Data from: Single nucleotide polymorphisms across a species' range: implications for conservation studies of Pacific salmon

Studies of the oceanic and near-shore distributions of Pacific salmon,
whose migrations typically span thousands of kilometers, have become
increasingly valuable in the presence of climate change, increasing
hatchery production, and potentially high rates of bycatch in offshore
fisheries. Genetics data offer considerable insights into both the
migratory routes as well as the evolutionary histories of the species.
However, these types of studies require extensive datasets from spawning
populations originating from across the species? range. Single nucleotide
polymorphisms (SNPs) have been particularly amenable for multi-national
applications because they are easily shared, require little
inter-laboratory standardization, and can be assayed through increasingly
efficient technologies. Here we discuss the development of a dataset for
114 populations of chum salmon through a collaboration among North
American and Asian researchers, termed PacSNP. PacSNP is focused on
developing the database and applying it to problems of international
interest. A dataset spanning the entire range of species provides a unique
opportunity to examine patterns of variability, and we review issues
associated with SNP development. We found evidence of ascertainment bias
within the dataset, variable linkage relationships between SNPs associated
with ancestral groupings, and outlier loci with alleles associated with
latitude.