Do genomics and sex predict migration in a partially migratory salmonid fish, Oncorhynchus mykiss?

Partial migration is a common phenomenon wherein populations include migratory and resident individuals. Whether an individual migrates or not has important ecological and management implications, particularly within protected populations. Within partially migratory populations of O. mykiss, migration is highly correlated with a specific genomic region, but it is unclear how well this region predicts migration at the individual level. Here, we relate sex and life history genotype, determined using >400 SNPs on the migratory-linked genomic region, to life history expression of marked juvenile O. mykiss from two tributaries to the South Fork Eel River, northern California. Most resident fish were resident-genotypes (57% resident, 37% heterozygous, 6% migratory genotype) and male (78%). Most migratory fish were female (62%), but were a mixture of genotypes (30% resident, 45% heterozygous, 25% migratory genotype). Sex was more strongly correlated with life history expression than genotype, but the best-supported model included both. Resident genotypes regularly migrated, highlighting the importance of conserving the full suite of life history and genetic diversity in partially migratory populations.