Microsatellite data for Bull Trout

• Main Authors: Vamosi, Steven, Carroll, Emma
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: bull trout; Salvelinus confluentus; conservation genetics; population genetic structure; Athabasca River
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/5327520; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5327520

Freshwater ecosystems are negatively impacted by a variety of anthropogenic stressors, with concomitant elevated rates of population decline for freshwater aquatic vertebrates. Because reductions in population size and extent can negatively impact genetic diversity and gene flow, which are vital for sustained local adaptation, it is important to measure these characteristics in threatened species that may yet be rescued from extinction. Across its native range, Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) extent and abundance are in decline due to historic overharvest, invasive nonnative species, and habitat loss. In Alberta's Eastern Slope region, populations at the range margin have progressively been lost, motivating us to better understand the amount and distribution of genetic variation in headwater habitats and some downstream sites where they continue to persist. Across this region, we sampled 431 Bull Trout from 20 sites in the Athabasca and Saskatchewan River basins and assayed 10 microsatellite loci to characterize within- and among-population genetic variation. The Saskatchewan and Athabasca River basins contained similar levels of heterozygosity but were differentiated from one another. Within the Athabasca River basin, five genetically differentiated clusters were found. Despite the evidence for genetic differentiation, we did not observe significant isolation-by-distance patterns among these sites. Our findings of ample genetic diversity and no evidence for hybridization with non-native Brook Trout in headwater habitats provide motivation to ameliorate downstream habitats and remove anthropogenic barriers to connectivity towards the goal of long-term persistence of this species. Spreadsheet: The first sheet of the spreadsheet contains notes on (1) the formatting of the entries and (2) how we coded missing values. Table 1: Microsatellites loci targeted to determine levels of genetic differentiation and population structure of Bull Trout in the Athabasca River basin. Table 2: Expected heterozygosity, ...