Project Information

Title: HRM Program: Herring Genetics 12120111-P

Project Year and Number: 2012: 12120111-P

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2016: 16120111-P, 2015: 15120111-P, 2014: 14120111-P, 2013: 13120111-P

Principal Investigator (PI): Sharon Wildes

Managing Agency: NOAA

Assisting Personnel: Jeff Guyon

Project Website: https://pwssc.org/genetic-stock-structure/

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Monitoring, Research

Injured Resources Addressed: Pacific Herring

Abstract:

This project is a component of the integrated Long-term Monitoring of Marine Conditions and Injured Resources and Services submitted by McCammon et. al. The purpose of this proposal is to determine the genetic stock structure of Pacific herring in Prince William Sound using available microsatellite markers. Samples will be collected and their genetic characteristics compared between locations, spawning times and years. In addition, year classes within spawning stocks will also be analyzed for genetic differences. Herring will be collected from two geographical disparate locations within Prince William Sound, one from the east and one from the west. Each location will be extensively sampled such that at least 200 samples from each group (for a specific location, year, spawn time, and age class) will be available for analysis. As a control, a small group of 200 Pacific herring will also be collected from Lynn Canal. Lynn Canal herring are (1) easily accessible from Auke Bay Laboratories, (2) of high priority to the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and (3) have been part of our herring program for the last 2 years. DNA will be isolated from each collection of 200 herring and the samples genotyped using a group of microsatellite markers, many of which have already been standardized in our laboratory for Pacific herring (Wildes et al., accepted Fish Bull). To date, over 40 herring microsatellite markers have been described and each loci contains multiple alleles making them ideal genetic markers for analyzing migratory fish like herring with limited stock structure. Resulting genotypes will be compared to determine the genetic uniqueness of each collection using standard analyses (FST and G-test). Principle component analyses will be performed to illustrate stock separations. Chord distances will be calculated and a phlyogenetic tree constructed to illustrate genetic relationships. Finally, genetic results will be summarized to communicate their biological significance, as well as their significance to management and restoration.


Proposal: View (324 KB)

Reports:
Annual Report FY12: View (1,112 KB)
Final Report: See Project 16120111-P

Publications from this Project: None Available