New Nuclear SNP Markers Unravel the Genetic Structure and Effective Population Size of Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga)

• Published in: PLOS ONE
• Main Authors: Laconcha, Urtzi, Iriondo Orensanz, Mikel, Arrizabalaga, Haritz, Manzano Basabe, Carmen, Markaide Nafarrete, Pablo, Montes Asperilla, Iratxe, Zarraonaindia Martínez, Iratxe, Velado Fernández, Igor, Bilbao Castellanos, Eider, Goñi, Nicolás, Santiago, Josu, Domingo, Andrés, Karakulak, Saadet, Oray, Işık, Estomba Recalde, Miren Andone
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library Science 2015
• Subjects: atlantic bluefin tuna; cod gadus-morhua; multilocus genotype data; overlapping generations; marine fish; mediterranean albacore; northeast atlantic; mitochondrial DNA; allele frecuency; sea; AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; MEDICINE; BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY; Indian; Pacific; Gadus morhua; North Atlantic; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10810/17883; https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0128247

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. This research was supported by the projects ATM2010 Hegaluze (351BI20090047) and TUNASNIP (SPE10UN92) funded by the Basque Government. Urtzi Laconcha's work was supported by a PhD grant by the Fundacion Centros Tecnologicos Inaki Goenaga. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.