Development of SNP-panels from low-coverage Whole Genome Sequencing
(lcWGS) to support Indigenous fisheries for three salmonid species in
northern Canada
Abstract
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) panels are powerful tools for
assessing genetic population structure and dispersal of fish that can
enhance management practices for commercial, recreational, and
subsistence mixed-stock fisheries. Arctic Char(Salvelinus
alpinus), Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), and Lake
Whitefish(Coregonus clupeaformis) are amongst the top harvested
and consumed fish species in northern Indigenous communities in Canada,
contributing significantly to food security, culture, and economy.
Genomic resources like SNP panels, however, have not been widely
accessible to Indigenous fisheries managers. We developed
Genotyping-in-Thousands by sequencing (GT-seq) panels for population
assignment and mixed-stock analyses for three salmonids to support
fisheries co-management in northern Canada. Using low-coverage
Whole-Genome Sequencing data from 418 individuals across source
populations in Cambridge Bay (Nunavut), Great Slave Lake (Northwest
Territories), James Bay (Québec), and Mistassini Lake (Québec), we
developed a bioinformatic SNP filtering workflow to select informative
SNP markers from genotype likelihoods. These markers were used to design
GT-seq panels enabling high-throughput genotyping. Three GT-seq panels
yielded an average of 413 autosomal loci and were validated with an
average assignment accuracy of 98.5%. These GT-seq panels emerge as
powerful tools for assessing population structure and quantifying the
relative contributions of populations/stocks in mixed stock fisheries
across multiple regions. Interweaving these novel genomic-derived tools
with Traditional Ecological Knowledge will ensure the sustainable
harvest of three culturally important salmonids in northern Indigenous
communities, contributing to food security programs and the economy in
northern Canada.