Gene flow increases temporal stability of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations in the Upper Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan P. Walter ◽  
Tutku Aykanat ◽  
David W. Kelly ◽  
J. Mark Shrimpton ◽  
Daniel D. Heath
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Effective Population ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Management And Conservation

Temporal instability in population genetic structure has significant implications for management and conservation decisions. Here, we evaluate temporal stability in five populations of Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) from the Upper Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada, based on estimates of temporal allelic variance and effective population size (Ne) at 11 microsatellite loci. Significant temporal variation in allele frequencies was found within individual populations sampled at 5- to 12-year intervals. Removal of migrant fish or correcting for migrants resulted in higher allelic variance or reduced Ne. Populations with higher levels of temporally consistent gene flow show reduced temporal allelic variance (i.e., reduced genetic drift) and higher Ne. This study is an important empirical example of the effect of gene flow on genetic stability and Ne. In salmonids, low straying levels may have evolved to favor local adaptation; however, we show that even such low levels of gene flow can elevate effective population sizes and preserve genetic variability. This study highlights the importance of considering gene flow acting to temporally stabilize populations, particularly small ones, and should migration be interrupted, Ne levels may decline with no obvious change in census population sizes.

Individual variation in dispersal behaviour of newly emerged chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from the Upper Fraser River, British Columbia

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 1585-1592 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Bradford ◽  
G C Taylor
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Movement Behaviour ◽  
Spawning Areas ◽  
Dispersal Distances ◽  
Stream Type ◽  
Downstream Movement

Immediately after emergence from spawning gravels, fry of stream-type chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations from tributaries of the upper Fraser River, British Columbia, distribute themselves downstream from the spawning areas, throughout the natal stream, and into the Fraser River. We tested the hypothesis that this range in dispersal distances is caused by innate differences in nocturnal migratory tendency among individuals. Using an experimental stream channel, we found repeatable differences in downstream movement behaviour among newly emerged chinook fry. Fish that moved downstream were larger than those that held position in the channel. However, the incidence of downstream movement behaviours decreased over the first 2 weeks after emergence. We propose that the variation among individuals in downstream movement behaviour we observed leads to the dispersal of newly emerged fry throughout all available rearing habitats. Thus, between- and within-population variation in the freshwater life history observed in these populations may be caused by small differences in the behaviour of individuals.

Comment on “Gene flow increases temporal stability of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations in the Upper Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada”Appears in Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 66: 167–176.

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry D. Beacham ◽  
Ruth E. Withler
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Pacific Salmon ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Time Span ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Stock Identification ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Mixed Stock ◽  
Conservation And Management

Temporally stable genetic structure among salmonid populations has been reported in many studies, although the time span evaluated in most studies is limited to 10 years or less. This result has important implications in conservation and management of Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) and ramifications for the construction and application of genetic databases for stock identification of fish sampled from mixed-stock fisheries. Walter et al. (2009. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 66: 167–176) failed to consider recent studies providing evidence that their conclusion “the overall magnitude of temporal within-population variation exceeding that of among-population variation” for the populations under study may be invalid for Fraser River Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) populations. Their estimation of rates and patterns of migration among Chinook salmon populations also provided results that are difficult to reconcile with published information. Evaluation of the experimental designed employed by Walter et al. (2009) indicates that their sample sizes were too small to estimate reliably genetic variation among or within populations. Extrapolation of their conclusions relating temporal instability of population structure to other Chinook salmon populations or indeed other salmonid species is unwarranted.

Ceratomyxa shasta Noble, 1950 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) present in the Fraser River system of British Columbia

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (9) ◽  
pp. 1991-1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. E. McDonald
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
River System ◽  
Salmo Gairdneri ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Steelhead Trout

An examination of 220 chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), 84 coho salmon (O. kisutch), 145 steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri), and 21 cutthroat trout (S. clarki) for Ceratomyxa shasta (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) from 16 localities in the Fraser River drainage, British Columbia, showed that at all sites examined these salmonid species were infected, with a prevalence ranging between 11 and 100%. The study concludes that C. shasta, the causative agent of the salmonid disease ceratomyxosis, is widely distributed in the Fraser drainage basin and discusses these results in relation to proposed fish culture in the region.

Assessment of the Impact of the Myxosporean Parasite Ceratomyxa shasta on Survival of Seaward Migrating Juvenile Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, from the Fraser River, British Columbia

1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 1883-1889 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Margolis ◽  
T. E. McDonald ◽  
D. J. Whitaker
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Infected Fish ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Juvenile Chinook Salmon ◽  
Myxosporean Parasite ◽  
Juvenile Chinook ◽  
The Impact

Approximately 3.3% of more than 3500 seaward migrating juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) collected from the lower reaches and off the mouth of the Fraser River, British Columbia, between March and August 1985–87 were infected with Ceratomyxa shasta (Protozoa: Myxosporea). The fish were held live for up to 151 d before examination to allow the infections to become patent. The first infected fish were detected in samples taken in late May to early June, approximately 4 wk after the river water temperature had reached 10 °C. By this time, 40–65% of the fish had been collected, indicating that the majority of the juvenile chinook salmon had left the Fraser River before the infective stage of the parasite was present. Significant differences in prevalence of C. shasta were associated with both the migration route chosen by the fish and their age. Fish that used the lower flow rate North Arm had a greater prevalence (6.8%) of infection than those that migrated down the Main Arm (2.1%). Age 0 fish had a significantly higher prevalence (5.2%) of C. shasta than the age 1 group (1.5%). It is concluded that C. shasta is not a major cause of mortality of downstream migrating juvenile Fraser River chinook salmon.

Trends in the Abundance of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) of the Nechako River, British Columbia

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 965-973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Bradford
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Life History ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Water Abstraction ◽  
Lower Survival ◽  
Spring Freshet ◽  
Poor Recruitment

Trends in abundance of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) of the Nechako River, a tributary of the Fraser River, were analyzed to quantify the ecological effects of water abstraction for electricity generation. In years when the majority of returning chinook adults used the upper Nechako River for spawning, the survival of offspring for the entire river was poorer than in years when spawning was concentrated in the lower reaches. Relative to the historical discharge, the upper Nechako River has experienced the greatest degree of water abstraction, and the lower survival of chinook broods originating from the upper river may be due to early emergence of fry caused by elevated fall and winter water temperatures or to higher rates of predation on juveniles and loss of rearing habitat caused by the elimination of the spring freshet. Poor recruitment resulting from broods spawning predominately in the upper river has caused the trend in the abundance of Nechako River chinook to diverge from the trend of chinook populations of similar life history from unregulated tributaries of the Fraser River. Additional reductions in flow may further affect the capacity of the upper Nechako River to produce chinook salmon.

Effective population size of winter-run chinook salmon based on microsatellite analysis of returning spawners

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 2368-2373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip W Hedrick ◽  
Vanessa K Rashbrook ◽  
Dennis Hedgecock
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Effective Population Size ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
High Ratio ◽  
Microsatellite Analysis ◽  
Effective Population ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Individual Contributions ◽  
Predicted Values

We previously estimated the predicted effective population size for the endangered winter-run chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, based on a number of assumptions, including random survival and return of released fish. Here we present data from actual returning spawners, identified to family by microsatellite loci, and calculate the observed effective population size. In 1994 and 1995, the observed effective population sizes were 93.6 and 78.2% of predicted values, respectively, suggesting that the numbers of returning fish were very close to random expectations in 1994 and less close to random in 1995. The ratio of the effective population size to the adult number, Ne/N, was greater than unity for 1994 and approximately 0.5 in 1995. The high ratio in 1994 reflects the success of the breeding protocol to equalize individual contributions and near random returns, while the lower number in 1995 appears to be the result of both less successful equalization and less close to random returns in that year. These findings provide an optimistic outlook for the success of this supplementation program and suggest that the overall effective population size has not been greatly reduced, since returning spawners represent a broad sample of parents and not fish from only a few families.

Analysis of straying variation in Alaskan hatchery chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) following transplantation

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 578-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey J Hard ◽  
William R Heard
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Release Site ◽  
Substantial Variation

In 1976 chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) gametes from the Chickamin and Unuk rivers in southeastern Alaska were transplanted 250 km to establish hatchery runs at Little Port Walter (LPW), Baranof Island. From 1977 to 1989, 1 862 058 marked smolts from 12 broods were released from LPW. Homing and straying were estimated from adult recoveries at 25 locations in Alaska and British Columbia between 1981 and 1989. Of 22 198 LPW fish recovered over this period, 21 934 (98.8%) were collected at LPW. Of 264 fish recovered elsewhere, 38.3% were within 7 km of LPW; 64.4% were within 25 km of LPW. No LPW fish were recovered from the ancestral rivers, but nine fish were recovered from rivers supporting wild chinook salmon. Straying declined with distance from the release site but varied between hatcheries and streams. Straying declined with increasing age and run size. Straying was similar between the populations but varied among broods, and analysis of straying in experimental groups provided evidence for a heritable component. Males strayed more often than females. Population, gender, run size, and recovery age interacted to produce substantial variation in straying, indicating that run composition can produce complex straying responses.

scholarly journals Sporadic Genetic Connectivity among Small Insular Populations of the Rare Geoendemic Plant Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae (Santa Barbara Jewelflower)

2019 ◽  
Vol 110 (5) ◽  
pp. 587-600
Author(s):  
A Millie Burrell ◽  
Jeffrey H R Goddard ◽  
Paul J Greer ◽  
Ryan J Williams ◽  
Alan E Pepper
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Genetic Connectivity ◽  
Effective Population ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
History Of ◽  
Small Set ◽  
Nuclear Microsatellite

Abstract Globally, a small number of plants have adapted to terrestrial outcroppings of serpentine geology, which are characterized by soils with low levels of essential mineral nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mo) and toxic levels of heavy metals (Ni, Cr, Co). Paradoxically, many of these plants are restricted to this harsh environment. Caulanthus ampexlicaulis var. barbarae (Brassicaceae) is a rare annual plant that is strictly endemic to a small set of isolated serpentine outcrops in the coastal mountains of central California. The goals of the work presented here were to 1) determine the patterns of genetic connectivity among all known populations of C. ampexlicaulis var. barbarae, and 2) estimate contemporary effective population sizes (Ne), to inform ongoing genomic analyses of the evolutionary history of this taxon, and to provide a foundation upon which to model its future evolutionary potential and long-term viability in a changing environment. Eleven populations of this taxon were sampled, and population-genetic parameters were estimated using 11 nuclear microsatellite markers. Contemporary effective population sizes were estimated using multiple methods and found to be strikingly small (typically Ne < 10). Further, our data showed that a substantial component of genetic connectivity of this taxon is not at equilibrium, and instead showed sporadic gene flow. Several lines of evidence indicate that gene flow between isolated populations is maintained through long-distance seed dispersal (e.g., >1 km), possibly via zoochory.

Factors influencing the relative fitness of hatchery and wild spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Wenatchee River, Washington, USA

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (11) ◽  
pp. 1840-1851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin S. Williamson ◽  
Andrew R. Murdoch ◽  
Todd N. Pearsons ◽  
Eric J. Ward ◽  
Michael J. Ford
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Parentage Analysis ◽  
Wild Fish ◽  
Relative Fitness ◽  
Male Fitness ◽  
Natural Origin ◽  
Hatchery Fish ◽  
Management And Conservation ◽  
Older Males

Understanding the relative fitness of naturally spawning hatchery fish compared with wild fish has become an important issue in the management and conservation of salmonids. We used a DNA-based parentage analysis to measure the relative reproductive success of hatchery- and natural-origin spring Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) in the natural environment. Size and age had a large influence on male fitness, with larger and older males producing more offspring than smaller or younger individuals. Size had a significant effect on female fitness, but the effect was smaller than on male fitness. For both sexes, run time had a smaller but still significant effect on fitness, with earlier returning fish favored. Spawning location within the river had a significant effect on fitness for both sexes. Hatchery-origin fish produced about half the juvenile progeny per parent when spawning naturally than did natural-origin fish. Hatchery fish tended to be younger and return to lower areas of the watershed than wild fish, which explained some of their lower fitness.

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