scholarly journals Genetic Stock Identification and Relative Contribution of Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) from the Hornaday and Brock Rivers to Subsistence Fisheries in Darnley Bay, Northwest Territories + Supplementary Appendix Tables S1 to S4 (See Article Tools)

ARCTIC ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 231
Author(s):  
Les N. Harris ◽  
David A. Bogsuski ◽  
Colin P. Gallagher ◽  
Kimberly L. Howland

Where anadromous fishes occur in the Canadian Arctic, they provide the mainstay of local subsistence fisheries of varying intensities. Many of these fisheries harvest a mixture of stocks at discrete locations and it is often not known which stocks, specifically, are being harvested and to what extent. In the Darnley Bay area of the Northwest Territories, Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus, in particular have long provided an important subsistence resource to residents of Paulatuk, and char from two systems (the Hornaday and Brock Rivers) are thought to contribute to the coastal fishery for this species. Genetic mixed-stock analysis (GMA) is routinely applied for resolving stock contributions to such fisheries, yet studies incorporating GMA to understand specifically which stocks are being harvested in the Canadian Arctic, and to what extent, are relatively scarce. In this study, we assayed microsatellite DNA variation among 987 Arctic char from two important coastal subsistence fisheries and several inland sampling locations in the Darnley Bay area to (1) assess the degree of genetic structuring between the Hornaday and Brock Rivers and (2) resolve the proportional contributions of these stocks to coastal mixed-stock fisheries in the region using GMA. Overall, genetic differentiation was relatively high and significant (θ = 0.117; 95% C.I. = 0.097–0.142) among baseline sampling locations. Overall patterns of genetic stock structure also support previous hypotheses that additional life history types (e.g., landlocked or freshwater-resident char, or both) exist in the Hornaday system, as indicated by elevated levels of genetic differentiation between some of our sampling locations. The GMA suggested that, while both river systems contribute to the coastal fishery, catches were dominated by Arctic char from the Hornaday River, which highlights the importance of this system. All told, our results may be relevant to the management of the subsistence fishery in Darnley Bay and for furthering the collective understanding of char biodiversity and life history variation in the Canadian Arctic.

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2621
Author(s):  
Iris Koch ◽  
Pranab Das ◽  
Bronte E. McPhedran ◽  
John M. Casselman ◽  
Kristy L. Moniz ◽  
...  

As mercury emissions continue and climate-mediated permafrost thaw increases the burden of this contaminant in northern waters, Inuit from a Northwest passage community in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago pressed for an assessment of their subsistence catches. Sea-run salmonids (n = 537) comprising Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), lake trout (S. namaycush), lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), and cisco (C. autumnalis, C. sardinella) were analyzed for muscle mercury. Methylmercury is a neurotoxin and bioaccumulated with fish age, but other factors including selenium and other elements, diet and trophic level as assessed by stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C), as well as growth rate, condition, and geographic origin, also contributed depending on the species, even though all the fish shared a similar anadromous or sea-run life history. Although mean mercury concentrations for most of the species were ~0.09 µg·g−1 wet weight (ww), below the levels described in several jurisdictions for subsistence fisheries (0.2 µg·g−1 ww), 70% of lake trout were above this guideline (0.35 µg·g−1 ww), and 19% exceeded the 2.5-fold higher levels for commercial sale. We thus urge the development of consumption advisories for lake trout for the protection of pregnant women and young children and that additionally, periodic community-based monitoring be initiated.


2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 621-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaus Gantner ◽  
Michael Power ◽  
Deborah Iqaluk ◽  
Markus Meili ◽  
Hans Borg ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Salisbury ◽  
Gregory R. McCracken ◽  
Donald Keefe ◽  
Robert Perry ◽  
Daniel E. Ruzzante

ABSTRACTWe sequenced a portion of the D-loop region in over 1000 Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) samples from 67 locations across Newfoundland and Labrador to assess the extent of secondary contact among the Arctic, Atlantic, and Acadian glacial lineages in Newfoundland and Labrador. Within Labrador, the Arctic and Atlantic lineages were widespread. Two locations (one landlocked and one with access to the sea) also contained individuals of the Acadian lineage, constituting the first record of this lineage in Labrador. Atlantic and Acadian lineage individuals were found in both eastern and western Newfoundland. Multiple sampling locations in Newfoundland and Labrador contained fish of two or more different glacial lineages, implying their introgression. Glacial lineage did not appear to dictate contemporary genetic divergence between the pale and dark morph of char present in Gander Lake, Newfoundland. Both were predominately of the Atlantic lineage, suggesting the potential for their divergence in sympatry. This study reveals Newfoundland and Labrador to be a unique junction of three glacial lineages which have likely hybridized extensively in this region.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Benestan ◽  
Jean-Sébastien Moore ◽  
Ben J. G. Sutherland ◽  
Jérémy Le Luyer ◽  
Halim Maaroufi ◽  
...  

AbstractUsing massively parallel sequencing data from two species with different life history traits -- American lobster (Homarus americanus) and Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) -- we highlighted how an unbalanced sex ratio in the samples combined with a few sex-linked markers may lead to false interpretations of population structure and thus to potentially erroneous management recommendations. Multivariate analyses revealed two genetic clusters that separated males and females instead of showing the expected pattern of genetic differentiation among ecologically divergent (inshore vs. offshore in lobster) or geographically distant (east vs. west in Arctic Char) sampling locations. We created several subsamples artificially varying the sex ratio in the inshore/offshore and east/west groups, and then demonstrated that significant genetic differentiation could be observed despite panmixia for lobster, and that Fst values were overestimated for Arctic Char. This pattern was due to 12 and 94 sex-linked markers driving differentiation for lobster and Arctic Char, respectively. Removing sex-linked markers led to nonsignificant genetic structure (lobster) and a more accurate estimation of Fst (Arctic Char). We further characterized the putative functions of sex-linked markers. Given that only 9.6% of all marine/diadromous population genomic studies to date reported sex information, we urge researchers to collect and consider individual sex information. In summary, we argue that sex information is useful to (i) control sex ratio in sampling, (ii) overcome “sex-ratio bias” that can lead to spurious genetic differentiation signals and (iii) fill knowledge gaps regarding sex determining systems.


2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 1434-1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Sébastien Moore ◽  
Les N. Harris ◽  
Steven T. Kessel ◽  
Louis Bernatchez ◽  
Ross F. Tallman ◽  
...  

We used an array of fixed acoustic receivers (N = 42) to track the summer marine movements of 121 anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) equipped with acoustic transmitters at three locations in the Cambridge Bay region, where commercial and subsistence fisheries target the species. The timing of transitions between salt and fresh water was influenced by the putative river of origin of tagged individuals, but not by their size or sex. Females, however, were more likely to remain proximate to rivers where they were tagged throughout the summer. A majority of fish migrated west from their rivers of origin, primarily moving between estuarine environments. Individuals occupied estuaries for several days between bouts of marine movement, and these periods of residency coincided with spring tides in some estuaries. We also recorded increased numbers of detections on receivers located less than 1.5 km from the coast, indicating a preference for nearshore habitats. Finally, we report evidence of extensive stock mixing throughout the summer, including at known fishing locations and periods, a finding with implications for fisheries management.


1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 1537-1541 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Rombough ◽  
S. E. Barbour ◽  
J. J. Kerekes

Landlocked Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus, from Candlestick Pond, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, were characterized by slow growth, short life span (max 7 yr), and small size (max fork length = 164 mm). Sexual maturity was obtained at age 3, fecundity was low (max 104 ova per fish), and spawning annual. Major food items were zooplankton and aquatic insect larvae. Eight morphometric and eight meristic characters were examined and compared with available literature data for nonanadromous S. alpinus in eastern North America. Arctic char from Candlestick Pond were not significantly different from S. alpinus oquassa from Quebec and Maine but were significantly different from char from Labrador and other locations in insular Newfoundland. It is proposed that Arctic char from Candlestick Pond are descendents of an aboriginal form of S. alpinus that has been largely displaced along the Atlantic coast of North America. Key words: Salvelinus alpinus, Newfoundland, life history, taxonomic status


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