Salmon and trout will be used as model system for developing nuclear DNA markers for problems in conservation genetics. Inheritance experiments will provide a needed test of the utility of nuclear DNA makers for conservation genetic studies. Recent results have raised an important challenge to the use of allozymes to describe genetic population structure. The generality of the result that nuclear DNA and allozyme markers do not provide a concordant view of the distribution of genetic variation among populations within a species will be tested. %%% Salmon and trout of western North America offer one of the greatest challenges to the application salmon and trout is less than 5% of historic numbers within the Columbia River system, and several local populations have been listed under the Endangered Species Act within the last three years. These studies will provide a genetic basis for the conservation of these valuable fishes.
