Origin and life history of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) near their northernmost oceanic limit

• Published in: Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences Vol. 71; no. 11; pp. 1740 - 1746
• Main Authors: JENSEN, Arne J, KARLSSON, Sten, FISKE, Peder, HANSEN, Lars Petter, ØSTBORG, Gunnel M, HINDAR, Kjetil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa, ON NRC Research Press 01.11.2014; National Research Council of Canada; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Animal populations; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Atlantic salmon; Biological and medical sciences; Climate change; Exploitation and management of natural biological resources (hunting, fishing and exploited populations survey, etc.); Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic aspects; Life history; Origin; Rivers; Salmo salar; Salmon; Svalbard; Norway; PN, Arctic Ocean; ANE, Norway, Finnmark; PNE, Norway, Svalbard; Salmonidae; Vertebrata; Life history; Pisces; Salmo salar
• ISSN: 0706-652X; 1205-7533
• DOI: 10.1139/cjfas-2014-0169

138 Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) captured in the Advent Fjord off Svalbard were genetically assigned to two main clusters of European salmon. Two-thirds were assigned to salmon rivers in Finnmark (the northernmost county in Norway) and the rest to salmon rivers further south in Norway. The genetic assignment was based on genetic profiles from 60 Norwegian rivers. The two clusters correspond to two larger genetic groupings: the Barents–White seas and Atlantic groupings. Thus, we cannot rule out other populations from these groupings as sources of Atlantic salmon at Svalbard. Svalbard salmon assigned to the two genetic groupings differed in ecological and phenological traits, with highest smolt age and lowest postsmolt growth in the Finnmark salmon cluster. High smolt ages in both groups, however, suggest a northern origin of most individuals in the sample. Although Atlantic salmon have sporadically been observed in the Arctic Ocean at earlier times, the high abundance outlined here seems to be a recent phenomenon, suggesting a northward penetration caused by climate change.