Genetic stock separation

To develop strategies for the protection and use of fish stocks in fisheries management, sound knowledge about the population structure of single species is crucial. Stocks are generally defined as reproductively isolated units; in science they are referred to as populations. However, due to high exchange rates and the migratory behaviour of many species the separation of single populations is often difficult, especially in marine environments, and can only be achieved by the development of genetic markers with high resolution. At the Institute of Fisheries Ecology we are working on the development of such markers and are as well investigating the population structure of model species like sprat and herring and of different tuna and icefish species. These species are also used to exemplarily investigate the ecological factors that control the gene flow between adjacent populations and determine the potential impact of climate change on genetic diversity.