Simultaneous Analysis of Genetic and Age Data To Estimate Stock Contribution for Mixed-Stock and Strain, Open-Water Fisheries in the Great Lakes

Grant: # 1080

Grant Amount: $336,073.83

Board Decision Year: 2009

Michigan State University - Department of Fisheries and Wildlife (East Lansing)

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

Brenden, Travis O. ([email protected]) 517-355-0003

GLFT - Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Fish Populations-D - Ecological and biological fisheries research to inform management

Project Details

Using genetic and age composition data, Michigan State University's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife developed new methods for identifying stock and cohort contribution to admixed, open-water fisheries. This innovation improves the ability to evaluate stock-specific recruitment from routine assessment or harvest data. The usefulness and performance of this new method were demonstrated with simulations and applications to Great Lakes stocks of lake sturgeon, lake trout, and walleye, which range in longevity, aging uncertainty and geographic scale of movements.