High throughput genetic stock identification and parentage assessment for Midwestern walleye

Session: Application of Genomic Tools to Inform Management of the Great Lakes (1)

Matthew Bootsma, Wisconsin Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit, [email protected]
Wesley Larson, U.S. Geological Survey, [email protected]
Gregg Sass, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, [email protected]

Abstract

Genetic tools can provide managers with accurate information regarding an individual’s parentage and stock of origin. This information improves stocking practices by conserving adaptive differences among populations and preventing inbreeding in a captive rearing environment. Current genetic research of Midwestern walleye typically utilizes microsatellites, which can lead to difficulties in producing standardized data sets between labs due to the microsatellite’s diverse nature. In turn, this has made mixed stock analyses difficult to conduct on a regional scale. Recent advances in sequencing technology, however, have facilitated de novo identification of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in non-model organisms. In contrast to microsatellites, the biallelic nature of SNPs allow for consistent identification among labs; thus, enabling the construction of a data set that can perform genetic stock identification on a regional basis. By identifying over 600 SNPs with high levels of variation among walleye populations across Wisconsin and Minnesota, and developing a GT-seq assay, my work aims to produce a high throughput genotyping assay that will provide managers with a cost effective genetic stock identification tool.