GENETIC-EVIDENCE FOR DISPERSAL OF LARVAE OF TANNER CRABS (CHIONOECETES-BAIRDI) BY THE ALASKAN COASTAL CURRENT

We compared 413 nucleotides of the first subunit of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c gene among 52 Tanner crabs from four locations of coastal waters of southern Alaska. Crabs from the Cook Inlet area pos sessed the largest haplotype diversity (0.933) as well as the largest number of haplotypes (11 of 18 observed). Crabs of southeastern Alaska had the lowest haplotype diversity (0.294) and only three haplotypes. Populations of Tanner crabs in waters of southwestern Alaska are appa rently a mixture of both local and upstream haplotypes. Our data sugge st the possibility that larvae of Tanner crabs are transported from ea st to west along the southern coast of Alaska by westwardly flowing cu rrents. Possibly, declining stocks of crabs in western management area s are the result of overharvesting in eastern, upstream populations. T he population in southeastern Alaska is probably genetically isolated with one predominant haplotype.