Genomic divergence of hatchery- and natural-origin Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in two supplemented populations

Captive propagation is widely used for the conservation of imperiled populations. There have been concerns about the genetic effects of such propagation, but few studies have measured this directly at a genomic level. Here, we use moderate-coverage (10X) genome sequences from 80 individuals to evaluate the genomic distribution of variation of several paired groups of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). These include (1) captive- and natural-origin fish separated by at least one generation, (2) fish within the same generation having high fitness in captivity compared to those with high fitness in the wild, and (3) fish listed as different Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) under the US Endangered Species Act. The distribution of variation between high-fitness captive and high-fitness natural fish was nearly identical to that expected from random sampling, indicating that differential selection in the two environments did not create large allele frequency differences within a single generation. In contrast, the samples from distinct ESUs were clearly more divergent than expected by chance, including a peak of divergence near the GREB1L gene on chromosome 28, a gene previously associated with variation in time of return to fresh water. Comparison of hatchery- and natural-origin fish within a population fell between these extremes, but the maximum value of F-ST was similar to the maximum between ESUs, including a peak of divergence on chromosome 8 near the slc7a2 and pdgfrl genes. These results suggest that efforts at limiting genetic divergence between captive and natural fish in these populations have successfully kept the average divergence low across the genome, but at a small portion of their genomes, hatchery and natural salmon were as distinct as individuals from different ESUs.

Automated summary

Captive propagation is commonly used for conservation, but its genetic effects at a genomic level have not been well studied. This research used genome sequences from 80 Chinook salmon individuals to examine genetic variation across different paired groups. The results showed that captive and natural fish with high fitness had similar genomic variation, indicating minimal allele frequency differences within one generation. However, distinct Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) showed greater genetic divergence, suggesting the need for efforts to limit genetic differences between captive and natural populations.