Population Genomics of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Churchill, Hayes, and Nelson Rivers. A draft report prepared for Manitoba Hydro by Université Laval and North/South Consultants Inc.

• Main Authors: Gosselin, Thierry, Nelson, Patrick A., McDougall, Craig A., Bernatchez, Louis
• Format: Report
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: RADseq; population genomics; assignment tests; parentage analysis; sturgeons; Hudson Bay; Hudson; Hayes; Limestone Generating Station; Churchill; First Nations; Nelson River
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/845491; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.845491

A report prepared for Manitoba Hydro by Université Laval and North/South Consultants Inc. Manitoba Hydro has been investigating the feasibility of developing a hydroelectric generating station at the Conawapa site, located approximately 29 km downstream of the Limestone Generating Station (GS) on the Nelson River. An Environmental Studies Program was developed to provide information that will: - assist in applying the principles of sustainable development in designing and planning the project; and - form the baseline for an environmental impact assessment to meet licensing requirements should a decision be made to proceed with the project. The program includes terrestrial, wildlife, archaeology, and aquatic components and has been developed and conducted with the participation of local First Nations. The Conawapa aquatic studies program was developed to provide information on the interrelated components of the lower Nelson River aquatic ecosystem. The program includes studies of the physical habitat, water quality, detritus, algae, aquatic macrophytes, aquatic invertebrates, fish and marine mammals. Individual reports are being prepared that focus on specific aquatic components and locations. This report presents results of a Lake Sturgeon population genetics study using Genotype-by-Sequencing (GBS) to investigate relatedness among groups of fish resident in the Churchill, Hayes, Fox, Gods, and Nelson rivers. The primary objectives of the study were as follows: - Develop a high-resolution genetics toolkit for Lake Sturgeon, which would enable population assignment tests, parentage, and parentage/sibship inference analyses; and - Test the methods using samples collected from known parents and hatchery reared progeny. Using the developed genetic markers, the secondary objectives of this study were to: - Assess population structure of Lake Sturgeon along the Nelson River, between the Jenpeg GS and Hudson Bay (>500 km) i.e., identify populations and determine the amount of gene flow via population assignment ...