Genetic Diversity Patterns of Chum Salmon in the Pacific Northwest

Abstract

We used starch-gel electrophoresis to examine over 13 000 adult chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, from 153 collections at 105 locations in Washington, Oregon, and southern British Columbia from 1985–92. We identified 39 variable loci and 36 monomorphic loci. In general, alleles that occurred at a frequency > 10% were found in all locations and were temporally stable within locations. Localized alleles usually occurred at a frequency <6%. Significant allele frequency differences were found among chum salmon populations with different spawning times (summer, fall, and winter), even within the same watershed, and among populations of the same spawning time in different regions. Significant among-population diversity was also found within regions. Multidimensional scaling and UPGMA cluster analysis grouped populations by geography and run-timing, except where past stock transfers have resulted in interbreeding of hatchery and wild fish. These analyses indicate that both geography and spawning time are important isolating mechanisms and that, compared with the other populations, summer-run chum salmon from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Hood Canal are a distinct evolutionary lineage. This information is currently being used to conserve the genetic diversity of wild chum salmon and manage mixed-stock fisheries.