Fine-scale partitioning of genomic variation among recruits in an exploited fishery: causes and consequences

Conservation and management of exploited species depends on accurate knowledge of how genetic variation is partitioned across a fishery, especially as it relates to recruitment. Using double-digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing, we surveyed variation in 7,382 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) young-of-the-year (YOY) sampled at six localities and in adults sampled at two localities in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Significant genetic heterogeneity was detected between the two adult samples, separated by ~600 km, and at spatial scales less than five kilometers among samples of  YOY. Genetic differences between YOY samples and between YOY samples and adult samples were not associated with geographic distance, and a genome scan revealed no evidence of loci under selection. Estimates of the effective number of breeders, allelic richness, and relatedness within YOY samples were not consistent with sweepstakes recruitment. Instead, the data demonstrate, at least within one recruitment season, that multiple pulses of recruits originate from distinct groups of spawning adults, even at small spatial scales. For exploited species with this type of recruitment pattern, protection of spawning adults over wide geographic areas may be critical for ensuring productivity and stability of the fishery by maintaining larval supply and connectivity.