New Nuclear SNP Markers Unravel the Genetic Structure and Effective Population Size of Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga)
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Date
2015-06-19Author
Laconcha, Urtzi
Arrizabalaga, Haritz
Markaide Nafarrete, Pablo
Velado Fernández, Igor
Bilbao Castellanos, Eider
Goñi, Nicolás
Santiago, Josu
Domingo, Andrés
Karakulak, Saadet
Oray, Işık
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PLOS ONE 10(6) : (2015) // Article ID e0128247
Abstract
In the present study we have investigated the population genetic structure of albacore (Thunnus alalunga, Bonnaterre 1788) and assessed the loss of genetic diversity, likely due to overfishing, of albacore population in the North Atlantic Ocean. For this purpose, 1,331 individuals from 26 worldwide locations were analyzed by genotyping 75 novel nuclear SNPs. Our results indicated the existence of four genetically homogeneous populations delimited within the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Current definition of stocks allows the sustainable management of albacore since no stock includes more than one genetic entity. In addition, short-and long-term effective population sizes were estimated for the North Atlantic Ocean albacore population, and results showed no historical decline for this population. Therefore, the genetic diversity and, consequently, the adaptive potential of this population have not been significantly affected by overfishing.