response candidate gene, Hsc70, were observed between the Limfjord and the Bay of Aarhus, suggesting local adaptation to the two areas. Consequently, it was advised that fish were not moved between these two regions. In addition to providing information about the specific case, these results could also be important for guiding future research on finer geographical scales in this and other marine fishes.
The project was coordinated by DTU Aqua and funded by the Danish Rod and Net Fishing License Funds.
Research area: Population Genetics
Research area: Coastal Ecology
In coastal habitats, local fishermen have expressed interests in moving marine fish between geographically distant areas, but until now a lack of scientific knowledge about the scale and extent of local adaptation has prevented any detailed advice on the scale that such movements may be possible. In one particular case, it was proposed to move European flounder from the western parts of the Limfjord to the Bay of Aarhus in order to support a fishery in the bay where the species had reached very low abundances. Since these two areas are both geographically distant and environmentally different, it is possible that fish are also adapted to local environmental conditions. However, although earlier work has strongly suggested that populations of European flounder may be locally adapted, no study had directly compared samples from these areas.
In this project, we aimed to use a combination of genetic markers previously found not to be affected by selection (so-called “neutral markers”) and markers situated in or close to genes which may be important for local adaption. The application of such a combination of genetic markers may allow the assessment of geographical patterns and scales of both population structure and local adaptation in natural populations.
The first stage of the project was the development of new genetic markers through screening candidate genes, identified as differentially expressed in relation to various stressors in laboratory experiments, for the presence of suitable genetic markers. Genetic markers were subsequently analyzed in individuals collected from the target as well as reference populations in 2011 and in additional reference samples available from 2003/2004.
Results showed markedly different levels of genetic variation in putatively neutral and candidate gene associated markers throughput the species’ distribution. Furthermore, different frequencies of genetic variants near the stress response candidate gene, Hsc70, were observed between the Limfjord and the Bay of Aarhus, suggesting local adaptation to the two areas. Consequently, it was advised that fish were not moved between these two regions. In addition to providing information about the specific case, these results could also be important for guiding future research on finer geographical scales in this and other marine fishes.
The project was coordinated by DTU Aqua and funded by the Danish Rod and Net Fishing License Funds.
Research area: Population Genetics
Research area: Coastal Ecology
| Status | Finished |
|---|---|
| Effective start/end date | 01/01/2011 → 31/12/2012 |
Collaborative partners
- Technical University of Denmark (lead)
- Northwest Jutland Recreational Fishermen’s Association (Project partner)
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