Population genomics, life‐history tactics, and mixed‐stock subsistence fisheries in the northernmost American Atlantic salmon populations

Abstract While Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) of the northernmost American populations is alimentary, economically, and culturally important for Ungava Inuit communities (Nunavik, Canada) and might play a key role in the persistence of the species in a global warming context, many mysteries remain ab...

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Main Authors: Alexandre Carbonneau, Julien April, Eric Normandeau, Anne‐Laure Ferchaud, Véronique Nadeau, Louis Bernatchez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-02-01
Series:Evolutionary Applications
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13654
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author Alexandre Carbonneau
Julien April
Eric Normandeau
Anne‐Laure Ferchaud
Véronique Nadeau
Louis Bernatchez
author_facet Alexandre Carbonneau
Julien April
Eric Normandeau
Anne‐Laure Ferchaud
Véronique Nadeau
Louis Bernatchez
author_sort Alexandre Carbonneau
collection DOAJ
description Abstract While Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) of the northernmost American populations is alimentary, economically, and culturally important for Ungava Inuit communities (Nunavik, Canada) and might play a key role in the persistence of the species in a global warming context, many mysteries remain about those remote and atypical populations. Thus, our first aim was to document the genomic structure of the Nunavik populations. The second objective was to determine whether salmon only migrating to the estuary without reaching the sea, apparently unique to those populations, represent distinct populations from the typical anadromous salmons and subsequently explore the genetic basis of migratory life‐history tactics in the species. Finally, the third goal was to quantify the contribution of each genetically distinct population and life‐history tactic in the mixed‐stock subsistence fishery of the Koksoak R. estuary. We used Genotyping‐by‐Sequencing to genotype 14,061 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genome of 248 individuals from 8 source populations and 280 individuals from the Koksoak estuary mixed‐stock fishery. Life‐history tactics were identified by a visual assessment of scales. Results show a hierarchical structure mainly influenced by isolation‐by‐distance with 7 populations out of the 8 studied rivers. While no obvious structure was detected between marine and estuarine salmon within the population, we have identified genomic regions putatively associated with those migration tactics. Finally, all salmon captured in the Koksoak estuary originated from the Koksoak drainage and mostly from 2 tributaries, but no inter‐annual variation in the contribution of these tributaries was found. Our results indicate, however, that both marine and estuarine salmon contribute substantially to estuarine fisheries and that there is inter‐annual variation in this contribution. These findings provide crucial information for the conservation of salmon populations in a rapidly changing ecosystem, as well as for fishery management to improve the food security of Inuit communities.
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spelling doaj.art-97bc839a71fb47029da7981a602353e62024-02-27T00:12:39ZengWileyEvolutionary Applications1752-45712024-02-01172n/an/a10.1111/eva.13654Population genomics, life‐history tactics, and mixed‐stock subsistence fisheries in the northernmost American Atlantic salmon populationsAlexandre Carbonneau0Julien April1Eric Normandeau2Anne‐Laure Ferchaud3Véronique Nadeau4Louis Bernatchez5Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Quebec CanadaMinistère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) Québec Quebec CanadaDépartement de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Quebec CanadaDépartement de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Quebec CanadaMinistère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) Québec Quebec CanadaDépartement de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec Quebec CanadaAbstract While Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) of the northernmost American populations is alimentary, economically, and culturally important for Ungava Inuit communities (Nunavik, Canada) and might play a key role in the persistence of the species in a global warming context, many mysteries remain about those remote and atypical populations. Thus, our first aim was to document the genomic structure of the Nunavik populations. The second objective was to determine whether salmon only migrating to the estuary without reaching the sea, apparently unique to those populations, represent distinct populations from the typical anadromous salmons and subsequently explore the genetic basis of migratory life‐history tactics in the species. Finally, the third goal was to quantify the contribution of each genetically distinct population and life‐history tactic in the mixed‐stock subsistence fishery of the Koksoak R. estuary. We used Genotyping‐by‐Sequencing to genotype 14,061 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genome of 248 individuals from 8 source populations and 280 individuals from the Koksoak estuary mixed‐stock fishery. Life‐history tactics were identified by a visual assessment of scales. Results show a hierarchical structure mainly influenced by isolation‐by‐distance with 7 populations out of the 8 studied rivers. While no obvious structure was detected between marine and estuarine salmon within the population, we have identified genomic regions putatively associated with those migration tactics. Finally, all salmon captured in the Koksoak estuary originated from the Koksoak drainage and mostly from 2 tributaries, but no inter‐annual variation in the contribution of these tributaries was found. Our results indicate, however, that both marine and estuarine salmon contribute substantially to estuarine fisheries and that there is inter‐annual variation in this contribution. These findings provide crucial information for the conservation of salmon populations in a rapidly changing ecosystem, as well as for fishery management to improve the food security of Inuit communities.https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13654Atlantic salmonfishery conservation and managementlife‐history tacticsmixed‐stock fisherypopulation genomicssubsistence harvesting
spellingShingle Alexandre Carbonneau
Julien April
Eric Normandeau
Anne‐Laure Ferchaud
Véronique Nadeau
Louis Bernatchez
Population genomics, life‐history tactics, and mixed‐stock subsistence fisheries in the northernmost American Atlantic salmon populations
Evolutionary Applications
Atlantic salmon
fishery conservation and management
life‐history tactics
mixed‐stock fishery
population genomics
subsistence harvesting
title Population genomics, life‐history tactics, and mixed‐stock subsistence fisheries in the northernmost American Atlantic salmon populations
title_full Population genomics, life‐history tactics, and mixed‐stock subsistence fisheries in the northernmost American Atlantic salmon populations
title_fullStr Population genomics, life‐history tactics, and mixed‐stock subsistence fisheries in the northernmost American Atlantic salmon populations
title_full_unstemmed Population genomics, life‐history tactics, and mixed‐stock subsistence fisheries in the northernmost American Atlantic salmon populations
title_short Population genomics, life‐history tactics, and mixed‐stock subsistence fisheries in the northernmost American Atlantic salmon populations
title_sort population genomics life history tactics and mixed stock subsistence fisheries in the northernmost american atlantic salmon populations
topic Atlantic salmon
fishery conservation and management
life‐history tactics
mixed‐stock fishery
population genomics
subsistence harvesting
url https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13654
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