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，有助于保持毛鳞鱼的长期可持续性，毛鳞鱼是加拿大东北部沿海地区社区的一个重要物种，既是一种食物和渔业资源，也是其他商业鱼类食物网的关键物种，而且也是许多哺乳动物和海鸟的关键物种。我们将严格记录加拿大东部北部，亚北极和北极地区的毛鳞鱼种群结构，生物学特性和种群动态，并将记录加拿大和格陵兰沃茨毛鳞鱼种群之间的遗传联系。为实现这些目标，拟议的具体目标将把人口基因组学（目标1）的最新发展与表型信息（目标2）以及地方生态知识和观测网络（目标3）充分结合起来。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几乎整个毛鳞鱼分布范围，包括其最北方范围的生物特征、分布、产卵时间和地点，改进政策和管理做法。因此，该项目将填补加拿大东部这一广阔地区的种群评估和管理做法的知识空白。此外，确定拉布拉多海是否代表三个地区（加拿大大西洋和北极，格陵兰岛西部）的毛鳞鱼种群的混合区可能会对毛鳞鱼的国际管理产生直接影响。从基本观点来看，所开发的方法将作为确定海洋生态系统中生物单位的一般模式，其中种群基因组学领域的重大突破正迫使研究人员重新考虑其开放性。 综合多学科领域的知识来划分不同的种群，将使人们更好地了解毛鳞鱼作为海洋生态系统和渔业开发的关键石种的生长、分布和可用性的动态。

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.****************