Size‐selective harvesting drives genomic shifts in a harvested population

Abstract

AbstractOverfishing not only drastically reduces the number of fish in an exploited population but is also often selective for body size by removing the largest individuals from a population. Here, we study experimentally the evolutionary effects of size‐selective harvesting using whole‐genome sequencing on a model organism, the zebrafish (Danio rerio). We demonstrate genomic shifts in the populations exposed to size‐selective harvesting for five generations and show reduced genetic diversity in all harvested lines, including the control line (non‐size‐selected). We also determine differences in groups of genes related to certain gene ontology annotations between size‐selectively harvested lines, with enrichment in nervous system related genes in the large‐selected lines. Our results illuminate the biological processes underlying fisheries‐induced genetic changes and hence contribute toward the understanding of the changes potentially associated with the vulnerability of an exploited population to future stressors.