Project: Forensic Applications of Otolith Microchemistry for Tracking Sources of Illegally Stocked Whirling Disease Positive Trout

Primary Investigator: Brett Johnson
Project Summary: Maintenance of viable, self-sustaining wild and native trout fisheries is jeopardized by the spread of whirling disease, but the extent to which illegally stocked, whirling disease positive fishes have contributed to this spread has been difficult to assess. This project seeks to develop a reliable method for determining origins of illegally stocked, whirling disease positive trout through microchemical analysis of otoliths. The research will be conducted collaboratively between Colorado State University and Colorado Division of Wildlife Aquatic Research. Colorado State University and CDOW are already developing otolith microchemistry techniques for determining origins and movement patterns (collectively termed "provenance") of nonnative fishes in Colorado River Basin. This research has three primary components aimed at (1) determining the geographic resolution possible based on chemical signatures of otoliths and water samples from CDOW hatcheries throughout Colorado, (2) assessing the utility of these signatures for tracing hatchery origins of fish at large, and (3) determining variation in microchemical fingerprints and isotopic signatures of otoliths obtained from select private hatchery fish, and assessing the utility of these signatures for tracing hatchery origins of fish at large.
Funding Period: 2004-2005
Final Report: 2004-2005 final report not yet available.
Dataset(s) associated with this project:

There are no datasets associated with this project.