Stock Identification Methods

Stock Identification Methods, 2e, continues to provide a comprehensive review of the various disciplines used to study the population structure of fishery resources. It represents the worldwide experience and perspectives of experts on each method, assembled through a working group of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. The book is organized to foster interdisciplinary analyses and conclusions about stock structure, a crucial topic for fishery science and management. Technological advances have promoted the development of stock identification methods in many directions, resulting in a confusing variety of approaches. Based on central tenets of population biology and management needs, this valuable resource offers a unified framework for understanding stock structure by promoting an understanding of the relative merits and sensitivities of each approach. * An introductory section defines the necessary concepts and historical development of stock identification, providing a theoretical basis for combining information from multiple approaches. * Eighteen distinct methodological approaches to stock identification are described in separate chapters, grouped into sections on life history traits, environmental signals, genetic analyses, and applied marks. * Each methodological chapter is written by experts in the discipline. Chapters review benchmark case studies, offer guidance on effective protocols, and evaluate strengths and limits of the method for identifying stocks. * A section on data analysis includes chapters on sampling requirements and various statistical techniques for exploring stock patterns, testing for differences among putative stocks, stock discrimination, and stock composition analysis. * The final section describes how stock identification data are used in fishery management, focusing on the practical difficulties in interpreting results and the challenges of managing mixed-stock fisheries.