Restoration of Lake Ontario Native Fish Species

PROJECT TITLE:RESTORATION OF LAKE ONTARIO NATIVE FISH SPECIESPROJECT PERIOD: 06/01/2022-05/31/2023ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES HAVE GREATLY IMPACTED FISH POPULATIONS IN THE GREAT LAKES. OF ALL THE GREAT LAKES, FISH POPULATIONS IN LAKE ONTARIO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED THE MOST SEVERELY, INCLUDING THE EXTIRPATION OF ATLANTIC SALMON AND DEEPWATER COREGONINES, SUCH AS BLOATER, AND MAJOR DECLINES IN LAKE STURGEON, DEEPWATER SCULPIN, LAKE HERRING AND AMERICAN EEL. LOSS OF SPAWNING HABITAT AND PERHAPS OVERFISHING ARE THOUGHT TO BE THE MAJOR CAUSES FOR THE LOSS OF ATLANTIC SALMON AND LAKE STURGEON, WHEREAS INVASIVE SPECIES SUCH AS ALEWIFE AND RAINBOW SMELT ARE CONSIDERED TO HAVE LED THE DECLINE OF COREGONIDS AND DEEPWATER SCULPIN, AS WELL AS ATLANTIC SALMON (I.E. THIAMINE DEFICIENCY). BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXTIRPATION OR DECLINE OF NATIVE FISH SPECIES IN THE GREAT LAKES, THERE IS NO SINGLE REMEDY SUITABLE FOR THE RESTORATION OF ALL SPECIES. UNFORTUNATELY, ALTHOUGH ALEWIFE POPULATIONS IN LAKE ONTARIO ARE DECLINING, THERE ARE NO DEEPWATER COREGONIDS REMAINING IN THE LAKE TO ENABLE NATURAL RECOVERY. CONSEQUENTLY, THE RESTORATION OF DEEPWATER COREGONIDS, AS WELL AS EXTIRPATED ATLANTIC SALMON, MUST AT LEAST INITIALLY RELY ON HATCHERY REARED FISH. THE FOCUS OF THIS NATIVE SPECIES RESTORATION EFFORT WILL BE LAKE ONTARIO AND THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER, WHICH SUPPORTS USGS PROGRAM PRIORITIES AND REQUIREMENTS.THIS EFFORT WILL CONSIST OF THREE SEPARATE THRUSTS GEARED AT RESTORING ATLANTIC SALMON, AND COREGONIDS, IN LAKE ONTARIO AND THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.ATLANTIC SALMON: FACILITATE THE RE-INTRODUCTION OF EXTIRPATED ATLANTIC SALMON IN LAKE ONTARIO AND THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW AND INNOVATIVE RESTORATION TECHNIQUES.DEEPWATER COREGONIDS: FACILITATE THE RE-INTRODUCTION OF EXTIRPATED DEEPWATER COREGONINE FISHES IN LAKE ONTARIO THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW AND INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES WHILE FOLLOWING PROPER DISEASE PROTOCOLS WHEN TRANSFERRING EGGS TO ISOLATION FACILITIES.CISCO: FACILITATE THE RECOVERY OF CISCO IN LAKE ONTARIO THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW AND INNOVATIVE REARING TECHNIQUES AND THE EVALUATION OF THE SUITABILITY OF HISTORIC SPAWNING SITES AS STOCKING LOCATIONS.PLANNED PRODUCTS AND DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS- THE MOST OBVIOUS PRODUCT OF THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WILL BE THE ANNUAL NUMBER OF FISH THAT ARE REARED AND EXPERIMENTALLY RELEASED FOR RESTORATION PURPOSES AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THOSE RELEASES AND ADULTS RETURNING TO RELEASE SITES. THESE RELEASES WILL FORM THE BASIS FOR PRESENTATIONS, TECHNICAL REPORTS, AND MANUSCRIPTS SUBMITTED TO PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS. ANNUAL REPORTS WILL BE GENERATED AND PROVIDED TO USGS AND FUNDING AGENCIES.