title: Distinct Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) Stocks Detected in Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) Using DNA Microsatellites.
abstract: The yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788), covers majority of the Philippines' tuna catch, one of the major fisheries commodities in the country. Due to its high economic importance sustainable management of these tunas has become an imperative measure to prevent stock depletion. Currently, the Philippine yellowfin tuna is believed to be part of a single stock of the greater WCPO though some reports suggest otherwise. This study therefore aims to establish the genetic stock structure of the said species in the Philippines as compared to Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea using nine (9) DNA microsatellite markers. DNA microsatellite data revealed significant genetic differentiation between the Philippine and Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea yellowfin tuna samples. (FST = 0.034, P = 0.016), which is further supported by multilocus distance matrix testing (PCoA) and model-based clustering (STRUCTURE 2.2).With these findings, this study posits that the yellowfin tuna population in the Philippines is a separate stock from the Bismarck Sea population. These findings add evidence to the alternative hypothesis of having at least 2 subpopulations of yellowfin tuna in the WCPO and calls for additional scientific studies using other parameters to investigate this. Accurate population information is necessary in formulating a more appropriate management strategy for the sustainability of the yellowfin tuna not only in the Philippines but also in the WCPO.
authors.affiliation: Genetic Fingerprinting Laboratory, Research and Ecological Assessment Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Roselyn D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Aguila
authors.affiliation: Examination Division, Laboratory Service, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Sweedy Kay L
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.affiliation: Genetic Fingerprinting Laboratory, Research and Ecological Assessment Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Billy Joel N
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Catacutan
authors.affiliation: Vertebrates Section, Research and Ecological Assessment Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Grace V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.affiliation: Office of the Interim Deputy Executive Director, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Noel C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Barut
authors.affiliation: Genetic Fingerprinting Laboratory, Research and Ecological Assessment Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Mudjekeewis D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056426:Genetic Loci; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D010679:Philippines; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D013045:Species Specificity; D014413:Tuna / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers