All hands on deck: Cooperative research sheds light on status of ESA-listed rockfish populations.
Presentation Abstract
In 2010, populations of yelloweye ( Sebastes ruberrimus ) and canary ( Sebastes pinniger ) rockfish in Puget Sound, WA were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Their designation as “distinct population segments” (DPS) was based mainly on genetic and demographic evidence from other Puget Sound rockfish species. Our primary objective was to test whether fishes within the DPS were genetically similar to or distinct from their respective coastal populations. In 2014 and 2015, we worked with local charter boat captains and experienced anglers to collect demographic data and fin clips from both species throughout Puget Sound, creating a working relationship with the recreational fishing community to answer management-relevant questions. We collected 51 canary and 49 yelloweye rockfish samples from within the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin DPS for comparison to fish from the Strait of Georgia, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and outer coasts of Washington State and British Columbia. We performed next-generation Restriction site Associated DNA (RAD) sequencing to capture single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variation throughout the genomes for these samples. Analyses suggest distinct genetic structure between inland and coastal waters for yelloweye, while there was no evidence for genetic structure for canary rockfish. Further structure was observed within inland yelloweye rockfish as individuals collected in Hood Canal were distinct from other Puget Sound/Georgia Basin individuals. Management implications of this work may include potential changes to the DPS boundaries for yelloweye rockfish and the potential de-listing of canary rockfish from the list of threatened species under ESA. Future work will include exploring the landscape genomics of yelloweye rockfish to determine specific alleles responsible for the observed structuring among populations. Anecdotally, we collected fin clip samples from three bocaccio ( Sebastes paucispinis; listed as ‘endangered’ in Puget Sound) in Puget Sound, and we will perform similar analyses for this species.
Session Title
General species and food webs
Conference Track
Species and Food Webs
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Sebastes--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Genetics; Endangered species--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Ecological surveys--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
All hands on deck: Cooperative research sheds light on status of ESA-listed rockfish populations.
2016SSEC
In 2010, populations of yelloweye ( Sebastes ruberrimus ) and canary ( Sebastes pinniger ) rockfish in Puget Sound, WA were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Their designation as “distinct population segments” (DPS) was based mainly on genetic and demographic evidence from other Puget Sound rockfish species. Our primary objective was to test whether fishes within the DPS were genetically similar to or distinct from their respective coastal populations. In 2014 and 2015, we worked with local charter boat captains and experienced anglers to collect demographic data and fin clips from both species throughout Puget Sound, creating a working relationship with the recreational fishing community to answer management-relevant questions. We collected 51 canary and 49 yelloweye rockfish samples from within the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin DPS for comparison to fish from the Strait of Georgia, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and outer coasts of Washington State and British Columbia. We performed next-generation Restriction site Associated DNA (RAD) sequencing to capture single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variation throughout the genomes for these samples. Analyses suggest distinct genetic structure between inland and coastal waters for yelloweye, while there was no evidence for genetic structure for canary rockfish. Further structure was observed within inland yelloweye rockfish as individuals collected in Hood Canal were distinct from other Puget Sound/Georgia Basin individuals. Management implications of this work may include potential changes to the DPS boundaries for yelloweye rockfish and the potential de-listing of canary rockfish from the list of threatened species under ESA. Future work will include exploring the landscape genomics of yelloweye rockfish to determine specific alleles responsible for the observed structuring among populations. Anecdotally, we collected fin clip samples from three bocaccio ( Sebastes paucispinis; listed as ‘endangered’ in Puget Sound) in Puget Sound, and we will perform similar analyses for this species.
