ABSTRACT Accurate species identification is essential for effective management of threatened species, especially those with overlapping distributions and similar morphologies. Skate (Order Rajiformes) exhibit a highly conserved superficial morphology, which has resulted in a long history of taxonomic confusion and misidentification within this group. The flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius) and common blue skate (D. batis) are prime examples of this challenge; both species inhabit the Northeast Atlantic and share a complicated, intertwined taxonomic history. Given their overlapping distributions, precise species identification is necessary to ensure targeted management actions. Despite the availability of reliable morphological keys for larger specimens, identification of juveniles remains challenging because many diagnostic features are underdeveloped or obscured by damage. This study aimed to identify additional traits for differentiating juvenile (< 100 cm) flapper and common blue skate by employing morphological approaches validated through molecular techniques. The analysis focused on identifying distinct features that remain detectable in damaged specimens, ensuring the method's practical applicability in field conditions. We identified four robust features that can be used to differentiate juveniles of the two species: ventral coloration, disc shape, anterior disc margin shape and rostrum shape. The findings presented here enhance data accuracy for juvenile flapper and common blue skates, support targeted conservation actions, and contribute to the effective management and long‐term recovery of these threatened species.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) tools are increasingly used for biodiversity monitoring, with most existing assays targeting species-level identification. However, the use of eDNA to resolve intraspecific genetic variation remains rare and methodologically underdeveloped. This study presents the development and laboratory validation of a novel molecular assay capable of detecting specific phylogeographic lineages, advancing eDNA applications by enabling resolution below the species level. The assay combines Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) and CRISPR-Cas12a technologies with a lateral flow platform for field-ready, on-site detection. Irish Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) was selected as the model due to its conservation relevance and post-glacial lineage diversity in Ireland. Mitochondrial genome sequencing of known Irish lineages identified a Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM) site unique to the Atlantic Subclade 1 lineage, allowing clear discrimination from co-occurring lineages. Two assays were optimised: a species-specific assay detecting all Arctic char lineages and a lineage-specific assay targeting Lineage 1. Both showed high sensitivity and specificity under laboratory conditions, with LbCas12a outperforming AsCas12a at optimised buffer concentrations. The lateral flow adaptation, utilising a dual-labelled FAM-Biotin probe, enabled portable and rapid detection with minimal equipment. Field validation using eDNA from Irish lakes highlighted the need for improved sampling protocols, as lake-edge surface samples failed to yield detections. This assay represents the first reported example of a CRISPR-based eDNA tool for phylogeographic lineage detection in the field. It offers a novel, non-invasive, and scalable approach to fine-scale ecological monitoring and establishes a foundation for future conservation tools targeting intraspecific diversity.

Studies of fish behaviour and ecology create opportunities for studying piscivores that have been underutilised. A leading example is the widespread use by fish biologists of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagging for identifying individuals, tracking movements, and estimating population sizes. PIT tags have high physical durability and long electronic lifespans. In consequence, if a piscivore swallows a tagged fish, the tag will almost certainly be excreted intact and subsequently detectable at the location of excretion for years. Accessible nesting or roosting colonies of piscivorous birds adjacent to fish PIT-tagging study sites thus present a potentially rich source of information on feeding habits. However, when such PIT tag surveys are conducted, they typically focus on the biology of the prey and not the predator. Here, we make opportunistic use of a PIT-tagging study of young Salmo spp. salmonids in Ireland to investigate the biology of a widespread and familiar avian piscivore, the Grey Heron Ardea cinerea. We scanned the ground underneath an accessible heronry for tags known to have been fitted to their carriers over four days in May 2019 in an intensively monitored river from which emigration is only possible via a fish trap. We found 48 focal tags in the heronry out of 594 tagged fish. Tags in the heronry were significantly biased towards smaller individuals and S. salar. Data on unpredated fish implies that all putative predation events occurred at least 10.8 km from the heronry despite there being foraging habitat less than 150 m from the colony, and that the majority occurred before the end of June in the year of tagging. We discuss our results in the context of the relatively limited information on breeding-season foraging activity for Grey Herons, optimal foraging considerations and ways to refine the use of PIT tagging of fish for studying piscivores.

Many habitat generalist species exploit habitat patches of differing types and quality, yet the influence of such habitat mosaics on genetic structure remains poorly understood. Here, we tested whether fine-scale habitat heterogeneity affects the population structure of the European wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) by sampling three matched forest parks in Northern Ireland across hedgerow, forest edge, and inner forest habitats. Microsatellite analysis revealed strong genetic differentiation among sites and consistent divergence between habitat types within sites. Stable isotope data showed that hedgerow mice fed at a higher trophic level than inner forest individuals, with forest edge mice intermediate. Mandible shape also differed by habitat and was correlated with δ15N, though differences were subtle and may reflect both drift and plasticity. Together, these results indicate that habitat mosaics can promote repeated, fine-scale population divergence even in the absence of physical barriers. This highlights the role of ecological heterogeneity in structuring genetic variation in widespread generalists and cautions against assuming panmixia in continuous landscapes.

Populations of marine top predators have been sharply declining during the past decades, and one-third of chondrichthyans are currently threatened with extinction. Sustainable management measures and conservation plans of large pelagic sharks require knowledge on population genetic differentiation and demographic connectivity. Here, we present the case of the Mediterranean blue shark (Prionace glauca, L. 1758), commonly found as bycatch in longline fisheries and classified by the IUCN as critically endangered. The management of this species suffers from a scarcity of data about population structure and connectivity within the Mediterranean Sea and between this basin and the adjacent Northeast Atlantic. Here, we assessed the genetic diversity and spatial structure of blue shark from different areas of the Mediterranean Sea and the Northeast Atlantic through genome scan analyses. Pairwise genetic differentiation estimates (F ST) on 203 specimens genotyped at 14,713 ddRAD-derived SNPs revealed subtle, yet significant, genetic differences within the Mediterranean sampling locations, and between the Mediterranean Sea and the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Genetic differentiation suggests some degree of demographic independence between the Western and Eastern Mediterranean blue shark populations. Furthermore, results show limited genetic connectivity between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic basins, supporting the hypothesis of two distinct populations of blue shark separated by the Strait of Gibraltar. Although reproductive interactions may be limited, the faint genetic signal of differentiation suggests a recent common history between these units. Therefore, Mediterranean blue sharks may function akin to a metapopulation relying upon local demographic processes and connectivity dynamics, whereby the limited contemporary gene flow replenishment from the Atlantic may interplay with currently poorly regulated commercial catches and large-scale ecosystem changes. Altogether, these results emphasise the need for revising management delineations applied to these critically endangered sharks.

Mycobacterium bovis the main agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), presents as a series of spatially-localised micro-epidemics across landscapes. Classical molecular typing methods applied to these micro-epidemics, based on genotyping a few variable loci, have significantly improved our understanding of potential epidemiological links between outbreaks. However, they have limited utility owing to low resolution. Conversely, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides the highest resolution data available for molecular epidemiology, producing richer outbreak tracing, insights into phylogeography and epidemic evolutionary history. We illustrate these advantages by focusing on a common single lineage of M. bovis (1.140) from Northern Ireland. Specifically, we investigate the spatial sub-structure of 20 years of herd-level multi locus VNTR analysis (MLVA) surveillance data and WGS data from a down sampled subset of isolates of this MLVA type over the same time frame. We mapped 2108 isolate locations of MLVA type 1.140 over the years 2000–2022. We also mapped the locations of 148 contemporary WGS isolates from this lineage, over a similar geographic range, stratifying by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) relatedness cut-offs of 15 SNPs. We determined a putative core range for the 1.140 MLVA type and SNP-defined sequence clusters using a 50 % kernel density estimate, using cattle movement data to inform on likely sources of WGS isolates found outside of core ranges. Finally, we applied Bayesian phylogenetic methods to investigate past population history and reproductive number of the 1.140 M . bovis lineage. We demonstrate that WGS SNP-defined clusters exhibit smaller core ranges than the established MLVA type - facilitating superior disease tracing. We also demonstrate the superior functionality of WGS data in determining how this lineage was disseminated across the landscape, likely via cattle movement and to infer how its effective population size and reproductive number has been in flux since its emergence. These initial findings highlight the potential of WGS data for routine monitoring of bTB outbreaks.

Untangling the patterns and proximate drivers of intraspecific genetic and phenotypic structuring informs our understanding of the evolutionary processes shaping diversity. This study investigated morphological and genetic structuring of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) populations across varying spatial scales in a single, complex, dendritic river catchment and examined the potential natural and anthropogenic environmental features driving this structuring. Morphometric and hierarchical genetic structuring analyses of fish from 22 sampling sites in the River Foyle catchment, Ireland ( 4500km2) identified 19 morphologically distinct groups and 15 genetically distinct populations, separated by river distances ranging from 0.4 km to 188 km. Isolation by Distance was the main factor shaping both genetic and morphological divergence, indicating that strong philopatry is one of the major drivers of the observed population structuring in this system. However, both natural and anthropogenic environmental variables also explained pairwise genetic and morphological differences between sampling sites. Thus, the pairwise differences in the area of woodland in the upstream catchment, water phosphorus concentration, biological oxygen demand, catchment slope, urban area in upstream catchment, altitude, site specific percentage of canopy cover and dissolved oxygen concentration in the river channel were correlated with genetic divergence. The pairwise differences in the concentration of suspended solids, the extent of bankside overhang, the composition of bedrock, boulder and cobble substrates, watercourse width, catchment slope and site altitude were correlated with between-site morphological differences. We hypothesise that local differential selection pressures comprising both natural environmental variation and variation resulting from anthropogenic effects, in combination with strong philopatry and random genetic processes drive the clearly defined genetic and phenotypic patterns described here.

The current methods used for producing triploid Atlantic salmon are generally reliable but not infallible, and each batch of triploids must be validated to ensure consumer trust and licensing compliance. Microsatellites have recently been shown to offer a cheaper and more convenient alternative to traditional flow cytometry for triploidy validation in a commercial setting. However, incubating eggs to at least the eyed stage for microsatellite validation poses challenges, such as reduced quality and performance of triploids produced from later eggs in the stripping season. To address these issues, we propose another option: extracting DNA from recently fertilised eggs for use in conjunction with microsatellite validation. To achieve this, we have developed an optimized protocol for HotSHOT extraction that can rapidly and cheaply extract DNA from Atlantic salmon eggs, which can then be used for triploidy validation through microsatellites. Our approach offers a simpler and more cost-effective way to validate triploidy, without the need for skilled dissection or expensive kits.

Morphological similarities between skates of the genus Dipturus in the north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean have resulted in longstanding confusion, misidentification and misreporting. Current evidence indicates that the common skate is best explained as two species, the flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius) and the common blue skate (D. batis). However, some management and conservation initiatives developed prior to the separation continue to refer to common skate (as 'D. batis'). This taxonomic uncertainty can lead to errors in estimating population viability, distribution range, and impact on fisheries management and conservation status. Here, we demonstrate how a concerted taxonomic approach, using molecular data and a combination of survey, angler and fisheries data, in addition to expert witness statements, can be used to build a higher resolution picture of the current distribution of D. intermedius. Collated data indicate that flapper skate has a more constrained distribution compared to the perceived distribution of the 'common skate', with most observations recorded from Norway and the western and northern seaboards of Ireland and Scotland, with occasional specimens from Portugal and the Azores. Overall, the revised spatial distribution of D. intermedius has significantly reduced the extant range of the species, indicating a possibly fragmented distribution range.

Understanding the evolution of local adaptations is a central aim of evolutionary biology and key for the identification of unique populations and lineages of conservation relevance. By combining RAD sequencing and whole-genome sequencing, we identify genetic signatures of local adaptation in mountain hares (Lepus timidus) from isolated and distinctive habitats of its wide distribution: Ireland, the Alps and Fennoscandia. Demographic modelling suggested that the split of these mountain hares occurred around 20 thousand years ago, providing the opportunity to study adaptive evolution over a short timescale. Using genome-wide scans, we identified signatures of extreme differentiation among hares from distinct geographic areas that overlap with area-specific selective sweeps, suggesting targets for local adaptation. Several identified candidate genes are associated with traits related to the uniqueness of the different environments inhabited by the three groups of mountain hares, including coat colour, ability to live at high altitudes and variation in body size. In Irish mountain hares, a variant of ASIP, a gene previously implicated in introgression-driven winter coat colour variation in mountain and snowshoe hares (L. americanus), may underlie brown winter coats, reinforcing the repeated nature of evolution at ASIP moulding adaptive seasonal colouration. Comparative genomic analyses across several hare species suggested that mountain hares' adaptive variants appear predominantly species-specific. However, using coalescent simulations, we also show instances where the candidate adaptive variants have been introduced via introgressive hybridization. Our study shows that standing adaptive variation, including that introgressed from other species, was a crucial component of the post-glacial dynamics of species.

Salmonid (Salmonidae) sympatric diversity is the co-occurrence, in a lake or river, of two or more reproductively isolated populations/subpopulations, or phenotypes resulting from phenotypic plasticity. Sympatric populations can arise through allopatric and/or sympatric evolution. Subsequently, allopatric lineages can occur in sympatry due to independent colonisation and/or through anthropogenic introduction. Sympatric divergence is often driven by feeding opportunities, with populations segregating as planktivorous, benthivorous and piscivorous ecotypes ("trophic polymorphism"), and further segregation occurring by feeding depth and body size. Subpopulations evolve by natal homing where a water has two or more discrete spawning areas, often resulting in phenotypically and ecologically cryptic sympatry. Most known sympatric populations/phenotypes in trout of the genus Salmo (Eurasian trout aka brown trout) involve sympatric piscivorous (ferox) and lifetime invertivorous trout. Segregation on the benthic-limnetic axis has been poorly studied in Eurasian trout compared with other salmonids but is likely commoner than currently described. While three sympatric populations/species of Eurasian trout are recognised from Lake Ohrid (Albania/North Macedonia), limited ecological information is available and there are only two lakes with three or four sympatric populations with described benthic, limnetic and piscivorous trophic segregation: Lough Melvin (Ireland) and Loch Laidon (Scotland), the latter having the only identified case of a sympatric profundal benthic feeding populations, possibly due to the absence of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in the lake. Many thousands of waters are yet to be examined. Some sympatric populations are extinct, and others are vulnerable with conservation action being urgently required. This should ideally be based on populations/conservation units, but the lack of recognition of intraspecific units in most legislations in the native Eurasian trout range necessitates a pragmatic approach, with species classification, where appropriate, based on integrative taxonomy. Some sympatric populations clearly merit species status and should be formally classified as such if a valid previous name is not available.

Introduced non-native species can threaten native species through interspecific hybridisation and genetic introgression. We assessed the prevalence of hybridisation and introgression between introduced European brown hare, Lepus europaeus , and the endemic Irish hare, L. timidus hibernicus . Roadkill hares ( n = 56) were sequenced for a 379bp section of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop and a 474bp segment of the nuclear transferrin ( Tf ) gene. A species-specific indel in the transferrin gene was present in L.t. hibernicus and absent in L. europaeus . Excluding three hares from which molecular data could not be recovered, 28 hares (53%) were native L.t. hibernicus , 7 (13%) were non-native L. europaeus and 18 (34%) were hybrids; of which 5 (28%) were first generation (F1) involving bidirectional crosses with mismatched nuclear and mtDNA (3 ♂ europaeus x ♀ hibernicus and 2 ♂ hibernicus x ♀ europaeus ). Mixed nuclear transferrin sequences suggested 13 (72%) of hybrids were at least 2nd generation (F2) with 9 (69%) possessing L.t. hibernicus and 4 (31%) L. europaeus mtDNA (the latter indicative of hybrid backcrossing with the non-native). The prevalence of hybridisation at similar mountain-brown hare contact zones throughout Europe is notably lower (4–16%) and typically unidirectional (♂ europaeus x ♀ timidus ). A high prevalence of bidirectional hybridisation and introgression (in association with projected climate change) may favour the introduced species over the native. Genetic surveillance and population monitoring are needed to further explore the potential conservation implications of European brown hare in Ireland.

The survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), an increasingly rare anadromous species, has declined dramatically during its marine phase, with disproportionate impacts on the poorly understood early post-smolt period. Logistical constraints on collecting oceanic data to inform this issue pose a formidable obstacle. To advance understanding of post-smolt distributional ecology in the North-east Atlantic, a comprehensive analysis of existing information was undertaken. Data were synthesized from 385 marine cruises, 10,202 individual trawls, and 9,269 captured post-smolts, spanning three decades and similar to 4.75 million km(2) of ocean, with 3,423 individuals genetically assigned to regional phylogeographic origin. The findings confirm major migrational post-smolt aggregations on the continental shelf-edge off Ireland, Scotland and Norway, and an important marine foraging area in the Norwegian Sea. Genetic analysis shows that aggregational stock composition does not simply reflect distance to natal rivers, with northern phylogeographic stock groups significantly under-represented in sampled high-seas aggregations. It identifies a key foraging habitat for southern European post-smolts located in international waters immediately west of the Voring Plateau escarpment, potentially exposing them to a high by-catch mortality from extra-territorial pelagic fisheries. Evidence of the differential distribution of regional stocks points to fundamental differences in their migration behaviours and may lead to inter-stock variation in responses to environmental change and marine survival. The study shows that understanding of post-smolt marine ecology, as regards to stock-specific variations in habitat utilization, biological performance and exposure to mortality factors, can be significantly advanced by data integration across studies and exploiting genetic approaches.

Facultative migration occurs when, in response to prevailing conditions, individuals in a population may (or may not) undertake a migration. The brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) is a species that exhibits facultative migration, where some individuals within popula tions may move to mainstem rivers (fluvial–adfluvial migration), lakes (lacustrine–ad fluvial migration), estuaries (partial anadromy) or sea (anadromy) to feed, while others remain resident. This study attempts to separate two alternative hypotheses for the population structuring that underpins the expression of facultative migration in this species: (a) that anadromous and nonanadromous fish comprise two gene pools; (b) that individual genetic variation or individual variation in gene–environment inter actions is responsible for the expression of different life-history tactics within the same gene pool. The study design involved sampling and analyses of anadromous and nonanadromous brown trout from three independent tributary rivers known to produce (sea-run) trout within the same catchment. Results indicate that, in all cases, population genetic divergence was linked to geographical location and not to life-history tactics. Two genetically distinct coexisting population pairs were identified in two separate tributaries. Despite similar environmental conditions in both tributar -ies, the frequency of each life-history tactic (anadromy vs. nonanadromous) within these population pairs differed significantly. The results of this study support the hypothesis that facultative migration in brown trout is likely to be driven by a quanti tative threshold trait, where the threshold value varies both among populations and among individuals within populations.

Selective breeding has been successfully applied to improve profitability and sustainability in numerous aquatic species. Recent developments of high throughput genotyping technology now enable the implementation of genomic selection, a method aiming to predict the breeding value of candidates based on their genotype at genome-wide markers. In this review article, we review the state of the arts, challenges and prospects for the application of genomic selection in aquaculture species. The particular focus is on the status of genomic selection in several major aquaculture species of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) member countries: Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, Atlantic cod, American catfish, Pacific oyster, European sea bass and gilthead sea bream. While the potential of genomic selection is clear, tailored species-specific applications will be needed to maximise its benefit for the aquaculture sector.

The flapper skate, Dipturus intermedius (Parnell, 1837), is the largest of all European skate and rays (Superorder: Batoidea). It is found in coastal waters of the European continental shelf and slopes in the North-East (NE) Atlantic. With the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classification of 'common skate' as Critically Endangered, and the recognition in 2010 that this name masked two species (flapper skate and blue skate D. batis (Linnaeus, 1758)), and to better support conservation on this regional scale, the Flapper Skate Working Group (SWG) was formed. The SWG is a consortium of government, NGOs, sport-fishing associates and academics, including participants from the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. The purpose of the SWG is to consolidate relevant research, advocacy and policy expertize for the purpose of flapper skate conservation. The first SWG workshop took place in Belfast, November 2019, with discussions focussed on conservation in the NE Atlantic. Following two days of talks, workshops and discussions, we present the SWG's key recommendations for future collaborative conservation.

Domestication leads to changes in traits that are under directional selection in breeding programmes, though unintentional changes in nonproduction traits can also arise. In offspring of escaping fish and any hybrid progeny, such unintentionally altered traits may reduce fitness in the wild. Atlantic salmon breeding programmes were established in the early 1970s, resulting in genetic changes in multiple traits. However, the impact of domestication on eye size has not been studied. We measured body size corrected eye size in 4000 salmon from six common garden experiments conducted under artificial and natural conditions, in freshwater and saltwater environments, in two countries. Within these common gardens, offspring of domesticated and wild parents were crossed to produce 11 strains, with varying genetic backgrounds (wild, domesticated, F1 hybrids, F2 hybrids and backcrosses). Size-adjusted eye size was influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Domesticated fish reared under artificial conditions had smaller adjusted eye size when compared to wild fish reared under identical conditions, in both the freshwater and marine environments, and in both Irish and Norwegian experiments. However, in parr that had been introduced into a river environment shortly after hatching and sampled at the end of their first summer, differences in adjusted eye size observed among genetic groups were of a reduced magnitude and were nonsignificant in 2-year-old sea migrating smolts sampled in the river immediately prior to sea entry. Collectively, our findings could suggest that where natural selection is present, individuals with reduced eye size are maladapted and consequently have reduced fitness, building on our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie a well-documented reduction in the fitness of the progeny of domesticated salmon, including hybrid progeny, in the wild.

Although historical records of introductions that trigger successful biological invasions are common, subsequent patterns of dispersal and colonisation routes are unclear. We use microsatellites to examine genetic population structuring of established invasive brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in Newfoundland, Canada, for evidence of “natural” dispersal, human-mediated introductions, and colonisation routes. We also explored ancestry of contemporary populations relative to presumed progenitors. Results analysed using STRUCTURE, DAPC, a NJ tree and FSTcomparisons support records of historical introductions; current Newfoundland populations are largely descended from Scottish stock, with St. John’s the primary introduction site. Subsequent dispersal of these trout was facilitated principally by anadromy, largely consistent with a classic stepping-stone model, with significant isolation-by-distance. With one exception, dispersal along the north and south coasts of the Avalon peninsula appears to be natural and independent, involving stochastic processes resulting in unique outcomes for population composition. This study is a good example of dispersal patterns during a contemporary invasion underscoring the potential for non-anadromous founders to re-express anadromy, facilitating colonization of distant sites.

Science-based management of marine fisheries and effective ecosystem monitoring both require the collection of large amounts of often difficult to collect information on which decisions 68 | ICES SCIENTIFIC REPORTS 2:73 | ICES can be based and management policies developed. Legislation also increasingly requires the attainment of good environmental status, which again demands collection of data to enable efficient monitoring and management of biodiversity. Traditionally such information is obtained as a result of research surveys through the capture and/or visual identification of organisms in water or sediment samples. Recent years have seen significant advances in the utilization of environmental DNA (eDNA) in the marine environment to try to address the information needs in a cost-effective manner. Such approaches attempt to identify and/or quantify the species present at a location through the use of extra-organismal DNA shed into the environment. These new eDNA based approaches have the potential to revolutionise data collection in the marine environment. However, the rapid developments in the field provide an oftentimes bewildering suit of novel tools which have the potential to be utilized to examine issues of relevance to managers, monitors and policy-makers and it is difficult for a non-specialist to be able to make informed decisions as to the utility of such approaches to answer questions of interest. In order to bridge this information gap, here we present a non-technical summary of different approaches in the field of eDNA analysis, with value for the governance and management of marine aquatic ecosystems. The paper focuses on disentangling those tools, which are readily applicable, and those, which show promise but are currently in development. ICES | WGAGFA 2020 | 69 4 Additional results during the reporting period 4.1 Additional Output WGAGFA Leaflet: During the reporting period, a leaflet has been developed by the WGAGFA, depicting the scope and expertise and activities under the ICES remit. This leaflet is downloadable from the ICES web page and part of the WGAGFA dissemination strategy. ICES Training Report “Genomics in support of fisheries and aquaculture management”: In September 2019 the WGAGFA provided the first ICES training course on genomic approaches and their integration into fisheries and aquaculture management. This successful ICES training activity was documented in a report that has been submitted to ICES. ToRa publication: The Terms of Reference group dealing with farmed and wild salmon interactions under the lead of Ian Bradbury (DFO Canada) is currently preparing a manuscript that is to be submitted as a peer reviewed article. ToRd publication: The Term of Reference group dealing with environmental DNA under the lead of John Gilbey (Marine Science Scotland) has prepared a manuscript that has been submitted to Marine Policy. ToRd eDNA topic sheet: The Term of Reference group dealing with environmental DNA under the lead of John Gilbey (Marine Science Scotland) has submitted a draft for a topic sheet on the use of eDNA for ocean governance to be published under the ICES remit. WKGENOTOOLS report: an account, documenting the objectives scope, results and remit of the “Stakeholder Workshop on the Value of Genetic and Genomic Tools for identifying species in mixed landings, fish products and by-products”, has been prepared and been submitted to ICES. ICES ASC Theme Session 2018 publication: a manuscript for a peer-reviewed publication emerging from the Theme Session that the chairs of WGSEDA, WGPDMO, and WGAGFA organized, has been prepared. 4.2 Outreach Activities ICES Training Genomics in Support of Fisheries and Aquaculture Management: In September 2019 the WGAGFA provided a 3-Day training course on genomic approaches and their integration into fisheries and aquaculture management. This successful ICES training activity that received exceptionally positive feedback from the participants, is thoroughly documented in a report that has been submitted to ICES. WKGENOTOOLS: In February 2020, in support of ToRc, the WGAGFA, with financial support from the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) and resources from the JRC and the Norwegian Marine Research Institute (IMR), organized a two-day stakeholder workshop in Brussels on ToRc. The workshop resulted in a valuable exchange between WGAGFA scientists and stakeholders from the European Commission Directorate General MARE, the European Parliament, as well as the industry. Policy and legislative needs, with a focus on the EU landing obligations were identified, followed by an assessment of the value of state-of-the-art genetics and genomics for the implementation of relevant legislation. Results and outcomes of this workshop are documented in a report that will be submitted to ICES together with the final WGAGFA report. 70 | ICES SCIENTIFIC REPORTS 2:73 | ICES ICES ASC Theme Session 2018: Under the remit of the Aquaculture Steering Group, the chairs of the ICES Working Groups on Social and Economic Dimensions of Aquaculture (WGSEDA), Pathology and Diseases of Marine Organisms (WGPDMO), and on the Application of Genetics in Fisheries and Aquaculture (WGAGFA) co-organized the Theme Session O Working toward an ecosystem approach to North Atlantic marine aquaculture. A report documenting the output of this successful session has been submitted to ICES and a manuscript for a peer-reviewed publication is being prepared. World Fisheries Congress 2020 (postponed to 2021): Members of the WGAGFA are involved in the organization of sessions during the next world fisheries Congress. FishGenome: Following a specific request by the European Commission Directorate General MARE (DG MARE), the WGAGFA embarked on the dialogue with the FishGenome project consortium. The project FishGenome, ”Improving Cost-Efficiency of Fisheries Research Surveys and Fish Stocks Assessments using Next-Generation Genetic Sequencing Methods” is based on the tender issued by DG MARE, and managed by the European Agency for Small and MediumSized Enterprises (EASME; https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:2648652018:TEXT:EN:HTML). With Gary Carvalho, a WGAGFA member and former working group chair, is a member of the FishGenome scientific advisory group. The FishGenome consortium presented FishGenome, its objectives and scope, just before the WGAGFA annual meeting 2020. Moreover, a number of WGAGFA members participated upon invitation in the dedicated FishGenome stakeholder workshop in May 2020. Further common activities are under discussion, with the objective to maintain the established link between ICES and FishGenome, and as to ensure the best possible outcome in line with the policy-oriented objectives of the project. GECKA: A research project that emerged from WGAGFA 2015-18 ToRd. GECKA is led by AZTI, financed by the Joint Research Centre and a number of WGAGFA members contribute. GECKA assesses whether genetic close-kin mark recapture (CKMR) method can be employed for obtaining fisheries-independent abundance estimates for highly valuable and exploited deep-sea stocks. ICES | WGAGFA 2020 | 71 Annex 1: List of participants Name Institute Country (of institute) E-mail ALLAL, Francois Ifremer FR fallal@Ifremer.fr BARGELLONI, Luca University of Padova IT luca.bargelloni@unipd.it BOSSIER, Peter Ghent University BE peter.bossier@ugent.be BOUDRY, Pierre Ifremer FR pboudry@Ifremer.fr BRADBURY, Ian Fisheries and Oceans Canada CA ian.bradbury@dfo-mpo.gc.ca BRIEUC, Marine Institute of Marine Research Norway NO marine.brieuc@imr.no BURGETZ, Ingrid Fisheries and Oceans Canada CA ingrid.burgetz@dfo-mpo.gc.ca CALBOLI, Federico KU Leuven BE federico.calboli@kuleuven.be CARVALHO, Gary Bangor University, UK UK g.r.carvalho@bangor.ac.uk CASTILHO, Rita CCMAR PT rcastil@ualg.pt CHARRIER, Grégory LEMAR UBO FR gregory.charrier@univ-brest.fr COSCIA, Ilaria University of Salford UK I.Coscia@salford.ac.uk COULSON, Mark University of the Highlands and Islands UK Mark.Coulson.ic@uhi.ac.uk CROSS, Tom University College Cork IE t.cross@ucc.ie DAHLE, Geir Institute of Marine Research NO geir.dahle@imr.no DERYCKE, Sofie Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO BE Sofie.Derycke@ilvo.vlaanderen.be ENSING, Dennis Agri-food and Biosciences Institute UK dennis.ensing@afbini.gov.uk FRANCISCO, Sara Isabel ISPA Instituto Universitário PT sara_francisco@ispa.pt GILBEY, John Marine Scotland Science UK gilbeyj@marlab.ac.uk GRUENTHAL, Kristen NOAA US kristen.gruenthal@noaa.gov HANDAL, William LEMAR UBO FR william.handal@univ-brest.fr HELYAR, Sarah Queen's University Belfast UK s.helyar@qub.ac.uk HEMMER-HANSEN, Jakob DTU Aqua, National Institute of Aquatic Resources DK jhh@aqua.dtu.dk HOLMES, Steven NIWA NZ Steven.Holmes@niwa.co.nz>