A1 Journal article (refereed)
Does size‐selective harvesting erode adaptive potential to thermal stress? (2024)

Sadler, D. E., van Dijk, S., Karjalainen, J., Watts, P. C., & Uusi‐Heikkilä, S. (2024). Does size‐selective harvesting erode adaptive potential to thermal stress?. Ecology and Evolution, 14(2), Article e11007. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11007

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Sadler, Daniel E.; van Dijk, Stephan; Karjalainen, Juha; Watts, Phillip C.; Uusi‐Heikkilä, Silva

Journal or series: Ecology and Evolution

ISSN: 2045-7758

eISSN: 2045-7758

Publication year: 2024

Volume: 14

Issue number: 2

Article number: e11007

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11007

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/93535

Abstract

Overharvesting is a serious threat to many fish populations. High mortality and directional selection on body size can cause evolutionary change in exploited populations via selection for a specific phenotype and a potential reduction in phenotypic diversity. Whether the loss of phenotypic diversity that accompanies directional selection impairs response to environmental stress is not known. To address this question, we exposed three zebrafish selection lines to thermal stress. Two lines had experienced directional selection for (1) large and (2) small body size, and one was (3) subject to random removal of individuals with respect to body size (i.e. line with no directional selection). Selection lines were exposed to three temperatures (elevated, 34°C; ambient, 28°C; low, 22°C) to determine the response to an environmental stressor (thermal stress). We assessed differences among selection lines in their life history (growth and reproduction), physiological traits (metabolic rate and critical thermal max) and behaviour (activity and feeding behaviour) when reared at different temperatures. Lines experiencing directional selection (i.e. size selected) showed reduced growth rate and a shift in average phenotype in response to lower or elevated thermal stress compared with fish from the random-selected line. Our data indicate that populations exposed to directional selection can have a more limited capacity to respond to thermal stress compared with fish that experience a comparable reduction in population size (but without directional selection). Future studies should aim to understand the impacts of environmental stressors on natural fish stocks.

Keywords: diversity; fishes; fish populations; zebra fish; populations; phenotype

Free keywords: adaptive potential; fisheries; phenotypic diversity; size selection; thermal stress

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Ministry reporting: Yes

Preliminary JUFO rating: 1