Inferring source-specific production of adult Coho salmon to the Lake Michigan fishery using otolith chemistry

Grant: # 2050

Grant Amount: $172,340.00

Board Decision Year: 2024

Central Michigan University - Department of Biology and Institute for Great Lakes Research (Mt. Pleasant)

Department of Biology and Institute for Great Lakes Research

Pangle, Kevin ([email protected]) 989-774-3185

2024 Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Fish Populations: Ecological and Biological Research to Inform Management - Ecological and biological fisheries research to inform management

Project Summary

We will evaluate the source-specific production of Coho salmon to the Lake Michigan fishery.We have demonstrated that chemical signatures of juvenile Coho salmon otoliths are sufficientlydifferent among Lake Michigan tributaries to assign accurate natal origin. Here, otoliths of adultCoho salmon will be collected and analyzed to quantitatively assess the mixing of stocks in theLake Michigan sport fishery and identify specific sources most supportive of wild and hatcheryCoho salmon production.