No major changes in cod DNA from long-term fishing pressure
Cod have been fished for a thousand years, both along the Norwegian coast and off Newfoundland, but industrial fishing really took off after the Second World War. Photo: Kjartan Mæstad / Institute of Marine Research
Samples of Atlantic cod fished in Mortsund, Lofoten in 1907 have provided researchers with new clues about the population s development since then. Photo: Runar Bjørkvik Mæland / Institute of Marine Research
Researchers derived a full genome sequence from preserved cod scales and otholiths. Photo: Runar Bjørkvik Mæland / Institute of Marine Research
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Historical and contemporary samples of Norwegian and Canadian cod show that the fish’s genome has remained stable over time.