Sampling Baby Fish on a Budget
Ann Arbor, MI — Scientists on Lake Superior are trying to discover why most year classes of cisco (a group of ecologically important cold water food fish for both Lake Trout and humans) are very small yet once in awhile some year classes can be huge. Studying the larval stage of cisco is critical for understanding why cisco populations behave in such a "boom and bust" manner.
Studying larval fish in the world's largest lake is difficult. Scientists must get the best possible information while keeping within tight research budgets. To examine tradeoffs associated with different styles of nets, it was important to determine which nets best meet the needs of the scientists and their budgets.
"The information that we get using smaller, more affordable nets that are easier to deploy is similar to the information that we get from the larger, more expensive nets," says Jared Myers, a graduate student in the Quantitative Fisheries Center at Michigan State University. "By simplifying our sampling procedures we will be able to team up with partners to carry out more extensive research projects with more affordable budgets."
After hatching and moving to the surface waters, cisco larvae are vulnerable to predation and environmental stresses. Designing cost effective sampling strategies for larval cisco is a first step for researching this life stage. Information on the factors that affect the survival of young cisco will help scientists better understand this important Great Lakes species.
Original Publication Information
Results of this study, "Evaluating Sampling Strategies for Larval Cisco (Coregonus artedi)," are reported by Jared T. Myers, Jason D. Stockwell, Daniel L. Yule and Jeff A. Black in the latest issue (Volume 34, No. 2, pp. 245-252) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, 2008.
Contacts
For more information about the study, contact Jared Myers, Quantitative Fisheries Center, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824; , (517) 353-0731.
For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; editor@iaglr.org; (608) 692-1076.
Links
Since 1967, IAGLR has served as the focal point for compiling and disseminating multidisciplinary knowledge on North America's Laurentian Great Lakes and other large lakes of the world and their watersheds. In part, IAGLR communicates this knowledge through publication of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, available to members in print and electronic form. A searchable archive of the journal is available online and includes the abstracts of articles from the journal's inception in 1975 through the most recent issue. In addition, complete articles are available to members who have signed up for an electronic subscription.