Small-scale and large-scale structuring of the North Atlantic cod (Godus morhua): evaluating current stock division

Project summary: Most of the mjor marine fish stocks are under heavy exploitation, and many of them are being overexploited. North Atlantic cod is an example of a heavily utilized species and still remaind one of the most important commercial species in the North Atlantic . However, areas under heavy exploitation has experienced a drastic decline of cod the last decadses and this has led to a major concern about the sustainability of the cod fisheries. Identification and assessment of marine stocks are important issues for management and conservation. By identifying genetically meaningful units, the management of economically important marine species can be improved by targeting individual inits, or stocks with definable levels for recruitment and mortality. We intend to i dentify the nature of genetic structuring of cod in the Barents Sea in the hope that such knowledge will be valuable for mangagement purposes of this important ressource. Furthermore we intend to analyze the genetic relationship between cod throughout the North Atlantic.