Research Projects
SUPCON: Supplemental Sea Lamprey Control Initiative
SUPCON is a 13-year adaptive management program to test the effects of supplemental sea lamprey control strategies than can be used alongside status quo lampricide treatments, which include adult trapping and removal, sterile male release, seasonal electric barriers, and the use of alarm pheromones. As part of SUPCON, federal and tribal agencies collect thousands of larval sea lamprey annually, and the MEER lab prepares the samples for genetic pedigree reconstruction. Genetic demographic estimates will help to inform the efficacy of the supplemental control interventions.
Lake Whitefish Close-Kin Mark-Recapture
Lake Whitefish (Corgeonus clupeaformis) is one of the most valued species in the Great Lakes in social, economic, and ecological ways. Populations have been declining over the past decades amidst food web shifts and changing environments. Current estimates rely heavily on commercial catch reports, but limiting harvest to preserve the species also limits data input for these models. This project uses genetically detected kinship frequencies to estimate population abundance to supplement and compare current estimates. Supported by Great Lakes Fishery Trust.
Building genomic tools to inform migratory sucker management
FishPass, a first-of-its-kind fish passage facility, is the capstone of a decades-long restoration project on the Boardman-Ottaway River watershed, re-connecting the river with Lake Michigan. FishPass will replace the deteriorating Union Street Dam in Traverse City, Michigan with a new barrier with the ability to sort and selectively pass desirable fishes while blocking harmful invaders like sea lamprey. In anticipation of habitat reconnection for native migratory fish species, we are building genomic tools to help assess fragmented sucker (Catostomus spp.) populations in the river before and after FishPass. Our work will produce a species identification assay, new genotyping panels for two species of native suckers, and a baseline demographic assessment of spawning population sizes. These tools will be used by the FishPass monitoring team and remain widely available for others promoting future research of these underappreciated but important Great Lakes fish. Project funding provided by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
Characterizing Cisco occupancy in Michigan Inland lakes
Cisco are a threatened species in Michigan, declining in inland lakes throughout the Midwest. This project will determine the population status of Cisco in Michigan using vertical gillnet surveys and eDNA detections. Using occupancy and environmental data, we are developing a model to identify drivers of Cisco extirpation. This project is funded through the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act and made possible through partnership with Michigan DNR and the Michigan USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.
Brook Trout Stock Genetic Analysis
Stocking brook trout in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (UP) has been practiced since the 1870s with no assessment of its impact or the genetic composition of stocked hatchery fish. Current brook trout stocking programs in the UP are conducted by MI Department of Natural Resources (DNR; Assinica strain) and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Tribe (KBIC; Jumbo River strain) who stock for recreational opportunities and population restoration, respectively. Hatchery-raised fish are capable of adapting to hatchery environments and when stocked in the wild they have the potential to interbreed and alter natural genetic composition. This project will assess the consequences of stocking hatchery-raised brook trout on the genetic composition of wild populations across the UP and evaluate temporal changes in the Assinica strain broodstock. The results of this research may help to define which Upper Peninsula waters are suitable for stocked brook trout fisheries and which need to be prioritized for the restoration or conservation of native genetic diversity.
