One of the objectives of the BIOQUAL project is to establish genetic tools in order to identify quality traits in finfish aquaculture and further to produce gene microarrays to aid in broodstock selection based on quality traits. As part of these studies genetic variation among wild cod from more than 15 cod stocks spanning the worldwide distribution of the species was investigated. A surprisingly high number of genes with divergent patterns of variation among populations was found. The candidate genes identified can form the foundation for selection programmes targeting specific traits of interest to ensure improved future quality of farmed cod
