Characterization of olfactory imprinting to inform restoration of lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes

Grant: # 1785

Grant Amount: $217,128.57

Board Decision Year: 2018

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

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

Li, Weiming ([email protected]) (517) 432-6705

2018 Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Fish Populations: Ecological and Biological Research to Inform Management - Ecological and biological fisheries research to inform management

Project Details

Project abstract: 

Olfactory imprinting is one mechanism thought to facilitate natal stream homing and spawning site fidelity, an important reproductive strategy that leads to localized adaptations in genetically distinct fish populations. We investigated olfactory imprinting during early ontogeny in lake sturgeon and the potential role of stream specific amino acid profiles, or the proportional abundance of each measured amino acid in a stream, as the guiding odors in olfactory imprinting and stream discrimination by lake sturgeon. We found behavioral evidence of olfactory imprinting during the free-embryo and exogenous larval feeding life stages in lake sturgeon. We also documented substantial temporal and spatial variability of amino acid profiles in Great Lakes tributaries, indicating amino acids to may be poorly suited as odorants guiding olfactory imprinting in the Great Lakes. Taken together, our results provide evidence that lake sturgeon can form olfactory memory during early ontogeny and therefore support a role of olfactory imprinting in natal homing, though additional studies are needed to further evaluate the importance of amino acid profiles and possible retention of olfactory memory by adult lake sturgeon.

The final report for this project can be accessed at this link. 

Documents

Financial Report 7.1.22-9.30.22

View - glft_financial_progress_report_7.1.22-9.30.22.pdf