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Map of the Atlantic Coast of North America depicting the 14 rivers and estuaries where shortnose sturgeon samples were collected for this study
Source publication
Riverine populations of shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) once occurred in rivers and estuaries along the east coast of North America from the St. John River, New Brunswick, to the
St. Johns River, Florida. Within this range, 19 population segments were identified by the U.S. Federal Shortnose Sturgeon
Recovery Team; empirical data suppor...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... these barriers. One instance occurred with completion of the Santee-Cooper Reservoir system in 1941. The construction of the Santee and Pinopolis dams (located 143 and 77 km, respectively from the mouths of the Santee and Cooper rivers) resulted in the creation of Lakes Marion and Moultrie (which together constitute the Santee-Cooper system) (Fig. 1). The Santee Dam also prevented access of shortnose sturgeon from the lower Santee River to historical spawning sites on the Congaree and Wateree rivers (that together form the upper Santee River.) and probably land- locked a remnant population of Santee descent within upper Lake Marion. The locations of these spawning sites were all ...
Context 2
... sturgeon samples were analyzed from 14 of the 19 DPS recommended by the SSRT (NMFS 1998, Fig. 1; Table 1). Collections were not available to us from the proposed DPS in the Merrimack, Satilla, St. Marys, or St. Johns rivers. Also, those from the Edisto River within the ''ACE'' Basin proposed DPS were not analyzed because they are likely all descendants of hatchery-reared Savannah River broodstock ( Smith et al. 2002a). For three ...
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Citations
... Several studies have concluded that conventional PCR-RFLP for the D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA is the most variable mtDNA site (compared to cytochrome b and ND5) and could be a helpful tool for resolving population structure to guide the managerial actions [8,9,17,[42][43][44]. Although our study provides a first overview of the genetic structure diversity of stellate sturgeon inhabiting the Danube River, we likely missed substantial diversity at the nuclear level, which has to stay at the core of further research in this area. ...
One of the last wild populations of the critically endangered stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) survives in the Danube River. Limited knowledge about the genetic structure, ecology, and evolution of this species led to poor and inconsistent management decisions with an increased risk for species extinction in the wild. Here we show the results of genetic structure screening of the Danube River wild population over 12 years timespan. Our research does not bring evidence of population recovery. No genetic structuring was identified at the mitochondrial level concerning spawning migration timing, sampling locations, and developmental stages. Eleven maternal lineages were revealed based on restriction fragment lengths analysis of the D-loop region, with one haplotype as the most frequent. While this could be the result of a massive restocking activity using a reduced number of spawners, our data does not support it. The selection of mitochondrial haplotypes under the pressure of habitat contraction and the narrower range of temperature variation since dams’ construction on the river could explain the observed distribution. Several factors of managerial concern are discussed. Our results provide baseline data on the mtDNA diversity in a critically endangered species of exceptionally high socioeconomic and conservation interest.
... Welsh et al. (2002) documented shortnose sturgeon traversing the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Genetic results support the hypothesis that shortnose sturgeon have strong, distinct genetic lineages that are river dependent (Grunwald et al., 2002;Wirgin et al., 2005Wirgin et al., , 2010King et al., 2014), and because shortnose sturgeon rarely leave their natal drainage (Dadswell et al., 1984;Kynard, 1997), one would expect strong genetic diversity for these fish among rivers. Therefore, if shortnose sturgeon captured in the upper Chesapeake Bay are a remnant of a historical population, one would conclude that there would be strong genetic differentiation from shortnose sturgeon in the Delaware River. ...
The shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) is an endangered species of fish that inhabits the continental slope of the Atlantic Ocean from New Brunswick, Canada, to Florida. This species has not been documented previously in the freshwater portion of any river of the Chesapeake Bay, except in the Potomac River. On 13 March 2016, a shortnose sturgeon was captured in the freshwater portion of the James River at river kilometer 48. The fish had a fork length of about 75 cm and was likely mature. Genetic analysis confirmed the fish was a
shortnose sturgeon and was assigned to the Chesapeake Bay–Delaware population segment. Regardless of
whether this shortnose sturgeon was part of a remnant Chesapeake Bay population or whether its capture there is an indicator of an expansion of range from the Delaware River by way of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, dedicated research is needed to determine the status of the shortnose sturgeon inhabiting the Chesapeake Bay.
... However, all scientific evidence indicates characterization of the upstream group as land-locked is an error-they are dam-locked. Extensive studies on life history movements of SNS upstream and downstream of the dam and genetic comparison of the upstream and downstream groups (Wirgin et al., 2005) agree-there is one population that was divided into a damlocked upstream segment and a downstream segment when Holyoke Dam was completed in 1849. ...
... Much has been accomplished in terms of meeting various recovery objectives; however, no research objective is complete. A sampling protocol has been finalized (Kahn and Mohead, 2010) and tissue samples are being collected and archived for genetic analysis making range-wide genetic assessments possible (Walsh et al., 2001;Grunwald et al., 2002;Quattro et al., 2002;Wirgin et al., 2005Wirgin et al., , 2009King et al., 2014). ...
Shortnose Sturgeon = SNS (Acipenser brevirostrum) is a small diadromous species with most populations living in large Atlantic coast rivers and estuaries of North America from New Brunswick, Canada, to GA, USA. There are no naturally land-locked populations, so all populations require access to fresh water and salt water to complete a natural life cycle. The species is amphidromous with use of fresh water and salt water (the estuary) varied across the species range, a pattern that may reflect whether freshwater or saltwater habitats provide optimal foraging and growth conditions. Migration is a dominant behaviour during life history, beginning when fish are hatchling free embryos (southern SNS) or larvae (northeastern and far northern SNS). Migration continues by juveniles and non-spawning adult life stages on an individual time schedule with fish moving between natal river and estuary to forage or seek refuge, and by spawning adults migrating to and from riverine spawning grounds. Coastal movements by adults throughout the range (but particularly in the Gulf of Maine = GOM and among southern rivers) suggest widespread foraging, refuge use, and widespread colonization of new rivers. Colonization may also be occurring in the Potomac River, MD–VA–DC (mid-Atlantic region). Genetic studies (mtDNA and nDNA) identified distinct individual river populations of SNS, and recent range-wide nDNA studies identified five distinct evolutionary lineages of SNS in the USA: a northern metapopulation in GOM rivers; the Connecticut River; the Hudson River; a Delaware River–Chesapeake Bay metapopulation; and a large southern metapopulation (SC rivers to Altamaha River, GA). The Saint John River, NB, Canada, in the Bay of Fundy (north of the GOM), is the sixth distinct genetic lineage within SNS. Life history information from telemetry tracking supports the genetic information documenting extensive movement of adults among rivers within the three metapopulations. However, individual river populations with spawning adults are still the best basal unit for management and recovery planning. The focus on individual river populations should be complemented with attention to migratory processes and corridors that foster metapopulation level risks and benefits. The species may be extirpated at the center of the range, i.e., the mid-Atlantic region (Chesapeake Bay, MD–VA, and probably, NC), but large rivers in VA, including the James and Potomac rivers, need study. The largest SNS populations in GOM and northeastern rivers, like the Kennebec, Hudson, and Delaware rivers, typically have tens of thousands of adults. This contrasts with southern rivers, where rivers typically have much fewer (<2500) adults, except for the Altamaha River (>6000 adults). River damming in the 19th and 20th Centuries extirpated some populations, and also, created two dysfunctional segmented populations: the Connecticut River SNS in CT–MA and the Santee-Cooper rivers–Lake Marion SNS in SC. The major anthropogenic impact on SNS in marine waters is fisheries bycatch. The major impacts that determine annual recruitment success occur in freshwater firstly, where adult spawning migrations and spawning are blocked or spawning success is affected by river regulation and secondly, where poor survival of early life stages is caused by river dredging, pollution, and unregulated impingement-entrainment in water withdrawal facilities. Climate warming has the potential to reduce abundance or eliminate SNS in many rivers, particularly in the South. In 1998, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recommended management of 19 rivers as distinct population segments (DPSs) based on strong fidelity to natal rivers. A Biological Assessment completed in 2010 reaffirmed this approach. NMFS has not formally listed DPSs under the ESA and the species remains listed as endangered range-wide in the USA.
... The highest nucleotide diversity (P i -0.04494) was found in A. gueldenstaedtii and was comparable to the value found by Khoshkholgh et al. (2011) in A. persicus from the South Caspian Sea, using as well the mitochondrial control region as molecular marker. Although nucleotide diversity is rather reduced (except for A. gueldenstaedtii) at the species, subspecies and population levels, the values obtained are significantly higher than those observed in other sturgeon species, like A. brevirostrum (Grunwald et al., 2002) and A. oxyrinchus oxyrinchus (Wirgin et al., 2000(Wirgin et al., , 2005. Nonetheless, the congruence between these results should be treated with care, considering differences in the number of samples included in the studies and the length of the analyzed sequences. ...
Sturgeons (Order Acipenseriformes) represent an extremely valuable natural resource that is now facing depletion. In the current study we evaluate if the traditional classification in subspecies of Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Acipenser stellatus and Huso huso, endemic to Ponto-Caspian region is sustained by molecular analysis and if these represent Evolutionary Significant Units (ESUs) that should be managed separately in conservation programs. To examine the classification of taxonomic entities we sequenced a fragment of the mitochondrial control region in case of three sturgeon species that inhabit the North-western of Black Sea and migrate for reproduction in the Lower Danube. Beside these sequences, we used previously published sequences from sturgeon individuals sampled in the Black Sea, Azov Sea and Caspian Sea. We determined the genetic diversity and genetic differentiation, conducted a Population Aggregation Analysis (PAA) and inferred an intraspecific molecular phylogeny and haplotype network. The results indicated a low level of genetic differentiation between the geographically designated subspecies and did not support a significant divergence or reciprocal monophyly between them. Our results confirm previous genetic studies with smaller samples sizes, but additional analyses including nuclear markers should be conducted for proper recommendations aiming at the development of conservation programs.
... The mtDNA research has primarily been focused on a moderately polymorphic 440 base pair segment of the control region (CR) adjacent to the tRNA proline gene. These findings are well documented in the peerreviewed literature [27], [28], [29], [26], [30], [31] and are consistent both among studies and between researchers. Although results reflect a shallow gene genealogy (gene tree) for the A. brevirostrum mtDNA CR, analyses of haplotype frequencies at the level of putative individual populations showed significant differences among nearly all river/estuarine systems in which reproduction is known to occur. ...
... The presence of demographically distinct and evolutionary significant lineages delineated by zones of genetic discontinuity is consistent with the findings of researchers assessing behavioral Table 4, this study) and b) W ST (mitochondrial DNA; Table 5 of Wirgin et al. [30]) matrices for 14 Acipenser brevirostrum collections that are in common between the two studies. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102784.g005 ...
... Gene diversity estimates for A. brevirostrum have been shown to be moderately high in both nuclear (this study) and mitochondrial ( [29], [30], [31]) genomes. Although rates of genetic diversity loss in polyploids versus diploids (functional sensu) has not been characterized for sturgeon, the nDNA and mtDNA studies performed to date suggest that dispersal is a very important factor maintaining genetic diversity in shortnose sturgeon. ...
The shortnose sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum, oft considered a phylogenetic relic, is listed as an "endangered species threatened with extinction" in the US and "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List. Effective conservation of A. brevirostrum depends on understanding its diversity and evolutionary processes, yet challenges associated with the polyploid nature of its nuclear genome have heretofore limited population genetic analysis to maternally inherited haploid characters. We developed a suite of polysomic microsatellite DNA markers and characterized a sample of 561 shortnose sturgeon collected from major extant populations along the North American Atlantic coast. The 181 alleles observed at 11 loci were scored as binary loci and the data were subjected to multivariate ordination, Bayesian clustering, hierarchical partitioning of variance, and among-population distance metric tests. The methods uncovered moderately high levels of gene diversity suggesting population structuring across and within three metapopulations (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast) that encompass seven demographically discrete and evolutionarily distinct lineages. The predicted groups are consistent with previously described behavioral patterns, especially dispersal and migration, supporting the interpretation that A. brevirostrum exhibit adaptive differences based on watershed. Combined with results of prior genetic (mitochondrial DNA) and behavioral studies, the current work suggests that dispersal is an important factor in maintaining genetic diversity in A. brevirostrum and that the basic unit for conservation management is arguably the local population.
... Sequencing of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is one of the easiest genetic techniques to use for identifying the species present in an area (including non-natives) and studying movement, distribution and population structure and has been extensively applied e.g. [50], [142], [143]. Examples of the use of mtDNA include characterizing the presence of non-native Siberian Sturgeon haplotypes in Russian Sturgeon in the Caspian Sea [144][145][146][147] and the presence of non-native sturgeons in rivers in Greece [148]. ...
Worldwide, sturgeons (Acipenseridae) are among the most endangered fishes due to habitat degradation, overfishing, and inherent life history characteristics (long life span, late maturation, and infrequent spawning). As most sturgeons are anadromous, a considerable portion of their life history occurs in estuarine and marine environments where they may encounter unique threats (e.g., interception in non-target fisheries). Of the 16 marine-oriented species, 12 are designated as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, and these include species commercially harvested. We review important research tools and techniques (tagging, electronic tagging, genetics, microchemistry, observatory) and discuss the comparative utility of these techniques to investigate movements, migrations, and life-history characteristics of sturgeons. Examples are provided regarding what the applications have revealed regarding movement and migration and how this information can be used for conservation and management. Through studies that include Gulf (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) and Green Sturgeon (A. medirostris), we illustrate what is known about well-studied species and then explore lesser-studied species. A more complete picture of migration is available for North American sturgeon species, while European and Asian species, which are among the most endangered sturgeons, are less understood. We put forth recommendations that encourage the support of stewardship initiatives to build awareness and provide key information for population assessment and monitoring.
... The Shortnose Sturgeon population in the Ogeechee River is smaller than those in the neighboring Savannah and Altamaha rivers, and is most closely related genetically to the Altamaha population (Quattro et al. 2002;Wirgin et al. 2005). Markrecapture estimates were between 25 and 275 individuals in the early 1990s (Rogers and Weber 1994), around 150 individuals in year 2000 (Fleming et al. 2005), and between 200 and 450 individuals in (Peterson and Farrae 2011. ...
... Our simulations suggest that this population, if isolated, is unlikely to persist for more than a few decades. However, genetic evidence indicates that the Ogeechee River population is closely related to that in the Altamaha River (Wirgin et al. 2005). The probability of emigration from the Ogeechee population was estimated to be 0.16 (SE = 0.275) and the probability of immigrating was 0.84 (Peterson and Farrae 2011). ...
Southern populations of the federally endangered Shortnose Sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum are considered to be at greater risk of extirpation than northern populations. Our study focused on the Ogeechee River, Georgia, a small, undeveloped, coastal river that supports a population with fewer than 300 Shortnose Sturgeon. We designed a population viability analysis (PVA) model to represent and quantify the demographic influences of three factors (poor water quality, intrusion of saline water via rice canals, and incidental harvest) on the viability of this population. As an isolated population, only 75% of simulated populations persisted beyond a 20-year time horizon with all factors simulated. However, immigration from the Altamaha River may help to support the population. We quantified population persistence with and without simulating each factor and found that (1) incidental harvest had no effect on simulated persistence, (2) poor water quality decreased simulated persistence by 29%, primarily due to low oxygen conditions in summer, and (3) roughly one-third of this effect was attributed to rice canals (premature exposure of juveniles to high salinities). Simulated recruitment to age 1 was limited by a habitat squeeze between density-dependent starvation upstream near the spawning grounds and premature exposure to salinity downstream. These results highlight a need for research on availability of summer refuge and freshwater rearing habitat. As these results derived from a PVA model, which required many assumptions, they should be considered preliminary. Further field research is needed to confirm those results where it is possible to test intermediate predictions. We conclude by suggesting that efforts to maintain or increase the number of viable populations of Shortnose Sturgeon in southern U.S. rivers will probably require an understanding of (1) source-sink dynamics between populations in rivers with access to adequate freshwater rearing habitat and those without, and (2) the effects of climate change.Received January 19, 2012; accepted December 25, 2012
... Traditionally coding genes as 16s and cytochrome b are more extensively used for phylogenetic studies (7,9,10,20) because they are conservative sequences, whereas the control region has been more used for microevolutionary processes at the population level because it is generally the most rapidly evolving region (7,27). Some studies based in control region in sturgeon species (13,36,42,56,59) have shown its usefulness and the control region has been recommended for assessing intraspecific genetic variation in sturgeons. ...
... Analysis of this region has proven adequate for resolving the relationships among closely related taxa, such as local races, sub-species and sibling species (7,27,54). For example, genetic population structures have been investigated using the control region in several sturgeon species such as Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus (13; 31, 54, 57), shortnose sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum (59), Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis (61) ( Table 6). ...
Mitochondria1 DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences were analyzed to evaluate the population genetic structure of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) in Caspian Sea. A total of 45 specimens were collected from the different locations of the Caspian Sea. MtDNA control region was amplified using PCR. Direct sequencing was performed according standard method. The results showed that 12 haplotypes were observed between 45 samples in the method. The highest numbers of haplotypes were observed in Sefidroud River in which 3 haplotypes A, B and E among them were specific for the river and were not observed in the other locations. The average haplotype diversity (h) and nucleotide diversity (π) were 0.795±0.037 and 0.0062±0.0046, respectively. The results of FST based on kimura-2 parameters method and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) demonstrated that most variations occurred between samples from Sefidroud River in the south Caspian Sea and that the samples include three distinct populations including Sefidrud, Russia and Azerbaijan (P<0.001). As mtDNA control region is hypervariable segment, this can be provide potential marker for identifying probable populations and for determining their management and conservation units, leading to the useful application of molecular genetics in investigating conservation biology of the Persian sturgeon.
... Rangewide genetic studies of anadromous fishes are rare (e.g. King et al. 2001; Wirgin et al. 2005) but can Major discontinuities in gene flow suggested by BARRIER using consensus barriers (>7 loci), with rank order given in Arabic numerals. The first barrier was supported by 9 loci, the second barrier by 8 loci and the third by 7 loci. ...
Studies that span entire species ranges can provide insight into the relative roles of historical contingency and contemporary factors that influence population structure and can reveal patterns of genetic variation that might otherwise go undetected. American shad is a wide ranging anadromous clupeid fish that exhibits variation in demographic histories and reproductive strategies (both semelparity and iteroparity) and provides a unique perspective on the evolutionary processes that govern the genetic architecture of anadromous fishes. Using 13 microsatellite loci, we examined the magnitude and spatial distribution of genetic variation among 33 populations across the species' range to (i) determine whether signals of historical demography persist among contemporary populations and (ii) assess the effect of different reproductive strategies on population structure. Patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation among populations varied widely and reflect the differential influences of historical demography, microevolutionary processes and anthropogenic factors across the species' range. Sequential reductions of diversity with latitude among formerly glaciated rivers are consistent with stepwise postglacial colonization and successive population founder events. Weak differentiation among U.S. iteroparous populations may be a consequence of human-mediated gene flow, while weak differentiation among semelparous populations probably reflects natural gene flow. Evidence for an effect of reproductive strategy on population structure suggests an important role for environmental variation and suggests that the factors that are responsible for shaping American shad life history patterns may also influence population genetic structure.
... As much as 40% of fish carrying acoustic tags emigrated from the Penobscot River in 2007 (Fernandes 2008). Analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA variation likewise shows little if any genetic population structuring between fish captured in the Kennebec complex and fish captured in the Penobscot River, further suggesting a high degree of genetic connectivity among these systems (Wirgin et al. 2005(Wirgin et al. , 2009King et al. 2010). We suggest this high rate of movement and genetic connectivity provides the most compelling data to date in support of a broader "metapopulation" structure over at least part of the shortnose sturgeon range. ...
... In the Northeast United States, marking and tagging shortnose sturgeon simultaneously in the Penobscot, Kennebec, Saco, and Merrimack rivers will help to better understand the extent of these movements and potential population interdependencies. Anecdotal accounts of intersystem movements and recent analyses of genetic population structure (Wirgin et al. 2005(Wirgin et al. , 2009King et al. 2010) documented elsewhere suggest that coastal migrations may not be restricted to only northern populations. With this in mind, monitoring for coastal movements would be beneficial for this endangered species. ...
Efforts to conserve endangered species usually involve attempts to define and manage threats at the appropriate scale of population processes. In some species that scale is localized; in others, dispersal and migration link demic units within larger metapopulations. Current conservation strategies for endangered shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) assume the species is river resident, with little to no movement between rivers. However we have found that shortnose sturgeon travel more than 130 km through coastal waters between the largest rivers in Maine. Indeed, acoustic telemetry shows that shortnose sturgeon enter six out of the seven acoustically monitored rivers we have monitored, with over 70% of tagged individuals undertaking coastal migrations between river systems. Four migration patterns were identified for shortnose sturgeon inhabiting the Penobscot River, Maine: river resident (28%), spring coastal emigrant (24%), fall coastal emigrant (33%), and summer coastal emigrant (15%). No shortnose sturgeon classified as maturing female exhibited a resident pattern, indicating differential migration. Traditional river-specific assessment and management of shortnose sturgeon could be better characterized using a broader metapopulation scale, at least in the Gulf of Maine, that accounts for diverse migratory strategies and the importance of migratory corridors as critical habitat.
