THE APPLICATION OF MOLECULAR MARKERS TO THE STUDY AND CONSERVATION OFFISH POPULATIONS, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SALMO

The main molecular techniques which can be used to generate genetic ma rkers, and the applications of these markers to studies of fish popula tions are outlined. Published and ongoing studies, in the authors' lab oratories, on brown trout and Atlantic salmon are used to compare the resolution and applicability of allozyme, mitochondrial DNA and minisa tellite (variable number of tandem repeats) markers for studies on pop ulation structuring, genetic variation within populations, and the imp act of the accidental and deliberate introduction of non-native salmon ids on the genetic make-up of natural populations. (C) 1995 The Fisher ies Society of the British Isles