TY - JOUR
T1 - Range-wide genetic assignment confirms long-distance oceanic migration in Atlantic salmon over half a century
AU - Bradbury, I. R.
AU - Lehnert, S. J.
AU - Messmer, A.
AU - Duffy, S. J.
AU - Verspoor, E.
AU - Kess, T.
AU - Gilbey, J.
AU - Wennevik, V.
AU - Robertson, M.
AU - Chaput, G.
AU - Sheehan, T.
AU - Bentzen, P.
AU - Dempson, J. B.
AU - Reddin, D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea 2021.
PY - 2021/8/1
Y1 - 2021/8/1
N2 - Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations throughout the North Atlantic have declined in recent decades largely due to reduced marine survival, yet our understanding of marine distribution patterns and migratory routes remains limited. Here, we assigned archived individual samples (n = 3891) collected over a half century (1968-2018) throughout the North Atlantic to region of origin using range-wide genetic assignment. In the Northwest Atlantic, the distribution of assignments reinforced the importance of the Labrador Sea as an aggregation area, with 73% of all reporting groups detected. Moreover, individuals from six European reporting groups were identified in the Northwest Atlantic, and detections decreased with decreasing latitude spanning an area from Greenland to southern Newfoundland. In the Northeast Atlantic, six North American reporting groups were detected in samples from around the Faroe Islands. Based on the distribution of samples, estimates of trans-Atlantic migration distance averaged 3861 and 2889 km for North American and European salmon respectively. Our analysis highlights the widespread importance of the Labrador Sea and Faroe Islands to the species marine distribution patterns, and the prevalence of long-distance trans-Atlantic migration. Ultimately, the results suggest that environmental conditions experienced by many Atlantic salmon populations span much of the North Atlantic Ocean.
AB - Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations throughout the North Atlantic have declined in recent decades largely due to reduced marine survival, yet our understanding of marine distribution patterns and migratory routes remains limited. Here, we assigned archived individual samples (n = 3891) collected over a half century (1968-2018) throughout the North Atlantic to region of origin using range-wide genetic assignment. In the Northwest Atlantic, the distribution of assignments reinforced the importance of the Labrador Sea as an aggregation area, with 73% of all reporting groups detected. Moreover, individuals from six European reporting groups were identified in the Northwest Atlantic, and detections decreased with decreasing latitude spanning an area from Greenland to southern Newfoundland. In the Northeast Atlantic, six North American reporting groups were detected in samples from around the Faroe Islands. Based on the distribution of samples, estimates of trans-Atlantic migration distance averaged 3861 and 2889 km for North American and European salmon respectively. Our analysis highlights the widespread importance of the Labrador Sea and Faroe Islands to the species marine distribution patterns, and the prevalence of long-distance trans-Atlantic migration. Ultimately, the results suggest that environmental conditions experienced by many Atlantic salmon populations span much of the North Atlantic Ocean.
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U2 - 10.1093/icesjms/fsaa152
DO - 10.1093/icesjms/fsaa152
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85107531029
SN - 1054-3139
VL - 78
SP - 1434
EP - 1443
JO - ICES Journal of Marine Science
JF - ICES Journal of Marine Science
IS - 4
ER -