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. Researchers are developing techniques to examine microchemical fingerprints in fish otoliths to trace origins of stocked trout. The research will be conducted collaboratively between Colorado State University (CSU; Drs. Johnson, Winkelman, and Whitledge) and Colorado Division of Wildlife Aquatic Research (CDOW; P. Martinez). CSU and CDOW have already successfully developed otolith microchemistry techniques for determining origins and movement patterns of nonnative fishes in Colorado River Basin. This research has three primary components: (1) determine the geographic resolution possible based on chemical fingerprints of otoliths and water samples from hatcheries throughout Colorado, (2) determine variation in chemical fingerprints of otoliths obtained from private hatchery fish, and (3) assess the utility of these fingerprints for tracing hatchery origins of fish at large. Initial results from their current Initiative project (which started in August 2004) are very encouraging and suggest that this research will lead to the development of a useful tool for determining origins of illegally-stocked, whirling-disease positive trout.
Funding Period: 2005-2006
Final Report: 2005-2006 final report not yet available
Dataset(s) associated with this project:

There are no datasets associated with this project.