Oceans and the Sustainable Development Goals: Co-Benefits, Climate Change & Social Equity

Achieving ocean sustainability is paramount for coastal communities and marine industries, yet is also inextricably linked to much broader global sustainable development—including increased resilience to climate change and improved social equity—as envisioned by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This report highlights the co-benefits from achieving each SDG 14 target: progress towards each of the other 161 SDG targets when ocean targets are met, given ten-year lag times between ocean targets and other SDG targets. The identification of co-benefits is based on input from more than 30 scientific experts in the Nereus Program. Below we highlight notable co-benefits of achieving each target within SDG 14

Parasite spill-back from domestic hosts may induce an Allee effect in wildlife hosts

The exchange of native pathogens between wild and domesticated animals can lead to novel disease dynamics. A simple model reveals that the spill-back of native parasites\ud from domestic to wild hosts may cause a demographic Allee effect. Because parasite spill-over and spill-back decouples the abundance of parasite infectious stages from the abundance of the wild host population, parasitism and mortality of the wild host population increases non-linearly as host abundance decreases. Analogous to the effects of satiation of generalist predators, parasite spill-back can produce an unstable equilibrium in the abundance of the host population above which the host population persists and below which it is at risk of extirpation. These effects are likely to be most pronounced in systems where the parasite has a high efficiency of transmission from domestic to wild host populations due to prolonged sympatry, disease vectors, or proximity of domesticated populations to wildlife migratory corridors

PICES Press, Vol. 18, No. 2, Summer 2010

•The 2010 Inter-sessional Science Board Meeting: A Note from the Science Board Chairman (pp. 1-3) •2010 Symposium on “Effects of Climate Change on Fish and Fisheries” (pp. 4-11) •2009 Mechanism of North Pacific Low Frequency Variability Workshop (pp. 12-14) •The Fourth China-Japan-Korea GLOBEC/IMBER Symposium (pp. 15-17, 23) •2010 Sendai Ocean Acidification Workshop (pp. 18-19, 31) •2010 Sendai Coupled Climate-to-Fish-to-Fishers Models Workshop (pp. 20-21) •2010 Sendai Salmon Workshop on Climate Change (pp. 22-23) •2010 Sendai Zooplankton Workshop (pp. 24-25, 28) •2010 Sendai Workshop on “Networking across Global Marine Hotspots” (pp. 26-28) •The Ocean, Salmon, Ecology and Forecasting in 2010 (pp. 29, 44) •The State of the Northeast Pacific during the Winter of 2009/2010 (pp. 30-31) •The State of the Western North Pacific in the Second Half of 2009 (pp. 32-33) •The Bering Sea: Current Status and Recent Events (pp. 34-35, 39) •PICES Seafood Safety Project: Guatemala Training Program (pp. 36-39) •The Pacific Ocean Boundary Ecosystem and Climate Study (POBEX) (pp. 40-43) •PICES Calendar (p. 44

Phenotypic integration of behavioural and physiological traits is related to variation in growth among stocks of Chinook salmon

The selection for a single organismal trait like growth in breeding programs of farmed aquaculture species can counterintuitively lead to lowered harvestable biomass. We outbred a domesticated aquaculture stock of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum in Artedi, 1792)) with seven wild stocks from British Columbia, Canada. We then examined how functionally related traits underlying energy management – diel variation in cortisol and foraging, social, and movement behaviours — predicted stock-level variation in growth during the freshwater life history stage, which is a performance metric under aquaculture selection. Outbreeding generated significant variation in diel cortisol secretion and behaviours across stocks, and these traits co-varied, suggesting tight integration despite hybridization. The coupling of nighttime cortisol exposure with the daytime behavioural phenotype was the strongest predictor of stock-level variation in body mass. Our results suggest that selection for an integrated phenotype rather than on a single mechanistic trait alone can generate the greatest effect on aquaculture fish growth under outbreeding practices. Furthermore, selecting for these traits at the stock level may increase efficiency of farming methods designed to consistently maximize fish performance on a large scale

Blue harvest: inland fisheries as an ecosystem service

Global food production has increased greatly in recent years and rural livelihoods are much improved in many regions. Yet, despite this clear progress rural poverty and food insecurity remain deeply entrenched in many areas, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In response the international community has renewed calls for increased commitment to meeting the needs of the world's poor. This report, commissioned as a contribution to the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity taking place in Nagoya, Japan, not only underlines the value of freshwater fisheries but provides guidance on how the ecosystem approach can be applied in order to sustain future harvests.Inland fisheries, Nutrition, Food security, Sustainability, Ecosystems

Genetic signals of artificial and natural dispersal linked to colonization of South America by non-native Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Genetics data have provided unprecedented insights into evolutionary aspects of colonization by non-native populations. Yet, our understanding of how artificial (human-mediated) and natural dispersal pathways of non-native individuals influence genetic metrics, evolution of genetic structure, and admixture remains elusive. We capitalize on the widespread colonization of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in South America, mediated by both dispersal pathways, to address these issues using data from a panel of polymorphic SNPs. First, genetic diversity and the number of effective breeders (Nb) were higher among artificial than natural populations. Contemporary gene flow was common between adjacent artificial and natural and adjacent natural populations, but uncommon between geographically distant populations. Second, genetic structure revealed four distinct clusters throughout the Chinook salmon distributional range with varying levels of genetic connectivity. Isolation by distance resulted from weak differentiation between adjacent artificial and natural and between natural populations, with strong differentiation between distant Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean populations, which experienced strong genetic drift. Third, genetic mixture analyses revealed the presence of at least six donor geographic regions from North America, some of which likely hybridized as a result of multiple introductions. Relative propagule pressure or the proportion of Chinook salmon propagules introduced from various geographic regions according to government records significantly influenced genetic mixtures for two of three artificial populations. Our findings support a model of colonization in which high-diversity artificial populations established first; some of these populations exhibited significant admixture resulting from propagule pressure. Low-diversity natural populations were likely subsequently founded from a reduced number of individuals.Fil: Gomez Uchida, Daniel. Núcleo Milenio Invasal; Chile. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Cañas Rojas, Diego. Núcleo Milenio Invasal; Chile. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Riva Rossi, Carla Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Ciancio Blanc, Javier Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; ArgentinaFil: Pascual, Miguel Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales; ArgentinaFil: Ernst, Billy. Universidad de Concepción; Chile. Núcleo Milenio Invasal; ChileFil: Aedo, Eduardo. Universidad Austral de Chile; ChileFil: Musleh, Selim S.. Universidad de Concepción; Chile. Núcleo Milenio Invasal; ChileFil: Valenzuela Aguayo, Francisca. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Quinn, Thomas P.. Núcleo Milenio Invasal; Chile. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Seeb, James E.. Núcleo Milenio Invasal; Chile. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Seeb, Lisa W.. Núcleo Milenio Invasal; Chile. University of Washington; Estados Unido

Phenotypic integration of behavioural and physiological traits is related to variation in growth among stocks of Chinook salmon

The selection for a single organismal trait like growth in breeding programs of farmed aquaculture species can counter-intuitively lead to lowered harvestable biomass. We outbred a domesticated aquaculture stock of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) with 7 wild stocks from British Columbia, Canada. We then examined how functionally related traits underlying energy management - diel variation in cortisol; foraging, social, and movement behaviours - predicted stock-level variation in growth during the freshwater life history stage, a performance metric under aquaculture selection. Outbreeding generated significant variation in diel cortisol secretion and behaviours across stocks, and these traits covaried, suggesting tight integration despite hybridization. The coupling of nighttime cortisol exposure with daytime behavioural phenotype was the strongest predictor of stock-level variation in body mass. Our results suggest selecting for an integrated phenotype rather than on single mechanistic traits alone can generate the greatest effect on aquaculture fish growth under outbreeding practices. Furthermore, selecting for these traits at the stock level may increase efficiency of farming methods designed to consistently maximize fish performance on a large scale

Population and family effects on gene transcriptional profiles of eight hybrid Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations: implications for conservation and aquaculture

Aquaculture has been the fastest growing food industry worldwide since 1985 and has contributed significantly to the Canadian economy. Thus, methods for increasing aquaculture production are currently being investigated, such as selective breeding programs. Here I developed transcriptional profiles of eight hybrid half-sibling populations of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and examined them for evidence of local adaptation and as a potential marker for marker-assisted selection method. I found evidence of local adaptation among the populations, further supporting this as a driving force behind the large variation witnessed in Chinook salmon life history variation. I used the transcriptional profiles developed for each population in the freshwater (juvenile) stage and tested for correlations with saltwater performance (growth rate and survival). I found significant correlations between saltwater performance factors and juvenile transcription, suggesting that saltwater performance in Chinook salmon can be predicted using freshwater transcription patterns. There were also significant correlations between freshwater and saltwater transcription, indicating possible mechanisms behind the correlation between freshwater and saltwater traits. Freshwater Chinook salmon transcriptional profiles are a promising novel marker for application in marker-assisted selection breeding programs in aquaculture. Overall, transcriptional profiling using selected known-function genes provide the ability to study both local adaptation and performance in Chinook salmon populations

Harnessing the Power of Genomics to Secure the Future of Seafood

Best use of scientific knowledge is required to maintain the fundamental role of seafood in human nutrition. While it is acknowledged that genomic-based methods allow the collection of powerful data, their value to inform fisheries management, aquaculture, and biosecurity applications remains underestimated. We review genomic applications of relevance to the sustainable management of seafood resources, illustrate the benefits of, and identify barriers to their integration. We conclude that the value of genomic information towards securing the future of seafood does not need to be further demonstrated. Instead, we need immediate efforts to remove structural roadblocks and focus on ways that support integration of genomic-informed methods into management and production practices. We propose solutions to pave the way forward.Peer reviewe