Low effective population size and evidence for inbreeding in an overexploited flatfish, plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.).

ABSTRACT: Overexploitation and subsequent collapses of major worldwide fisheries has made it clear that marine stocks are no inexhaustible. Unfortunately, the perception remains that marine fished are resilient to large population reductions, as even a commercially 'collapsed' stock will still consist of millions of individuals. Coupled with this notion is the idea that fisheries can, therefore, have little effect on the genetic diversity of stocks. We used DNA from archived otoliths collected between 1924 and 1972 together with 2002 juvenile;s tissue to estimate effective population size (Ne) in plaice (Pleuronrctes platessa). Ne was estimated at 20,000 in the North Sea and 2000 in Iceland. These values are five orders of magnitude smaller than the estimated census size foe the two locations. Popul

SUBMITTER: Hoarau G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1578705 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature