Integrating genomics, phenotypes and local ecological knowledge towards improving capelin stock management in Canadian Atlantic and Arctic waters

该项目的目标是产生新的知识，有助于维持毛鳞鱼（Mallotus villosus）的长期可持续性，毛鳞鱼是加拿大东北部海岸线上的一个重要物种，既是食物和渔业资源，也是其他商业鱼类、许多哺乳动物和海鸟食物网中的关键物种。我们将严格记录加拿大东部寒带、亚北极和北极地区毛鳞鱼的种群结构、生物学特征和种群动态，并记录加拿大和格陵兰水域毛鳞鱼种群之间的遗传连通性。为了实现这些目标，拟议的具体目标将充分结合种群基因组学（目标1）的最新发展、表型信息（目标2）和当地生态知识和观测站网络（目标3）。从应用的角度来看，该项目将整合知识，通过确定管理单位和记录毛鳞鱼分布的几乎整个范围（包括其最北部范围）的生物特征、分布、产卵时间和地点，来改进政策和管理实践。因此，这个项目将填补在加拿大东部这一广大地区的种群评估和管理实践方面的知识空白。此外，确定拉布拉多海是否代表了来自三个地区（加拿大大西洋和北极，西格陵兰岛）的毛鳞鱼种群的混合区，可能对国际毛鳞鱼的管理产生直接影响。从基本观点来看，所开发的方法将作为识别海洋生态系统中生物单位的一般模型，种群基因组学领域的重大突破正在迫使研究人员重新考虑其开放性。整合来自多学科领域的知识来描绘不同的种群，将更好地了解毛鳞作为海洋生态系统和渔业开发的关键石材物种的生长、分布和可得性的动态。

The objective of this project is to generate new knowledge that will contribute to maintain the long-term sustainability of capelin (Mallotus villosus), which is a species of major importance for communities throughout north-eastern Canadian coastline, both as a food and fishery resource, as well as a keystone species in the food web for other commercial fish, but also many mammals and seabirds. We will rigorously document capelin population structure, biological characteristics and population dynamics in the boreal, subarctic and Arctic regions of eastern Canada, and will document the genetic connectivity between capelin stocks in Canadian and Greenland waters. To achieve these goals, the proposed specific objectives will fully integrate the most recent developments in population genomics (objective 1) with phenotypic information (objective 2) and local ecological knowledge and observatory networks (objective 3). From an applied perspective, this project will integrate knowledge to improve policies and management practices by identifying management units and documenting biological characteristics, distribution, and timing and location of spawning in almost the entire range of capelin distribution, including its most northern range. As such, this project will fill a knowledge gap for stock assessment and management practices throughout this vast area in Eastern Canada. Further, determining whether the Labrador Sea represents a mixing zone of capelin stocks from three regions (Canadian Atlantic & Arctic, western Greenland) might have direct impact on the management of capelin internationally. From a fundamental point of view, the approaches developed will serve as a general model for the identification of biological units in marine ecosystems, where major breakthroughs in the field of population genomics are forcing researchers to reconsider their open nature. Integrating knowledge from multi-disciplinary fields to delineate different stocks will provide a better understanding of the dynamics governing capelin growth, distribution and availability both as a key stone species in marine ecosystems and for fishery exploitation.