Bristol Bay researchers say in‑season genetics can guide bycatch policy; council adopts Western Alaska cap Jordan Head of the Bristol Bay Science and Research Institute told the Alaska House Special Committee on Fisheries that BBSRI’s in‑season genetic monitoring produced weekly stock composition and catch estimates in 2024–25 and was fast enough to inform management; the North Pacific Fishery Management Council last week adopted a Western Alaska‑specific chum salmon cap that explicitly incorporates in‑season genetic monitoring.

Bristol Bay researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking in-season genetic monitoring program that could revolutionize bycatch management and protect Western Alaska's salmon stocks!

Learn more here

#AK #AlaskaFisheries #CitizenPortal #GeneticMonitoring #BycatchPolicy #SustainableFishing

Committee hears concerns after NOAA shutters Little Port Walter research site; operators warn of data gaps Committee members and hatchery operators discussed the recent closure of NOAA’s Little Port Walter research facility, the potential loss of long‑running data and broodstock work, and requested follow‑up from the commissioner and Alaska Hatchery Research Project about genetic monitoring and research continuity.

The closure of NOAA’s Little Port Walter research facility could spell disaster for decades of vital salmon research and genetic monitoring.

Click to read more!

#AK #AquacultureDevelopment #AlaskaFisheries #CitizenPortal #GeneticMonitoring #ResearchContinuity

Poster for FRIAS Conference with a visual showing a forest and three animals - a hawk, a moth and a toad, with different spirals symbolizing DNA behind them. The spirals indicate the critical development of genetic diversity (y-axis) over time (x-axis). Information about the conference can be found in the post.

🧬🌍The upcoming FRIAS conference “From Genes to Conservation: Building the European #GeneticMonitoring Network”, invites participants from diverse European countries to discuss the challenges and status of genetic monitoring programs.
🔗 About the conference: uni-freiburg.de/frias/genmon/

New research article! 📰

Wiernasz & Cole analyzed 26 years of genetic data from 95 colonies, revealing that nest occupancy reliably indicates colony identity 🏠

🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s000...

#SocialInsects #Demography #Longevity #GeneticMonitoring #Pogonomyrmex #Ecology #Microsatellite #Ant