Oncorhynchus gilae genomic resources for conservation and management

Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) is native to the mountain streams in Southwestern United States. Specifically, it can be found in the Gila River drainage in New Mexico, San Francisco River drainage in Arizona and New Mexico, and tributaries to the Gila River in Arizona. This species is listed as threatened and is managed to preserve relict populations distributed across a fragmented landscape. Gila trout comprises four differentiated lineages; all of them have captive populations used for augmentation of riverine populations. All lineages characterized by low effective population sizes but each one retains unique diversity and are potentially adapted to local conditions; however, levels of genomic diversity are variable across lineages. All lineages have experienced population bottlenecks associated with mortality from drought and severe wildfires. The goal of this project is to develop genomic tools for conservation of Gila trout to inform management decisions.