Improving our ability to discriminate among cisco and deepwater cisco Populations, Coregonus sp.

Session: Application of Genomic Tools to Inform Management of the Great Lakes (3)

Wendylee Stott, Michigan State University, USGS Great Lakes Science Center, [email protected]
Daniel Yule, U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center, [email protected]
Michael Seider, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Stephen Lenart, US Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
Kevin Donner, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, [email protected]

Abstract

Genetic markers developed using high-throughput sequencing methods can be used to identify species and populations in pairs or groups of closely-related species.  Members of the coregonid species flock in the Laurentian Great Lakes display variation in habitat use, head and body morphology, but it is difficult to distinguish among them using microsatellite DNA loci.  Restriction site-associated DNA sequencing has improved our ability to distinguish among Cisco and Deepwater Cisco from lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Ontario.  A comparison of RAD-seq and microsatellite DNA data shows how genomics methods have improved our ability to detect population structure on a finer geographic scale than has been previously observed.