Effects of Mine Tailings Exposure on Early Life Stages of Atlantic Cod

Genetic markers are widely used in fisheries management around the world. While the genetic structure and markers selected are usually based on samples from the wild, very few controlled experiments have been carried out to investigate possible differences in influence on traits between markers. Here we examine the bi-allelic gene pantophysin (Pan I), widely used in the management of Atlantic cod, in a series of in vitro crosses under a range of temperatures. It has been proposed that this gene, or another tightly linked gene, may be under strong divergent selection. Resolving this issue is essential in order to interpret results when using this gene marker for stock management. We found no evidence of departure from the expected 1 : 2 : 1 Mendelian ratio for any of the three genotypes during the egg stage, while both the 6 and 12°C temperature regimes in tank experiments favoured the survival of the Pan I AA genotype. No difference in genotype survival was, however, found in a more natural mesocosm environment. Collectively, these results suggest that for the early life stages of Atlantic cod, and under the current experimental conditions, there is no strong consistent influence of Pan I genotype on survival. The results also emphasize the importance of varied experimental studies to verify the importance of environmental factors influencing genotype selection.

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Productivity dynamics of Atlantic cod

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/cjfas-2013-0161 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 71 (2) ◽

pp. 203-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Cóilín Minto ◽

Joanna Mills Flemming ◽

Gregory Lee Britten ◽

Boris Worm

Keyword(s):

Environmental Change ◽

Early Life ◽

Gadus Morhua ◽

Atlantic Cod ◽

State Space Model ◽

Early Life History ◽

Reproductive Rate ◽

Time Varying ◽

Life Stages ◽

Early Life Stages

Productivity is a central determinant of population dynamics with consequences for population viability, resilience to exploitation, and extinction. In fish, the strength of a cohort is typically established during early life stages. Traditional approaches to measuring productivity do not allow for interannual variation in the maximum reproductive rate, a parameter governing population productivity. Allowing such process variation provides the ability to track dynamic changes instead of assuming a static productivity regime. Here we develop and evaluate a multivariate stock–recruitment state-space model to simultaneously estimate time-varying stock productivity and synchronicity of dynamics across populations. We apply the method to North Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) populations, showing that the productivity of early life stages has varied markedly over time, with many populations at historically low productivity. Trends in productivity were similar in some adjacent populations but less regionally coherent than previously thought, particularly in the Northwest Atlantic. Latitudinal variation in the Northeast Atlantic suggests a differential response to environmental change. We conclude that time-varying productivity provides a useful framework that integrates across many dimensions of environmental change affecting early life history dynamics.

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