Delineation of population structure (i.e. stocks) is crucial to successfully manage exploited species and to address conservation concerns for threatened species. Fish migration and associated movements are key mechanisms through which discrete populations mix and are thus important determinants of population structure. Detailed information on fish migration and movements is becoming more accessible through advances in telemetry and analysis methods however such information is not yet used systematically in stock structure assessment. Here, we described how detections of acoustically tagged fish across a continental-scale array of underwater acoustic receivers were used to assess stock structure and connectivity in seven teleost and seven shark species and compared to findings from genetic and conventional tagging. Network analysis revealed previously unknown population connections in some species, and in others bolstered support for existing stock discrimination by identifying nodes and routes important for connectivity. Species with less variability in their movements required smaller sample sizes (45–50 individuals) to reveal useful stock structure information. Our study shows the power of continental-scale acoustic telemetry networks to detect movements among fishery jurisdictions. We highlight methodological issues that need to be considered in the design of acoustic telemetry studies for investigating stock structure and the interpretation of the resulting data. The advent of broad-scale acoustic telemetry networks across the globe provides new avenues to understand how movement informs population structure and can lead to improved management.

中文翻译：

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大陆尺度的声学遥测和网络分析揭示了对股票结构的新见解

种群结构（即种群）的划分对于成功管理开发物种和解决受威胁物种的保护问题至关重要。鱼类迁徙和相关运动是离散种群混合的关键机制，因此是种群结构的重要决定因素。随着遥测和分析方法的进步，有关鱼类洄游和移动的详细信息变得越来越容易获得，但是这些信息尚未系统地用于种群结构评估。在这里，我们描述了如何使用大陆尺度的水下声学接收器阵列检测声学标记的鱼类来评估七种硬骨鱼和七种鲨鱼物种的种群结构和连通性，并与遗传和传统标记的结果进行比较。网络分析揭示了某些物种以前未知的种群联系，而在其他物种中，通过识别对连通性很重要的节点和路线，加强了对现有种群歧视的支持。运动变异性较小的物种需要较小的样本量（45-50 个个体）来揭示有用的种群结构信息。我们的研究显示了大陆尺度声学遥测网络检测渔业管辖区之间运动的能力。我们强调了在声学遥测研究设计中需要考虑的方法论问题，以调查股票结构和对结果数据的解释。全球范围内大规模声学遥测网络的出现为了解移动如何影响人口结构并改善管理提供了新途径。