Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center
2003 Awarded Research Projects
Developing DNA markers for the analysis of chum salmon bycatch in Alaskan trawl fisheries (Phase 1)
Award: $78,230
Estimated completion: June 30, 2007
Abstract
Chinook salmon bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea create problems for the groundfish fisheries, particularly the Bering Sea trawl fisheries. Salmon returns to western Alaskan systems have declined sharply in recent years and salmon are critically to the livelihood and culture of rural Alaskans. In addition, chinook salmon are the focus of a number of other issues ranging from Endangered Species Act concerns to allocations between the U.S. and Canada. Central to bycatch questions is the origin or destination of intercepted fish. Substantial effort has been and continues to be devoted to genetic studies of North American chinook stocks, with the objective resolving stock mixtures to their component stocks. However without data from all potential contributors --at least the predominant ones -- stock mixture analyses are not reliable. Missing from the baseline are data from Russian chinook stocks. We are collaborating with Russian geneticists to obtain genetic information for Russian chinook populations and to examine the genetic divergence between those populations and North American chinook salmon lineages that represent much of the extant chinook salmon genetic diversity. We are quantifying genetic variation using both microsatellites and mtDNA to determine if there are markers that would assist in separating Russian salmon from North American fish in groundfish bycatches. We also plan to use the data to examine the recent evolutionary history of chinook salmon.
Downloads