POPULATION-STRUCTURE OF ATLANTIC SALMON FROM THE CONNE RIVER, NEWFOUNDLAND AS DETERMINED FROM MICROSATELLITE DNA

Variation at four microsatellite loci was examined for three populatio ns of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar from the Conne River, Newfoundland. Samples of wild parr were collected from the mainstem Conne River duri ng 4 years, and from tributaries Twillick Brook and Bernard Brook duri ng 2 years. No significant temporal variation was observed in allele f requencies at the Ssa14, Ssa197, Ssa202, and Ssa289 loci. No differenc e in allele frequencies was observed between parr from Bernard and Twi llick brooks at any locus, but allele frequencies of mainstem Conne Ri ver parr were significantly different from those of the tributaries at Ssa14 and Ssa202, indicative of differentiation among local populatio ns. Atlantic salmon from the Come River system were well differentiate d from those in Nova Scotia, Canada and from those in Europe. (C) 1998 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.