Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Lakes – Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Great Lakes Science Center is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU Partner for research to determine the effects of incubation temperature on survival, growth, morphology, and gene expression of artificially reared cisco (Coregonus artedi) from the Great Lakes. This work is in support of ongoing efforts to develop a cisco hatchery strain that may be used to restore cisco to Lake Huron and other Great Lakes. Hatchery and resource managers are interested in understanding the impacts of the early rearing environment on gene expression and ultimately the adult phenotype in cisco. Working with agency partners will collect cisco gametes from northern Lake Huron and rear them at the Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science. Using these fish, the objectives are to (1) evaluate the effects of three incubation temperature treatments on cisco survival, growth, morphology, and gene expression, (2) identify physiological responses to stress across temperature treatments, and (3) identify genes that vary in expression across temperature treatments that appear to play key roles in cisco survival and morphology.