Genetic analyses of host-specific parasites can elucidate the evolutionary histories and biological features of their hosts. Here, we used population-genomic analyses of ectoparasitic seal lice (Echinophthirius horridus) to shed light on the postglacial history of seals in the Arctic Ocean and the Baltic Sea region. One key question was the enigmatic origin of relict landlocked ringed seal populations in lakes Saimaa and Ladoga in northern Europe. We found that that lice of four postglacially diverged subspecies of the ringed seal (Pusa hispida) and Baltic gray seal (Halichoerus grypus), like their hosts, form genetically differentiated entities. Using coalescent-based demographic inference, we show that the sequence of divergences of the louse populations is consistent with the geological history of lake formation. In addition, local effective population sizes of the lice are generally proportional to the census sizes of their respective seal host populations. Genome-based reconstructions of long-term effective population sizes revealed clear differences among louse populations associated with gray vs. ringed seals, with apparent links to Pleistocene and Holocene climatic variation as well as to the isolation histories of ringed seal subspecies. Interestingly, our analyses also revealed ancient gene flow between the lice of Baltic gray and ringed seals, suggesting that the distributions of Baltic seals overlapped to a greater extent in the past than is the case today. Taken together, our results demonstrate how genomic information from specialized parasites with higher mutation and substitution rates than their hosts can potentially illuminate finer scale population genetic patterns than similar data from their hosts.

The Arctic environment plays a critical role in the global climate system and marine biodiversity. The region’s ice-covered expanses provide essential breeding and feeding grounds for a diverse assemblage of marine species, who have adapted to thrive in these harsh conditions and consequently are under threat from global warming. The bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) is an ice-obligate Arctic species using sea-ice for many aspects of its life-history, rendering it particularly vulnerable to sea-ice loss. It is one of the least studied and hence enigmatic of the Arctic marine mammals, with little knowledge regarding genetic structure, diversity, adaptations and demographic history, consequently hampering management and conservation efforts. Here, we sequenced 70 whole nuclear genomes from across most of the species’ circumpolar range, finding significant genetic structure between the Pacific and the Atlantic subspecies, which diverged during the Penultimate Glacial Period (~192 KYA). Remarkably, we found fine-scale genetic structure within both subspecies, with at least two distinct populations in the Pacific and three in the Atlantic. We hypothesize sea-ice dynamics and bathymetry had a prominent role of in shaping bearded seal genetic structure and diversity. Resulting genomic data can be used to complement the health, physiological, and behavioral research needed to conserve this species. In addition, we provide recommendations for management units that can be used to more specifically assess climatic and anthropogenic impacts on bearded seal populations.