Migratory costs and the evolution of egg size and number in introduced and indigenous salmon populations

Large genetic divergence underpins cryptic local adaptation across ecological and evolutionary gradients

Environmentally covarying local adaptation is a form of cryptic local adaptation in which the covariance of the genetic and environmental effects on a phenotype obscures the divergence between locally adapted genotypes. Here, we systematically document the magnitude and drivers of the genetic effect (V_G) for two forms of environmentally covarying local adaptation: counter- and cogradient variation. Using a hierarchical Bayesian meta-analysis, we calculated the overall effect size of V_G as 1.05 and 2.13 for populations exhibiting countergradient or cogradient variation, respectively. These results indicate that the genetic contribution to phenotypic variation represents a 1.05 to 2.13 s.d. change in trait value between the most disparate populations depending on if populations are expressing counter- or cogradient variation. We also found that while there was substantial variance among abiotic and biotic covariates, the covariates with the largest mean effects were temperature (2.41) and gamete size (2.81). Our results demonstrate the pervasiveness and large genetic effects underlying environmentally covarying local adaptation in wild populations and highlight the importance of accounting for these effects in future studies.

Variation in egg size and offspring phenotype among and within seven Arctic charr morphs

Maternal effects have the potential to alter early developmental processes of offspring and contribute to adaptive diversification. Egg size is a major contributor to offspring phenotype, which can influence developmental trajectories and potential resource use. However, to what extent intraspecific variation in egg size facilitates evolution of resource polymorphism is poorly understood. We studied multiple resource morphs of Icelandic Arctic charr, ranging from an anadromous morph-with a phenotype similar to the proposed ancestral phenotype-to sympatric morphs that vary in their degree of phenotypic divergence from the ancestral anadromous morph. We characterized variation in egg size and tested whether egg size influenced offspring phenotype at early life stages (i.e., timing of- and size at- hatching and first feeding [FF]). We predicted that egg size would differ among morphs and be less variable as morphs diverge away from the ancestral anadromous phenotype. We also predicted that egg size would correlate with offspring size and developmental timing. We found morphs had different egg size, developmental timing, and size at hatching and FF. Egg size increased as phenotypic proximity to the ancestral anadromous phenotype decreased, with larger eggs generally giving rise to larger offspring, especially at FF, but egg size had no effect on developmental rate. The interaction between egg size and the environment may have a profound impact on offspring fitness, where the resulting differences in early life-history traits may act to initiate and/or maintain resource morphs diversification.

Leave or Stay: Simulating Motility and Fitness of Microorganisms in Dynamic Aquatic Ecosystems

Motility is a key adaptation factor in scarce marine environments inhabited by bacteria. The question of how a capacity for adaptive migrations influences the success of a microbial population in various conditions is a challenge addressed in this study. We employed the agent-based model of competition of motile and sedentary microbial populations in a confined aquatic environment supplied with a periodic batch nutrient source to assess the fitness of both. Such factors as nutrient concentration in a batch, batch period, mortality type and energetic costs of migration were considered to determine the conditions favouring different strategies: Nomad of a motile population and Settler of a sedentary one. The modelling results demonstrate that dynamic and nutrient-scarce environments favour motile populations, whereas nutrient-rich and stagnant environments promote sedentary microorganisms. Energetic costs of migration determine whether or not the Nomad strategy of the motile population is successful, though it also depends on such conditions as nutrient availability. Even without penalties for migration, under certain conditions, the sedentary Settler population dominates in the ecosystem. It is achieved by decreasing the local nutrient availability near the nutrient source, as motile populations relying on a local optimizing strategy tend to follow benign conditions and fail, enduring stress associated with crossing the valleys of suboptimal nutrient availability.

Quantifying thermal exposure for migratory riverine species: Phenology of Chinook salmon populations predicts thermal stress

Migratory species are particularly vulnerable to climate change because habitat throughout their entire migration cycle must be suitable for the species to persist. For migratory species in rivers, predicting climate change impacts is especially difficult because there is a lack of spatially continuous and seasonally varying stream temperature data, habitat conditions can vary for an individual throughout its life cycle, and vulnerability can vary by life stage and season. To predict thermal impacts on migratory riverine populations, we first expanded a spatial stream network model to predict mean monthly temperature for 465,775 river km in the western U.S., and then applied simple yet plausible future stream temperature change scenarios. We then joined stream temperature predictions to 44,396 spatial observations and life-stage-specific phenology (timing) for 26 ecotypes (i.e., geographically distinct population groups expressing one of the four distinct seasonal migration patterns) of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), a phenotypically diverse anadromous salmonid that is ecologically and economically important but declining throughout its range. Thermal stress, assessed for each life stage and ecotype based on federal criteria, was influenced by migration timing rather than latitude, elevation, or migration distance such that sympatric ecotypes often showed differential thermal exposure. Early-migration phenotypes were especially vulnerable due to prolonged residency in inland streams during the summer. We evaluated the thermal suitability of 31,699 stream km which are currently blocked by dams to explore reintroduction above dams as an option to mitigate the negative effects of our warmer stream temperature scenarios. Our results showed that negative impacts of stream temperature warming can be offset for almost all ecotypes if formerly occupied habitat above dams is made available. Our approach of combining spatial distribution and phenology data with spatially explicit and temporally explicit temperature predictions enables researchers to examine thermal exposure of migrating populations that use seasonally varying habitats.

Spatial and environmental effects on Coho Salmon life history trait variation

Adult size, egg size, fecundity, and mass of gonads are affected by trade-offs between reproductive investment and environmental conditions shaping the evolution of life history traits among populations for widely distributed species. Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch have a large geographic distribution, and different environmental conditions are experienced by populations throughout their range. We examined the effect of environmental variables on female size, egg size, fecundity, and reproductive investment of populations of Coho Salmon from across British Columbia using an information theoretic approach. Female size increased with latitude and decreased with migration distance from the ocean to spawning locations. Egg size was lowest for intermediate intragravel temperature during incubation, decreased with migration distance, but increased in rivers below lakes. Fecundity increased with latitude, warmer temperature during the spawning period, and river size, but decreased in rivers below lakes compared with rivers with tributary sources. Relative gonad size increased with latitude and decreased with migration distance. Latitude of spawning grounds, migratory distance, and temperatures experienced by a population, but also hydrologic features-river size and headwater source-are influential in shaping patterns of reproductive investment, particularly egg size. Although, relative gonad size varied with latitude and migration distance, how gonadal mass was partitioned gives insight into the trade-off between egg size and fecundity. The lack of an effect of latitude on egg size suggests that local optima for egg size related to intragravel temperature may drive the variation in fecundity observed among years.

Migratory lineages rapidly evolve larger body sizes than non-migratory relatives in ray-finned fishes

Migratory animals respond to environmental heterogeneity by predictably moving long distances in their lifetime. Migration has evolved repeatedly in animals, and many adaptations are found across the tree of life that increase migration efficiency. Life-history theory predicts that migratory species should evolve a larger body size than non-migratory species, and some empirical studies have shown this pattern. A recent study analysed the evolution of body size between diadromous and non-diadromous shads, herrings, anchovies and allies, finding that species evolved larger body sizes when adapting to a diadromous lifestyle. It remains unknown whether different fish clades adapt to migration similarly. We used an adaptive landscape framework to explore body size evolution for over 4500 migratory and non-migratory species of ray-finned fishes. By fitting models of macroevolution, we show that migratory species are evolving towards a body size that is larger than non-migratory species. Furthermore, we find that migratory lineages evolve towards their optimal body size more rapidly than non-migratory lineages, indicating body size is a key adaption for migratory fishes. Our results show, for the first time, that the largest vertebrate radiation on the planet exhibited strong evolutionary determinism when adapting to a migratory lifestyle.

A stochastic differential game approach toward animal migration

A stochastic differential game model for animal migration between two habitats under uncertain environment, a new population dynamics model, is formulated. Its novelty is the use of an impulse control formalism to naturally describe migrations with different timings and magnitudes that the conventional models could not handle. Uncertainty of the environment that the population faces with is formulated in the context of the multiplier robust control. The optimal migration strategy to give the maximized minimal profit is found through a Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman quasi-variational inequality (HJBQVI). A key message from HJBQVI is that its free boundary determines the optimal migration strategy. Solving the HJBQVI is carried out with a specialized stable and convergent finite difference scheme. This paper theoretically suggests that the sub-additivity of the performance index, the index to be optimized through the migration, critically affects the resulting strategy. The computational results with the established scheme are consistent with the theoretical predictions and support importance of the sub-additivity property. Social interaction to reduce the net mortality rate is also quantified, suggesting a linkage between the present and existing population dynamics models.

Migration tactics affect spawning frequency in an iteroparous salmonid (Salvelinus malma) from the Arctic

Otolith strontium and multi-year mark-recapture information were used to characterize associations between migration patterns and spawning frequencies in an anadromous Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) population (Rat River, Northwest Territories, Canada) that undertakes a long migration between freshwater spawning/overwintering (Fish Creek; a tributary to Rat River) and marine feeding habitats (Beaufort Sea) (~800 km round trip). Reconstructions of lifetime annual migration histories among otolith annuli was matched to information on reproductive status (current-year ‘spawner’ or ‘non-spawner’) that was known in two different, sometimes successive, years for each fish. Two migratory life histories were observed: fish either migrated annually after smoltification or periodically skipped an annual ocean migration to remain in freshwater and spawn. Different spawning frequencies were detected where fish not migrating annually tended to spawn in alternate years (84.6%) more often than those migrating annually (50%). Additionally, annually migrating fish had lower longevity (≤9 years vs. ≤13 years). The evaluation of differences in spawning frequency between sexes, independent of migration tactic, revealed males (84.6%) skipped spawning more often than females (51.2%) suggesting fitness trade-offs between life histories differ between sexes. Further, some fish returned from the sea considerably earlier than the majority of other current-year migrants. Our findings demonstrate intrapopulation diversity in migration behaviour and reproductive frequency.

Gene expression in the phenotypically plastic Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus): A focus on growth and ossification at early stages of development

Gene expression during development shapes the phenotypes of individuals. Although embryonic gene expression can have lasting effects on developmental trajectories, few studies consider the role of maternal effects, such as egg size, on gene expression. Using qPCR, we characterize relative expression of 14 growth and/or skeletal promoting genes across embryonic development in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). We test to what extent their relative expression is correlated with egg size and size at early life‐stages within the study population. We predict smaller individuals to have higher expression of growth and skeletal promoting genes, due to less maternal resources (i.e., yolk) and prioritization of energy toward ossification. We found expression levels to vary across developmental stages and only three genes (Mmp9, Star, and Sgk1) correlated with individual size at a given developmental stage. Contrary to our hypothesis, expression of Mmp9 and Star showed a non‐linear relationship with size (at post fertilization and hatching, respectively), whilst Sgk1 was higher in larger embryos at hatching. Interestingly, these genes are also associated with craniofacial divergence of Arctic charr morphs. Our results indicate that early life‐stage variation in gene expression, concomitant to maternal effects, can influence developmental plasticity and potentially the evolution of resource polymorphism in fishes.

Egg size and the adaptive capacity of early life history traits in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Offspring traits are greatly influenced by maternal effects, and these maternal effects may provide an important pathway through which populations can adapt to changing thermal environments. We investigated the effect of egg size on the among- and within-population variation in early life history traits among introduced Great Lakes Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations under varying thermal conditions. We reared Chinook salmon from three populations in a common-garden hatchery study at 6.5, 9.4, and 15.2°C and measured a variety of fitness-related traits during development. We found that most of the among-population variation in early life history traits was explained by egg size. However, the contribution of egg size to the among-population variation decreased with an increase in temperature suggesting that other effects, such as genetic, contribute at high temperature. Within populations, egg size explained much of the dam variance and maternal effect for traits in every temperature, whereas egg size generally had little to no influence on the sire variance and heritability. Overall, our results demonstrate the significant contribution egg size makes to shaping early life history phenotypes among and within populations, and suggest that egg size is an important pathway through which offspring phenotypes can evolve on contemporary timescales.

Nutrients from salmon parents alter selection pressures on their offspring

Organisms can modify their surrounding environment, but whether these changes are large enough to feed back and alter their evolutionary trajectories is not well understood, particularly in wild populations. Here we show that nutrient pulses from decomposing Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parents alter selection pressures on their offspring with important consequences for their phenotypic and genetic diversity. We found a strong survival advantage to larger eggs and faster juvenile metabolic rates in streams lacking carcasses but not in streams containing this parental nutrient input. Differences in selection intensities led to significant phenotypic divergence in these two traits among stream types. Stronger selection in streams with low parental nutrient input also decreased the number of surviving families compared to streams with high parental nutrient levels. Observed effects of parent-derived nutrients on selection pressures provide experimental evidence for key components of eco-evolutionary feedbacks in wild populations.

Environmental stress linked to consumption of maternally derived carotenoids in brown trout embryos (Salmo trutta)

The yellow, orange, or red colors of salmonid eggs are due to maternally derived carotenoids whose functions are not sufficiently understood yet. Here, we studied the significance of naturally acquired carotenoids as maternal environmental effects during embryo development in brown trout (Salmo trutta). We collected eggs from wild females, quantified their egg carotenoid content, fertilized them in vitro in full‐factorial breeding blocks to separate maternal from paternal effects, and raised 3,278 embryos singly at various stress conditions until hatching. We found significant sire effects that revealed additive genetic variance for embryo survival and hatching time. Dam effects were 5.4 times larger than these sire effects, indicating that maternal environmental effects play an important role in determining embryo stress tolerance. Of the eight pigment molecules that we targeted, only astaxanthin, zeaxanthin (that both affected egg redness), and lutein were detected above our confidence thresholds. No strong link could be observed between carotenoid content in unfertilized eggs and embryo mortality or hatching timing. However, the consumption of carotenoids during our stress treatment was negatively correlated to embryo survival among sib groups and explained about 14% of the maternal environmental variance. We conclude that maternally derived carotenoids play a role in the ability of embryos to cope with environmental stress, but that the initial susceptibility to the organic pollution was mainly determined by other factors.

Intraspecific differences in endurance swim performance and cardiac size in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) parr tested at three temperatures

Pacific salmon encounter widely varying environmental conditions across populations. Performance traits and environmental tolerance limits are predicted to be related to the typical abiotic and biotic conditions encountered by each population. Endurance swim performance at three different temperatures (8, 12, 22 °C) was compared across nine populations of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum, 1792)) parr from British Columbia, Canada, reared in a common laboratory environment. In addition, relative ventricular mass (RVM) was compared between good and poor performers from each population. Populations significantly differed in endurance swim performance and these differences were related to the natal lake environment. Specifically, parr populations that reside in warm, shallow lakes (Okanagan, Scotch, and Stellako) had superior swim performance at 12 °C compared with 8 °C. All other populations from deeper, cooler lakes had equivalent swim performance at 8 and 12 °C. Individual variability in swim performance within a population was not due to differences in cardiac size. Similarly, RVM did not vary across parr populations, suggesting that population differences in swim performance were not associated with cardiac size. This study provides further support that sockeye salmon parr are locally adapted to their environmental conditions.

Comparative anatomy of the dorsal hump in mature Pacific salmon

Mature male Pacific salmon (Genus Oncorhynchus) demonstrate prominent morphological changes, such as the development of a dorsal hump. The degree of dorsal hump formation depends on the species in Pacific salmon. It is generally accepted that mature males of sockeye (O. nerka) and pink (O. gorbuscha) salmon develop most pronounced dorsal humps. The internal structure of the dorsal hump in pink salmon has been confirmed in detail. In this study, the dorsal hump morphologies were analyzed in four Pacific salmon species inhabiting Japan, masu (O. masou), sockeye, chum (O. keta), and pink salmon. The internal structure of the dorsal humps also depended on the species; sockeye and pink salmon showed conspicuous development of connective tissue and growth of bone tissues in the dorsal tissues. Masu and chum salmon exhibited less-pronounced increases in connective tissues and bone growth. Hyaluronic acid was clearly detected in dorsal hump connective tissue by histochemistry, except for in masu salmon. The lipid content in dorsal hump connective tissue was richer in masu and chum salmon than in sockeye and pink salmon. These results revealed that the patterns of dorsal hump formation differed among species, and especially sockeye and pink salmon develop pronounced dorsal humps through both increases in the amount of connective tissue and the growth of bone tissues. In contrast, masu and chum salmon develop their dorsal humps by the growth of bone tissues, rather than the development of connective tissue.

Reproductive energy expenditure and changes in body morphology for a population of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha with a long distance migration

Energetic demands of a long freshwater migration, extended holding period, gamete development and spawning were evaluated for a population of stream-type Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. Female and male somatic mass decreased by 24 and 21%, respectively, during migration and by an additional 18 and 12% during holding. Between freshwater entry and death after spawning, females allocated 14% of initial somatic energy towards gonad development and 78% for metabolism (46, 25 and 7% during migration, holding and spawning, respectively). Males used only 2% of initial somatic energy for gonad development and 80% on metabolic costs, as well as an increase in snout length (41, 28 and 11% during migration, holding and spawning, respectively). Individually marked O. tshawytscha took between 27 and 53 days to migrate 920 km. Those with slower travel times through the dammed section of the migration corridor arrived at spawning grounds with less muscle energy than faster migrants. Although energy depletion did not appear to be the proximate cause of death in most pre-spawn mortalities, average final post-spawning somatic energy densities were low at 3·6 kJ g^-1 in females and 4·1 kJ g^-1 in males, consistent with the concept of a minimum energy threshold required to sustain life in semelparous salmonids.

Rapid evolution of genetic and phenotypic divergence in Atlantic salmon following the colonisation of two new branches of a watercourse

BACKGROUND

Selection acts strongly on individuals that colonise a habitat and have phenotypic traits that deviate from the local optima. Our objective was to investigate the evolutionary rates in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a river system (the Vefsna watershed in Norway), fewer than 15 generations after colonisation of two new branches of the watercourse for spawning, which were made available by construction of fish ladders in 1889.

METHODS

Differences in age and size were analysed using scale samples collected by anglers. Age and size of recaptures from a tagging experiment were compared between the three branches. Furthermore, genetic analyses of scale samples collected in the three river branches during two periods were performed to evaluate whether observed differences evolved by genetic divergence over this short period, or were the result of phenotypic plasticity.

RESULTS

We demonstrate that evolution can be rapid when fish populations are subjected to strong selection, in spite of sympatry with their ancestral group, no physical barriers to hybridisation, and natal homing as the only reproductive isolating barrier. After fewer than 15 generations, there was evidence of genetic isolation between the two branches based on genetic variation at 96 single nucleotide polymorphism loci, and significant differences in several life history traits, including size and age at maturity. Selection against large size at maturity appears to have occurred, since large individuals were reluctant to ascend the branch with less abundant water. The estimated evolutionary rate of change in life history traits is within the upper 3 to 7% reported in other fish studies on microevolutionary rates.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that with sufficient genetic diversity, Atlantic salmon can rapidly colonise and evolve to new accessible habitats. This has profound implications for conservation and restoration of populations and habitats in order to meet evolutionary challenges, including alterations in water regime, whether altered by climate change or anthropogenic factors.

Cryptic eco-evolutionary dynamics

Natural systems harbor complex interactions that are fundamental parts of ecology and evolution. These interactions challenge our inclinations and training to seek the simplest explanations of patterns in nature. Not least is the likelihood that some complex processes might be missed when their patterns look similar to predictions for simpler mechanisms. Along these lines, theory and empirical evidence increasingly suggest that environmental, ecological, phenotypic, and genetic processes can be tightly intertwined, resulting in complex and sometimes surprising eco-evolutionary dynamics. The goal of this review is to temper inclinations to unquestioningly seek the simplest explanations in ecology and evolution, by recognizing that some eco-evolutionary outcomes may appear very similar to purely ecological, purely evolutionary, or even null expectations, and thus be cryptic. We provide theoretical and empirical evidence for observational biases and mechanisms that might operate among the various links in eco-evolutionary feedbacks to produce cryptic patterns. Recognition that cryptic dynamics can be associated with outcomes like stability, resilience, recovery, or coexistence in a dynamically changing world provides added impetus for finding ways to study them.

The potential impacts of migratory difficulty, including warmer waters and altered flow conditions, on the reproductive success of salmonid fishes

Climate change and urbanisation of watercourses affect water temperatures and current flow velocities in river systems on a global scale. This represents a particularly critical issue for migratory fish species with complex life histories that use rivers to reproduce. Salmonids are migratory keystone species that provide substantial economical value to ecosystems and human societies. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of environmental stressors on their reproductive success is critical in order to ensure their continued abundance during future climatic change. Salmonids are capital breeders, relying entirely on endogenous energy stores to fuel return migration to their natal spawning sites and reproduction upon arrival. Metabolic rates and cost of transport en-route increase with temperature and at extreme temperatures, swimming is increasingly fuelled anaerobically, resulting in an oxygen debt and reduced capacity to recover from exhaustive exercise. Thermally challenged salmonids also produce less viable gametes, which themselves are affected by water temperature after release. Passage through hydrological barriers and temperature changes both affect energy expenditure. As a result, important energetic tradeoffs emerge between extra energy used during migration and that available for other facets of the reproductive cycle, such as reproductive competition and gamete production. However, studies identifying these tradeoffs are extremely sparse. This review focuses on the specific locomotor responses of salmonids to thermal and hydrological challenges, identifying gaps in our knowledge and highlighting the potential implications for key aspects of their reproduction.

Causes and consequences of repeatability, flexibility and individual fine-tuning of migratory timing in pike

Many organisms undertake migrations between foraging and breeding habitats and while it is assumed that reproductive timing affects fitness, little is known about the degree of individual consistency, and about the causes and consequences of individual variation in migratory timing in organisms other than birds. Here, we report on a 6-year mark-recapture study, including 2048 individuals, of breeding migration in anadromous pike (Esox lucius), an iteroparous top-predatory fish that displays homing behaviour. By repeated sampling across years at a breeding site, we first quantify individual variation both within and between breeding events and then investigate phenotypic correlates and fitness consequences of arrival timing to the breeding site. Our data demonstrate that males arrive before females, that large males arrive later than small males, that the timing of breeding migration varies among years and that individuals are consistent in their timing across years relative to other individuals in the population. Furthermore, data on return rates indicate that arrival time is under stabilizing viability selection, and that individuals who are more flexible in their timing of arrival during the first reproductive years survive longer compared with less flexible individuals. Finally, longitudinal data demonstrate that individuals consistently fine-tune their arrival timing across years, showing that the timing of arrival to breeding sites is influenced by experience. These findings represent rare evidence of how between- and within-individual variations in migratory timing across breeding events are correlated with phenotypic and fitness traits in an ecologically important keystone species. Our results emphasize the importance of considering variation in migratory timing both between and within individuals in studies investigating the fitness consequences of migratory behaviour and have implications for future management.

Life-history plasticity in female threespine stickleback

The postglacial adaptive radiation of the threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) has been widely used to investigate the roles of both adaptive evolution and plasticity in behavioral and morphological divergence from the ancestral condition represented by present-day oceanic stickleback. These phenotypes tend to exhibit high levels of ecotypic differentiation. Population divergence in life history has also been well studied, but in contrast to behavior and morphology, the extent and importance of plasticity has been much less well studied. In this review, we summarize what is known about life-history plasticity in female threespine stickleback, considering four traits intimately associated with reproductive output: age/size at maturation, level of reproductive effort, egg size and clutch size. We envision life-history plasticity in an iterative, ontogenetic framework, in which females may express plasticity repeatedly across each of several time frames. We contrast the results of laboratory and field studies because, for most traits, these approaches give somewhat different answers. We provide ideas on what the cues might be for observed plasticity in each trait and, when possible, we inquire about the relative costs and benefits to expressed plasticity. We end with an example of how we think plasticity may play out in stickleback life history given what we know of plasticity in the ancestor.

Do American dippers obtain a survival benefit from altitudinal migration?

Studies of partial migrants provide an opportunity to assess the cost and benefits of migration. Previous work has demonstrated that sedentary American dippers (residents) have higher annual productivity than altitudinal migrants that move to higher elevations to breed. Here we use a ten-year (30 period) mark-recapture dataset to evaluate whether migrants offset their lower productivity with higher survival during the migration-breeding period when they occupy different habitat, or early and late-winter periods when they coexist with residents. Mark-recapture models provide no evidence that apparent monthly survival of migrants is higher than that of residents at any time of the year. The best-supported model suggests that monthly survival is higher in the migration-breeding period than winter periods. Another well-supported model suggested that residency conferred a survival benefit, and annual apparent survival (calculated from model weighted monthly apparent survival estimates using the Delta method) of residents (0.511 ± 0.038SE) was slightly higher than that of migrants (0.487 ± 0.032). Winter survival of American dippers was influenced by environmental conditions; monthly apparent survival increased as maximum daily flow rates increased and declined as winter temperatures became colder. However, we found no evidence that environmental conditions altered differences in winter survival of residents and migrants. Since migratory American dippers have lower productivity and slightly lower survival than residents our data suggests that partial migration is likely an outcome of competition for limited nest sites at low elevations, with less competitive individuals being forced to migrate to higher elevations in order to breed.

Sport science for salmon and other species: ecological consequences of metabolic power constraints

For metabolically demanding behaviours, power supply (ATP resynthesis per unit time) is an important constraint on performance. Yet ecology as a discipline lacks a framework to account for these power constraints. We developed such a framework (borrowing concepts from sports science) and applied it to the upriver migration of anadromous fish. Our models demonstrate how metabolic power constraints alters optimal migratory behaviour; in response to strong counter flows, fish minimise cost of transport by alternating between rapid, anaerobically fuelled swimming and holding to restore spent fuels. Models ignoring power constraints underestimated the effect of elevated water temperature on migration speed and costs (by up to 60%). These differences were primarily due to a temperature-mediated reduction in aerobic scope that impairs the ability of fish to rapidly migrate through warm waters. Our framework provides a mechanistic link between temperature-induced reductions in aerobic scope and their ecological consequences for individuals, populations and communities.

The role of experiments in understanding fishery-induced evolution

Evidence of fishery-induced evolution has been accumulating rapidly from various avenues of investigation. Here we review the knowledge gained from experimental approaches. The strength of experiments is in their ability to disentangle genetic from environmental differences. Common garden experiments have provided direct evidence of adaptive divergence in the wild and therefore the evolvability of various traits that influence production in numerous species. Most of these cases involve countergradient variation in physiological, life history, and behavioral traits. Selection experiments have provided examples of rapid life history evolution and, more importantly, that fishery-induced selection pressures cause simultaneous divergence of not one but a cluster of genetically and phenotypically correlated traits that include physiology, behavior, reproduction, and other life history characters. The drawbacks of experiments are uncertainties in the scale-up from small, simple environments to larger and more complex systems; the concern that taxons with short life cycles used for experimental research are atypical of those of harvested species; and the difficulty of adequately simulating selection due to fishing. Despite these limitations, experiments have contributed greatly to our understanding of fishery-induced evolution on both empirical and theoretical levels. Future advances will depend on integrating knowledge from experiments with those from modeling, field studies, and molecular genetic approaches.

Potential responses to climate change in organisms with complex life histories: evolution and plasticity in Pacific salmon

Salmon life histories are finely tuned to local environmental conditions, which are intimately linked to climate. We summarize the likely impacts of climate change on the physical environment of salmon in the Pacific Northwest and discuss the potential evolutionary consequences of these changes, with particular reference to Columbia River Basin spring/summer Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) salmon. We discuss the possible evolutionary responses in migration and spawning date egg and juvenile growth and development rates, thermal tolerance, and disease resistance. We know little about ocean migration pathways, so cannot confidently suggest the potential changes in this life stage. Climate change might produce conflicting selection pressures in different life stages, which will interact with plastic (i.e. nongenetic) changes in various ways. To clarify these interactions, we present a conceptual model of how changing environmental conditions shift phenotypic optima and, through plastic responses, phenotype distributions, affecting the force of selection. Our predictions are tentative because we lack data on the strength of selection, heritability, and ecological and genetic linkages among many of the traits discussed here. Despite the challenges involved in experimental manipulation of species with complex life histories, such research is essential for full appreciation of the biological effects of climate change.

Special Issue: Evolutionary perspectives on salmonid conservation and management

This special issue of Evolutionary Applications comprises 15 papers that illustrate how evolutionary principles can inform the conservation and management of salmonid fishes. Several papers address the past evolutionary history of salmonids to gain insights into their likely plastic and genetic responses to future environmental change. The remaining papers consider potential evolutionary responses to climate warming, biological invasions, artificial propagation, habitat alteration, and harvesting. All of these papers consider how such influences might alter selective regimes, which should then favour plastic or genetic responses. Some of the papers then go on to document such responses, at least some of which are genetically based and adaptive. Despite the different approaches and target species, all of the papers argue for the importance of evolutionary considerations in the conservation and management of salmonids.

Evolutionary consequences of fishing and their implications for salmon

We review the evidence for fisheries-induced evolution in anadromous salmonids. Salmon are exposed to a variety of fishing gears and intensities as immature or maturing individuals. We evaluate the evidence that fishing is causing evolutionary changes to traits including body size, migration timing and age of maturation, and we discuss the implications for fisheries and conservation. Few studies have fully evaluated the ingredients of fisheries-induced evolution: selection intensity, genetic variability, correlation among traits under selection, and response to selection. Most studies are limited in their ability to separate genetic responses from phenotypic plasticity, and environmental change complicates interpretation. However, strong evidence for selection intensity and for genetic variability in salmon fitness traits indicates that fishing can cause detectable evolution within ten or fewer generations. Evolutionary issues are therefore meaningful considerations in salmon fishery management. Evolutionary biologists have rarely been involved in the development of salmon fishing policy, yet evolutionary biology is relevant to the long-term success of fisheries. Future management might consider fishing policy to (i) allow experimental testing of evolutionary responses to exploitation and (ii) improve the long-term sustainability of the fishery by mitigating unfavorable evolutionary responses to fishing. We provide suggestions for how this might be done.

Metabolic endocrine factors involved in spawning recovery and rematuration of iteroparous female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

To determine how energy balance affects metabolic hormones hypothesized to play a role in the onset of a new reproductive cycle in iteroparous salmonids, food availability after spawning was restricted in female rainbow trout. These fish were compared with a control group that was fed a standard brood stock ration. Bodyweight, length, and muscle lipid content were determined, and blood was collected from fish at regular intervals; a subset of fish from each group was sacrificed at each sampling time for the collection of liver and ovary tissue, and to calculate hepatosomatic index (HSI) and gonadosomatic index (GSI). Plasma hormone levels were quantified by radioimmunoassay, and tissue gene expression levels were analyzed using q-RT-PCR. The experiment was conducted twice, using two-year-old and three-year-old post-spawned fish. Food-restriction arrested ovarian growth and development within 15-20 weeks, as evidenced by lower GSI in restricted-ration fish. Food restriction also reduced Fulton's condition factor, muscle lipid content, and specific growth rate from one month onward, and reduced HSI after 3 months. In the liver, insulin-like growth factor (igf1 and igf2) gene expression was reduced in three-year-old food-restricted fish within 2 months; however, no effect of ration on igf1 or igf2 expression was detected in two-year-old fish. In both years, IGF binding protein-1 (igfbp1) gene expression decreased over time in both treatment groups. Liver leptin (slepA1) gene expression was lower in two-year-old food-restricted fish at 4 months. These results show that this feed restriction regime arrested reproductive development and affected factors associated with energy balance purported to play a role in initiating reproductive development within 2-4months after spawning.

Migration costs drive convergence of threshold traits for migratory tactics

Partial migration of some, but not all, members of a population is a common form of migration. We evaluated how migration costs influence which members migrate in 10 populations of two salmonid species. The migratory patterns of both species were evaluated based on the size at maturity for resident males, which is the threshold trait that determines the migratory tactics used within a population. In both species, this size was smaller in males located further from the sea, where migration costs are presumably higher. Moreover, the threshold sizes at maturity in males were correlated between both species. Our results suggest that migration costs are a significant convergent selective force on migratory tactics and life-history traits in nature.

Maternal and environmental influences on egg size and juvenile life-history traits in Pacific salmon

Life-history traits such as fecundity and offspring size are shaped by investment trade-offs faced by mothers and mediated by environmental conditions. We use a 21-year time series for three populations of wild sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) to test predictions for such trade-offs and responses to conditions faced by females during migration, and offspring during incubation. In years when their 1100 km upstream migration was challenged by high water discharges, females that reached spawning streams had invested less in gonads by producing smaller but not fewer eggs. These smaller eggs produced lighter juveniles, and this effect was further amplified in years when the incubation water was warm. This latter result suggests that there should be selection for larger eggs to compensate in populations that consistently experience warm incubation temperatures. A comparison among 16 populations, with matching migration and rearing environments but different incubation environments (i.e., separate spawning streams), confirmed this prediction; smaller females produced larger eggs for their size in warmer creeks. Taken together, these results reveal how maternal phenotype and environmental conditions can shape patterns of reproductive investment and consequently juvenile fitness-related traits within and among populations.

Ova fecundity in Scottish Atlantic salmon Salmo salar: predictions, selective forces and causal mechanisms

Ova fecundities of Scottish Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, predicted from log(10) regression of ova numbers and female fork length (L(F)), differed widely between upland and lowland stocks within the same river, whereas sea-age, river and year factors had insignificant effects on fecundity once L(F) was accounted for. For upland fish, the relationship between log(10)L(F) and log(10) ova mass (M(O)) was stable between two datasets collected 40 years apart. Although upland and lowland females both produced comparable log(10)M(O) (log(10)L(F))(-1), lowland females partitioned this into 45% more, but smaller ova, whereas upland females produced fewer, but larger, eggs. The possible causes and implications of this are discussed for evolutionary perspectives (lifetime production), population structure (local tributary v. large catchments; environmental effects), population dynamics and stability (density-dependent control mechanisms) and fisheries management (stock-recruitment; short and long-term stock sustainability).

What invasive species reveal about the rate and form of contemporary phenotypic change in nature

Biological invasions are opportunities to gain insight into fundamental evolutionary questions, because reproductive isolation and sudden alterations in selection pressures are likely to lead to rapid evolutionary change. Here I investigate the role played by invasive species in revealing the rate and form of contemporary phenotypic change in wild populations by expanding a database of more than 5,500 rates of phenotypic change from 90 species of plants and animals. Invasive species are frequently used as model organisms and thus contribute disproportionately to available rates of phenotypic change. However, the preponderance of these rates is the consequence of extensive study in a small number of species. I found mixed evidence to support the hypothesis that phenotypic change is associated with time depending on the metric of choice (i.e., darwins or haldanes). Insights from both invasive and native species provide evidence for abrupt phenotypic change and suggest that the environment plays a potentially important role in driving trait change in wild populations, although the environmental influence on the observed trajectories remains unclear. Thus, future work should continue to seek an understanding of the mechanistic underpinnings--both genetic and environmental--of how phenotypic variation allows populations to adapt to rapidly changing global environments.

Strong gene flow and lack of stable population structure in the face of rapid adaptation to local temperature in a spring-spawning salmonid, the European grayling (Thymallus thymallus)

Gene flow has the potential to both constrain and facilitate adaptation to local environmental conditions. The early stages of population divergence can be unstable because of fluctuating levels of gene flow. Investigating temporal variation in gene flow during the initial stages of population divergence can therefore provide insights to the role of gene flow in adaptive evolution. Since the recent colonization of Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet in Norway by European grayling (Thymallus thymallus), local populations have been established in over 20 tributaries. Multiple founder events appear to have resulted in reduced neutral variation. Nevertheless, there is evidence for local adaptation in early life-history traits to different temperature regimes. In this study, microsatellite data from almost a decade of sampling were assessed to infer population structuring and its temporal stability. Several alternative analyses indicated that spatial variation explained 2-3 times more of the divergence in the system than temporal variation. Over all samples and years, there was a significant correlation between genetic and geographic distance. However, decomposed pairwise regression analysis revealed differing patterns of genetic structure among local populations and indicated that migration outweighs genetic drift in the majority of populations. In addition, isolation by distance was observable in only three of the six years, and signals of population bottlenecks were observed in the majority of samples. Combined, the results suggest that habitat-specific adaptation in this system has preceded the development of consistent population substructuring in the face of high levels of gene flow from divergent environments.