Growth and feeding efficiency of wild and aquaculture genotypes of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) common to Lake Huron,Canada

Selective breeding of salmonid fishes for the purpose of commercial aquaculture has resulted in domesticated strains possessing a divergent physiological and behavioral phenotype from that of wild conspecifics. Freshwater production of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) has been occurring in regions of Lake Huron, Canada, for decades yet the growth and performance of domestic (aquaculture) versus wild (naturalized) strains are poorly understood. We conducted two trials to examine growth differences between size-matched wild and domestic strains of juvenile rainbow trout: (1) reared separately and fed to satiation; and (2) reared together and fed a reduced ration to induce competition. Additionally, we used bioenergetics models to assess strain-specific growth rates across a range of water temperatures (5, 10, 15 and 18 °C) as well as Lake Huron temperatures during the open-water season. Domestic rainbow trout showed a growth advantage throughout the 102 d trials, and by the end of the study had achieved a mass > two-fold that of the wild strain and had greater fork length, condition, and thermal growth coefficient (TGC) under both treatments. Rapid growth of domestic strain fish was achieved through the combination of enhanced feed consumption (by ~ 40%) and feeding efficiency (up to 60% lower feed conversion ratio) relative to wild fish. Divergence in growth rates between strains was most pronounced (> 3 ×) when modeled with Lake Huron open-water temperatures. We demonstrate that the growth and feed-conversion efficiency differ significantly between these two strains of rainbow trout under laboratory conditions, suggesting that differences could be even greater in nature.     

Temperature gradients,not food resource gradients,affect growth rate of migrating Daphnia mendotae in Lake Michigan

Zooplankton production plays a critical role in the Great Lakes ecosystem, and vertical migration, which is exhibited by many zooplankton species, could affect production. We examined the effects of water temperature and food resource gradients on the growth rate of zooplankton undergoing vertical migration in Lake Michigan. In three laboratory experiments, juvenile Daphnia mendotae, native herbivorous cladocerans, were incubated for 5 days at water temperatures associated with the epilimnion and deep chlorophyll maxima (DCM) of Lake Michigan and were fed food resources collected directly from these regions. Growth rate strongly depended on water temperature, as Daphnia incubated at the epilimnetic temperature (21 °C) grew 42% faster than those at the DCM temperature (8 °C). Growth rate of Daphnia that alternated between the two temperatures every 12 h (0.108 day^− 1) was similar to the arithmetic average growth rate of the two water temperature treatment extremes (0.110 day^− 1), suggesting fluctuating temperatures alone do not substantially influence Daphnia growth. In contrast, food resources derived from different depths did not affect growth rate, nor was there a significant interaction between food resource origin and water temperature effects. Our results indicate that vertical migration will reduce growth rate, and hence zooplankton production, through reduced temperature, not from changes in resources. Consideration of the effects of vertical migration, especially given the known variability in this behavior, may substantially improve zooplankton production estimates in the Great Lakes.     

Laboratory-derived temperature preference and effect on the feeding rate and survival of juvenile Hemimysis anomala

Hemimysis anomala is a warm-water mysid that invaded the Great Lakes region in 2006 and has since rapidly spread throughout the basin. We conducted three laboratory experiments to better define the temperature preference, tolerance limits, and temperature effects on feeding rates of juvenile Hemimysis, using individuals acclimated to mid (16 °C) and upper (22 °C) preferred temperature values previously reported for the species. For temperature preference, we fit a two-parameter Gaussian (μ, σ) function to the experimental data, and found that the peak values (μ, interpreted as the preference temperature) were 22.0 °C (SE 0.25) when acclimated to 16 and 21.9 °C (SE 0.38) when acclimated to 22 °C, with the σ-values of the curves at 2.6 and 2.5 °C, respectively. No mysids were observed in temperatures below 10 or above 28 °C in these preference experiments. In short-term tolerance experiments for temperatures between 4 and 32 °C, all mysids died within 8 h at 30.2 °C for 16 °C acclimated mysids, and at 31.8 °C for 22 °C acclimated mysids. No lower lethal limit was found. Feeding rates increased with temperature from an average of 4 Bosmina eaten per hour at 5 °C to 19 Bosmina eaten per hour at 27 °C. The results of our experiments indicate an optimal temperature for Hemimysis between 21 and 27 °C, which corresponds with temperatures during periods of high population growth in the field. These results contribute a better understanding of this species' biological response to temperature that will help guide field studies and inform bioenergetics modeling.     

Evaluating the growth potential of sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) feeding on siscowet lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Superior

Differences in the preferred thermal habitat of Lake Superior lake trout morphotypes create alternative growth scenarios for parasitic sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) attached to lake trout hosts. Siscowet lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) inhabit deep, consistently cold water (4-6 °C) and are more abundant than lean lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) which occupy temperatures between 8 and 12 °C during summer thermal stratification. Using bioenergetics models we contrasted the growth potential of sea lampreys attached to siscowet and lean lake trout to determine how host temperature influences the growth and ultimate size of adult sea lamprey. Sea lampreys simulated under the thermal regime of siscowets are capable of reaching sizes within the range of adult sea lamprey sizes observed in Lake Superior tributaries. High lamprey wounding rates on siscowets suggest siscowets are important lamprey hosts. In addition, siscowets have higher survival rates from lamprey attacks than those observed for lean lake trout which raises the prospect that siscowets serve as a buffer to predation on more commercially desirable hosts such as lean lake trout, and could serve to subsidize lamprey growth.     

Movement patterns of smallmouth and largemouth bass in and around a Lake Michigan harbor: The importance of water temperature

Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu and largemouth bass M. salmoides in southwestern Lake Michigan use shallow, warm harbors for spawning during spring. After the reproductive period ends in early summer, catch rates from standardized sampling of smallmouth bass in harbors decrease. Fishes are presumed to use the main lake during summer but little is known about how black basses use main-lake habitat in Lake Michigan or mechanisms driving this transition. We tracked smallmouth bass (N = 26) and largemouth bass (N = 8) using radio and acoustic telemetry during 2005–2006 near North Point Marina, IL. A temperature difference persisted between inside and outside the harbor for much of May–October where harbor temperatures were generally warmer than those outside the harbor. Smallmouth bass responded to water temperature changes, inhabiting the harbor until temperatures outside the harbor approached 18.5 °C, at which time they left the harbor. Frequent temperature fluctuations of > 3 °C occurred outside the harbor within 24-hour periods. Sudden reductions in water temperature were associated with smallmouth bass temporarily returning to the harbor until the temperature outside the harbor again approached 18.5 °C. As water cooled during fall, smallmouth bass again returned to the harbor. Largemouth bass exhibited comparatively restricted movements during this time and rarely ranged outside the harbor. Thus, home range estimates for smallmouth bass (142.6 ha) were an order of magnitude greater than those of largemouth bass (12.9 ha). Both water temperature and species played a role in determining the degree of movement outside the harbor but both black basses used the harbor as a thermal refuge.     

Delayed egg hatching accounts for replacement of burrowing mayflies Hexagenia rigida by Hexagenia limbata after recolonization in western Lake Erie

Egg banking may have played a role in the recolonization of two burrowing mayfly species (Hexagenia limbata and Hexagenia rigida), which recolonized western Lake Erie after over 30 years of near extirpation. H. rigida was the first of the two to colonize successfully, but was overtaken by H. limbata (the historically dominant species). To understand mechanisms of species replacement, we compared egg hatching between the two species at 20 °C in the lab under typical hatching temperatures (no incubation) and after cold storage (8 °C) for 2, 6 and 12 months. Prolonged storage at cold temperatures simulates temperature conditions to which embryos are exposed when deposited by late-emerging female imagos. Without incubation, H. rigida (95.4 ± 2.02) exhibited significantly higher egg hatching survivorship than H. limbata (85 ± 3.2) (P = 0.01). First hatch date for H. rigida was one day earlier than H. limbata, but time for 50% to hatch (5 d) and hatching duration (5 d) was the same for both species. After 2 and 6 months of incubation, H. limbata exhibited an earlier hatch date, but there was no significant difference in mean percentage of egg survival (ca 63%) between species. After 12 months of cold storage, hatching success for H. limbata was 44.6 ± 4.17%, but H. rigida eggs did not hatch. Banking of eggs at low temperature increases the chance of successful recolonization, once stressful conditions pass. The viability H. limbata eggs after long quiescence may help to explain the shift in dominance from H. rigida to H. limbata.     

Changes in mid-summer water temperature and clarity across the Great Lakes between 1968 and 2002

In recent decades, three important events have likely played a role in changing the water temperature and clarity of the Laurentian Great Lakes: 1) warmer climate, 2) reduced phosphorus loading, and 3) invasion by European Dreissenid mussels. This paper compiled environmental data from government agencies monitoring the middle and lower portions of the Great Lakes basin (lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario) to document changes in aquatic environments between 1968 and 2002. Over this 34-year period, mean annual air temperature increased at an average rate of 0.037 °C/y, resulting in a 1.3 °C increase. Surface water temperature during August has been rising at annual rates of 0.084 °C (Lake Huron) and 0.048 °C (Lake Ontario) resulting in increases of 2.9 °C and 1.6 °C, respectively. In Lake Erie, the trend was also positive, but it was smaller and not significant. Water clarity, measured here by August Secchi depth, increased in all lakes. Secchi depth increased 1.7 m in Lake Huron, 3.1 m in Lake Ontario and 2.4 m in Lake Erie. Prior to the invasion of Dreissenid mussels, increases in Secchi depth were significant (p < 0.05) in lakes Erie and Ontario, suggesting that phosphorus abatement aided water clarity. After Dreissenid mussel invasion, significant increases in Secchi depth were detected in lakes Ontario and Huron.     

Thermal habitat characteristics for warmwater fishes in coastal embayments of Lake Ontario

Along 40 km of the Lake Ontario shoreline near Toronto, Ontario, small coastal embayments (4.38-848 × 10³ m²) have been constructed or modified by lake-infilling to restore warmwater fish habitat. We describe how the thermal regimes of these embayments differ from those of small inland lakes, how embayment bathymetry alters the degree of exchange with Lake Ontario, and predict how embayment thermal regimes affect warmwater fish growth. The accumulated growing-degree days, calculated from a 14 °C baseline (∑ GDD₁₄), of seven South-Central Ontario inland lakes and an embayment disconnected from Lake Ontario ranged from 844 to 1157 GDD. Compared to the inland lakes and disconnected embayment, the coastal embayments connected to Lake Ontario achieved fewer ∑ GDD₁₄ and had a greater range, 390-1047, reflecting differences in their degree of exchange with and the cooling effect of Lake Ontario. The thermal regime of coastal embayments differs most from inland lakes during May-late-July. During early summer, mean embayment depth explains over 50% of the variability in ∑ GDD₁₄, with deeper embayments cooling more from lake exchange than shallow embayments. After mid-summer, the cooling embayments are warmed by exchanges with Lake Ontario. This late-summer warming is insufficient to compensate for the cooling effect of the Lake earlier in the summer. Bioenergetic simulations of bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, growth indicate that most of these embayments are too cool for adequate summer growth of YOY sunfish. Nevertheless, small coastal embayments that are shallow with suitable controls on exchange with the Lake can provide acceptable warmwater fish habitat.     

Gastric evacuation rate,index of fullness,and daily ration of Lake Michigan slimy (Cottus cognatus) and deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii)

Accurate estimates of fish consumption are required to understand trophic interactions and facilitate ecosystem-based fishery management. Despite their importance within the food-web, no method currently exists to estimate daily consumption for Great Lakes slimy (Cottus cognatus) and deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii). We conducted experiments to estimate gastric evacuation (GEVAC) and collected field data from Lake Michigan to estimate index of fullness [(g prey/g fish weight)100%) to determine daily ration for water temperatures ranging 2–5 °C, coinciding with the winter and early spring season. Exponential GEVAC rates equaled 0.0115/h for slimy sculpin and 0.0147/h for deepwater sculpin, and did not vary between 2.7 °C and 5.1 °C for either species or between prey types (Mysis relicta and fish eggs) for slimy sculpin. Index of fullness varied with fish size, and averaged 1.93% and 1.85% for slimy and deepwater sculpins, respectively. Maximum index of fullness was generally higher (except for the smallest sizes) for both species in 2009–2010 than in 1976 despite reductions in a primary prey, Diporeia spp. Predictive daily ration equations were derived as a function of fish dry weight. Estimates of daily consumption ranged from 0.2 to 0.8% of their body weight, which was within the low range of estimates from other species at comparably low water temperatures. These results provide a tool to estimate the consumptive demand of sculpins which will improve our understanding of benthic offshore food webs and aid in management and restoration of these native species in the Great Lakes.     

The effects of cool and variable temperatures on the hatch date,growth and overwinter mortality of a warmwater fish in small coastal embayments of Lake Ontario

Little is known about the ecology of warmwater fish in small coastal embayments (< 32 ha) where temperatures are lowered by exchange with the adjacent lake. Using pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbous) as a model warmwater fish, we compare hatch dates and overwinter survival in two embayments with higher and lower amounts of cold-water input from Lake Ontario, in a warmer and cooler year. In 2007, the embayments differed by approximately 2–5 °C until late-July. In that year, temperatures in the cooler embayment delayed hatching times until July 18–August 20, approximately eight weeks later (May 24–August 20) than in the warmer embayment. Almost all offspring in the cooler embayment were likely too small to survive the winter. In 2008 both embayments had similar temperatures. In that year, pumpkinseed started hatching in early-June, and most were likely large enough to survive the winter. The findings from the two intensively sampled embayments were confirmed with a 21-year fish monitoring dataset; adult pumpkinseed were captured in the littoral zone of warm embayments 6–8 weeks earlier than in cooler embayments. Relative to pumpkinseed in the small inland lakes of eastern and central Ontario, spawning is delayed by at least two weeks in coastal embayments. Using water temperatures as a surrogate for growth, we calculated that only 5 of the 17 embayments for which we have temperature records were able to consistently produce successfully overwintering age-0 fish. Nevertheless, we found pumpkinseed age ≥ 1 in embayments too cold to produce age-0 pumpkinseed, suggesting immigration from warmer embayments.     

Diatoms abound in ice-covered Lake Erie: An investigation of offshore winter limnology in Lake Erie over the period 2007 to 2010

The limnology of offshore Lake Erie during periods of extensive (> 70%) ice cover was examined from ship borne sampling efforts in 2007 to 2010, inclusive. Dense and discrete accumulations of the centric filamentous diatom Aulacoseria islandica (> 10 μg Chl-a/L) were located in the isothermal (< 1 °C) water column directly below the ice and only detectable in the ship wake; viable phytoplankton were also observed within ice. Evidence from these surveys supports the notions that winter blooms of diatoms occur annually prior to the onset of ice cover and that the phytoplankton from these blooms are maintained in the surface waters of Lake Erie and reduce silicate concentrations in the lake prior to spring. The mechanisms by which high phytoplankton biomass rise at this time of year requires further investigation, but these winter blooms probably have consequences for summer hypoxia and how the lake responds to climate change.     

Groundwater temperature and degassing in the Mad River subwatershed of Lake Huron

Groundwater was measured 70 times in two years at 10 sites as it flowed 50 m over an accumulation of travertine (CaCO₃) before reaching the Mad River. At source, the groundwater was relatively cool (6.77 ± 2.89 °C), slightly acidic ( pH 6.86 ± 0.22), and had a moderately high specific conductivity (606 ± 51 μS). Degassing was assessed from increases in pH, and CaCO₃ deposition was assessed from decreasing conductivity. After flowing over the experimental site, degassing had increased pH to 8.04 ± 0.16 (P < 0.001), which was similar to river water (pH 8.07 ± 0.30). Concurrently, CaCO₃ deposition decreased conductivity to 577 ± 43 μS (P < 0.001) but this was still higher (P < 0.001) than river water (494 ± 72). Seasonal changes in air temperature affected the rate of degassing. The pH was correlated with air temperature (r = 0.15, P < 0.001) while conductivity was correlated with pH (r = − 0.27, P < 0.001), but no direct relationship of air temperature with conductivity was detected. Groundwater entering the river after atmospheric exposure had a fairly constant temperature (7.05 ± 1.22 °C) despite seasonal changes in air temperature, thus warming the river in winter (up to day 100 and after day 300) and cooling it in summer (from days 140 to 260). Degassing and CaCO₃ deposition in springs without travertine was similar to that observed in the study stream over travertine. These groundwater inflows provide favorable pH and temperature conditions for brook trout.     

The thermal variability of the waters of Fathom Five National Marine Park,Lake Huron

Measurements of the thermal stratification at 3 locations within Fathom Five National Marine Park in Lake Huron, Ontario during the summers of 2006 and 2007 found large oscillations in the position of the thermocline. These oscillations led to considerable variability in the temperature at a given depth, with frequent changes in temperature at a rate of 5 °C per hour, and brief periods where temperatures changed at the rate of 10 °C per hour. The thermal stress due to such fast rates of temperature change has been previously implicated in negative effects on many aquatic organisms. The thermocline was observed to move by as much as 20 m vertically, and had dominant periods of oscillation of 12, 17 and 24 h. The strongest temperature variability occurs in the depth range of 10–20 m, which accounts for 20% of the total lakebed area within Fathom Five. The temperature variability was lowest in deep regions well below the thermocline and at a sheltered area behind a reef. This variability was a ubiquitous feature of the water column of Fathom Five during the summer stratification, and the impact of these frequent short-term thermal fluctuations on benthic and fish habitat is discussed in this note.     

Algal pigments in Lake Erie dreissenids,pseudofeces and sediments,as tracers of diet,selective feeding and bioaccumulation

Algal class biomarkers revealed the importance of diatoms and chlorophytes in the diet of dreissenids (n 18) collected from eastern Lake Erie (2–20 m depths; hard and soft substrate), during summer and fall, from 2003 to 2005. The most prominent biomarkers in dreissenids, typical of August, were fatty acid esters of carotenoids derived from diatoms (monoesters of fucoxanthinol, average 61%) and chlorophytes (diesters of mactraxanthin, average 30%), while non-esterified biomarkers from diatoms, chlorophytes, cryptophytes and cyanobacteria were below 4% of the total. At cool temperatures (June 2003, 13 °C), dreissenids had 84%:12% diatom:chlorophyte biomarkers, but with unseasonably warm temperatures (June 2004, 18 °C) and a nearshore chlorophyte bloom, dreissenids had a biomarker distribution similar to August. Bioconcentration factors in dreissenids relative to phytoplankton from Lake Erie were largest for the biomarkers from diatoms (21 L/g ww) and chlorophytes (29 L/g ww), compared to those from cryptophytes (2 L/g ww) and cyanobacteria (3 L/g ww). Unlike dreissenids (2003), matching pseudofeces (n 6) and sediments (n 16) contained a relatively large percentage of biomarkers for cryptophytes (20% June, 27% August) and cyanobacteria (31% August), suggesting that their low levels in dreissenids represent ingested feces, which are being rejected. Increased shell size (12–27 mm; surrogate for age; 3 sets) corresponded to an increase in diatom biomarkers (from 60 to 73%) but a decrease in chlorophyte biomarkers (from 31 to 17%); biomarker concentrations also decreased significantly (−3000 pmol/g ww/mm) in the most offshore collection, near Buffalo (Oct. 2005).     

Influence of water temperature on rainbow smelt spawning and early life history dynamics in St. Martin Bay,Lake Huron

Rainbow smelt are an important prey species for native and introduced salmonines in the Great Lakes. In Lake Huron, rainbow smelt populations are characterized by variable recruitment and year-class strength. To understand the influence of water temperature on reproduction, growth, and survival during larval-fish stages, we sampled spawning tributaries and larval-fish habitats during 2008 and 2009 in St. Martin Bay, Lake Huron. Spawning by rainbow smelt occurred primarily when stream temperatures were between 3 and 10 °C, which resulted in a 7–10-day spawning period during 2008, and a 15–20-day spawning period during 2009. Regardless of these differences in spawning temperatures and duration, peak larval-fish densities during 2008 were double those observed during 2009. Length–frequency analysis of larval-fish populations during both years revealed stream-hatched fish during May and a later emergence of larval rainbow smelt during summer, presumably originating from lake spawning. Warmer bay water temperatures led to earlier emergence of lake-spawned rainbow smelt larvae during 2009. Stream-hatched fish larvae experienced large-scale mortality during May 2008 resulting in a bay population consisting primarily of lake-spawned rainbow smelt larvae, but during 2009 both stream- and lake-hatched cohorts experienced higher survival concomitant with significantly higher mean population growth rates. Higher larval-fish growth rates during 2009 appeared to be density-dependent and facilitated by warmer water temperatures during late June and cooler water temperatures during July. Temperature-mediated differences in annual growth rates and irregular contributions from stream- and lake-hatched fish larvae are important factors affecting survival and abundance of young-of-the-year rainbow smelt in Lake Huron.     

Beach sediment magnetism and sources: Lake Erie,Ontario, Canada

Measurements were made along the northwestern shore of Lake Erie, Canada to determine whether grain magnetic properties can be used to identify and distinguish sources of beach sediment. Although surface magnetic susceptibilities were highly variable, ranging from 56 to 9867 × 10⁻⁵ SI (Bartington MS2D), there was generally a gradual increase from the low beach (near the waterline) towards the high beach; there were also narrow, shore-parallel bands with high susceptibility at various points on the beach surface. Magnetic mineralogy on the beaches was dominated by low-Ti magnetite (570° < Tc < 580 °C), and the effective grain-size varied from pseudosingle domain in the low beach to multidomain on the high beach. Sandy bluff sediments in the eastern part of the study area had magnetic properties (e.g. S-ratios, hysteresis loops, thermomagnetic curves) that were similar to those on the beaches, whereas the magnetic properties of the extensive till bluffs and river basin sediments were quite different. The data suggested that, whereas the beaches in the western part of the study area are supplied with sediment from bluffs several tens of kilometres to the east, the source of the high magnetic concentrations on the eroding beaches of eastern Point Pelee remains to be determined.     

Thermal and hydrologic suitability of Lake Erie and its major tributaries for spawning of Asian carps

Bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, silver carp H. molitrix, and grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella (hereafter Asian carps) have expanded throughout the Mississippi River basin and threaten to invade Lakes Michigan and Erie. Adult bighead carp and grass carp have been captured in Lake Erie, but self-sustaining populations probably do not exist. We examined thermal conditions within Lake Erie to determine if Asian carps would mature, and to estimate time of year when fish would reach spawning condition. We also examined whether thermal and hydrologic conditions in the largest tributaries to western and central Lake Erie were suitable for spawning of Asian carps. We used length of undammed river, predicted summer temperatures, and predicted water velocity during flood events to determine whether sufficient lengths of river are available for spawning of Asian carps. Most rivers we examined have at least 100 km of passable river and summer temperatures suitable (> 21 C) for rapid incubation of eggs of Asian carps. Predicted water velocity and temperature were sufficient to ensure that incubating eggs, which drift in the water column, would hatch before reaching Lake Erie for most flood events in most rivers if spawned far enough upstream. The Maumee, Sandusky, and Grand Rivers were predicted to be the most likely to support spawning of Asian carps. The Black, Huron, Portage, and Vermilion Rivers were predicted to be less suitable. The weight of the evidence suggests that the largest western and central Lake Erie tributaries are thermally and hydrologically suitable to support spawning of Asian carps.     

Phytoplankton growth dynamics in offshore Lake Erie during mid-winter

The phytoplankton community in offshore Lake Erie in mid-winter was active but little net growth was occurring which suggests that high reported accumulations of phytoplankton in this lake in February are likely the product of previous bloom conditions. We measured phytoplankton dynamics as size-specific growth and loss rates of phytoplankton using dilution assays and antibiotic assays in ice-covered offshore waters of Lake Erie during the mid-winter period in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Total chlorophyll-a specific rates (average ± standard deviation) measured using dilution assays for growth ([0.72 ± 0.35/d]) and loss ([0.98 ± 0.36/d]) were closely matched. Growth and loss rates of picocyanobacteria determined using an antibiotic technique ranged from − 0.10 to 1.22/d and − 0.11 to − 2.35/d, respectively. The results indicate a trend of higher grazing rate than growth rate but that this difference is not significantly different from zero, suggesting a state of phytoplankton population size equilibrium at this time of year in the waters sampled.     

Genetic assessment of straying rates of wild and hatchery reared lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in Lake Superior tributaries

Natal philopatry in lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) has been hypothesized to be an important factor that has lead to genetically distinct Great Lakes populations. Due to declining abundance, population extirpation, and restricted distribution, hatchery supplementation is being used to augment natural recruitment and to reestablish populations. If hatchery-reared lake sturgeon are more likely to stray than naturally produced individuals, as documented in other well-studied species, outbreeding could potentially jeopardize beneficial site-specific phenotypic and genotypic adaptations. From 1983 to 1994, lake sturgeon propagated using eggs taken from Lake Winnebago adults (Lake Michigan basin) were released in the St. Louis River estuary in western Lake Superior. Our objective was to determine whether these introduced individuals have strayed into annual spawning runs in the Sturgeon River, Michigan. Additionally, we estimated a natural migration rate between the Sturgeon River and Bad River, Wisconsin populations. Presumed primiparous lake sturgeon sampled during Sturgeon River spawning runs from 2003 to 2008 were genotyped at 12 microsatellite loci. Genotypic baselines established for the Sturgeon River (n = 101), Bad River (n = 40), and Lake Winnebago river system (n = 73) revealed a relatively high level of genetic divergence among populations (mean F_ST = 0.103; mean R_ST = 0.124). Likelihood-based assignment tests indicated no straying of stocked Lake Winnebago strain lake sturgeon from the St. Louis River into the Sturgeon River spawning population. One presumed primiparous Sturgeon River individual likely originated from the Bad River population. Four first-generation migrants were detected in the Sturgeon River baseline, indicating an estimated 3.5% natural migration rate for the system.