Management unit delineation of lake sturgeon populations based on adaptive genetic diversity

Grant: # 1539

Grant Amount: $193,942.00

Board Decision Year: 2015

West Virginia University Research Corporation (Morgantown)

Welsh, Amy ([email protected]) 304-293-0718

2015 Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Fish Populations: Ecological and Biological Research to Inform Management - Ecological and biological fisheries research to inform management

Project Details

Lake sturgeon management units have previously been delineated based on neutral genetic markers; however, these markers may not represent adaptive differences that may indicate different evolutionary pathways for lake sturgeon populations. In this project, lake sturgeon populations throughout the Great Lakes were analyzed at genes that are under natural selection. Populations were then grouped based on adaptive similarity, resulting in management units that could help conserve the adaptive potential of remaining lake sturgeon populations. The results of this project could also be used to inform source population decisions for stocking or to inform the designation of distinct population segments of lake sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act.

Documents

Final Report

View - 2015.1539_final_report.pdf