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Genetic issues in aquatic species management: the shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) in the southeastern United States

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Abstract

Anadromous species occupy multiple freshwater,estuarine, and marine habitats, which posesspecial challenges in wildlife management. Inparticular, the level of immigration betweendrainages can be a critical factor in thedefinition of management units and the designof population-specific stocking programs. Thesemi-anadromous shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) is listed as anendangered species under the Endangered SpeciesAct in the United States. To assess populationstructure in this species as a guide toeffective management, tissue samples werecollected from adult specimens (N = 198) fromfive river systems in the southeastern U.S.,and augmented with a sample from New Brunswick,Canada (N = 13), the extreme northern end ofthe species' range. Comparisons of mtDNAcontrol region sequences reveal a shallow genegenealogy and modest, but significant,population structuring (φst = 4.3%or φst = 17.7% when Canadian samplesare included). Populations inhabiting riversystems in the southeastern U.S. are closelyrelated, a pattern consistent with more recentdivergences along evolutionary timeframes. Haplotype diversity is moderate to high in mostdrainages (h = 0.383–1.000), exceptfor the Savannah and Edisto rivers, indicatingthat historical levels of mtDNA diversity mightbe largely intact outside of these drainages. Low mtDNA diversity in the Savannah andneighboring Edisto drainages might stem from anexperimental stocking effort during 1984–1992 that depressed overall genetic diversityin the Savannah and established or augmentedthe Edisto River population with a relativelylimited number of matrilines.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Marine Sciences, Baruch Institute, and School of the Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    J.M. Quattro, T.W. Greig & D.K. Coykendall

  2. Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida, 7922 NW 71st St., Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA

    B.W. Bowen

  3. Division of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 2912 College Ave., Davie, FL, 33314, USA

    J.D. Baldwin

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  1. J.M. Quattro
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  2. T.W. Greig
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  3. D.K. Coykendall
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  4. B.W. Bowen
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  5. J.D. Baldwin
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Correspondence to J.M. Quattro.

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Quattro, J., Greig, T., Coykendall, D. et al. Genetic issues in aquatic species management: the shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) in the southeastern United States. Conservation Genetics 3, 155–166 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015275602748

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