Spatiotemporal genetic variation of atlantic bluefin tunas from sardinian and mediterranean tuna traps

Abstract

Tuna traps of the Sardinian and Mediterranean have provided from long to short term series of data and samples of bluefin tuna (BFT) populations inhabiting the Mediterranean. By analyzing genetic variation in BFT trap samples, we have shown that more than one BFT population have been entered and spread in the Mediterranean across the last century and that over short period, the interannual composition of BFT trap catches are genetically constant.