Population structure of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) In Atlin Lake, British Columbia and contributions to local fisheries: a microsatellite DNA-based assessment ...

• Main Author: Northrup, Sara
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2008
• Subjects: Atlin; Western Lake; Atlin Lake
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0066241; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0066241

An understanding of the level of both genetic and morphological diversity within a taxon and how that diversity is structured within and across habitats is important when determining the conservation value of that taxon and for successful habitat management programs to be developed. Atlin Lake is a large lake in northern British Columbia and is one of the largest lakes that contain relatively unperturbed populations of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). As the top aquatic predator, lake trout in Atlin Lake are a key component of the lake’s fish community and are important for local fisheries. I assayed lake trout from Atlin Lake and other western lake trout populations at eight microsatellite DNA loci and for body morphology to determine: (i) the level of genetic variation present, (ii) the level of substructure that occurs in Atlin Lake, and (iii) whether there was a relationship between the genetic and morphological variation present. STRUCTURE analysis identified five subpopulations within Atlin Lake. ...