A. DanÍelsdÓttir

ABSTRACT The genetic structure of Atlantic herring Clupea harengus L. was investigated in its north-easterly distribution in the Norwegian Sea and adjacent waters, using 23 neutral and one non-neutral (Cpa111) microsatellite loci. Fish from the suspected 2 main populations—the Norwegian spring-spawning herring (NSSH) and the Icelandic summer-spawning herring (ISSH)—were collected at spawning locations in their respective spawning seasons from 2009 to 2012. Samples were also collected from Norwegian autumn spawning locations, from different local Norwegian fjords such as the inner part of Trondheimsfjorden, Lindås pollene, Landvikvannet and Lusterfjorden, as well as from suspected Faroese spawning components. The observed level of genetic differentiation was significant but low (FST = 0.007) and mostly attributable to the differentiation of the local Norwegian fjord populations. The locus Cpa111, which was detected to putatively be under positive selection, exhibited the highest FST value (0.044). The observed genetic patterns were robust to exclusion of this locus. Landvikvannet herring was also genetically distinguishable from the 3 other fjord populations. In addition, the present study does not support genetic structuring among the ISSH and the NSSH.

The paper presents results of new statistical analyses of three old fin whale allozyme and carbonic anhydrase datasets previously published in Árnason et al. (1992) Daníelsdóttir et al. (1991b & 1992a). The first dataset is on the genetic variation at 11 variable allozyme loci in 328 fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) sampled in two North Atlantic areas; i.e. off West Iceland and Spain, a total of: 283 (Iceland 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988) and 46 (Spain 1985) samples, respectively. The data is based on further analysis of genotypes at 11 allozyme loci: Ada, Ak-1, Gpd, Ldh-A, Mdh-S, Mpi-1, Pep-A, Pgm-1, Pgi and Sod-A. The new statistical programs applied here include FST, Confidence Intervals (CI) of FST, Nm, PCA, MDS, STRUCTURE and graphical illustration of potential “populations” as in Waples and Gaggiotti (2006). There was significant heterogeneity within each sample and overall samples, all due to heterozygote deficiency. Various genetic analyses on the dataset resulted in signific...

The common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is widely distributed in the North Atlantic and is frequently observed along the Icelandic, Norwegian and Portugal coasts, in eastern Canada, North Sea and Greenland, and around Jan Mayen and Svalbard islands. Traditionally, the management of the North Atlantic common minke whales has been based on four geographical subdivisions partitioned by the international Whaling Commission, namely the Canadian East coast stock, the West Greenland stock, the Central stock (Iceland) and the Northeastern stock (Norway). These management regions have been primarily established through studies based on catch statistics, biological characteristics and tagging. Lately, genetic studies tend to confirm the established subdivisions. The primary goal of the present study was to assess the genetic variation of North Atlantic common minke whales collected at different geographical regions using 16 microsatellite loci and mtDNA sequencing. Both genetic ma...