Recipient Organization
STATE UNIV OF NEW YORK
(N/A)
SYRACUSE,NY 13210
Performing Department
Environmental & Forest Biology
Non Technical Summary
Northern Pike (Esox Lucius) are native to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River, and provide significant recreational and ecological benefits. However, human activities have negatively impacted pike reproduction habitat in wetlands. Over 50% of wetlands have been lost in Lake Ontario, and degradation of remaining habitat and water level regulations further impede fish reproduction. Due to these changes, Northern Pike commonly spawn in nonsproductive offshore habitats where cold temperatures and offset timing inhibit development, leading to poor reproductive success. Research at the SUNY-ESF Thousand Islands Biological Station (TIBS) on reproductive biology of Northern Pike contributed to the development of ecological indicators used in creation of a new water management plan to better balance water level interests with environmental considerations. Consequently, there is a strong interest to integrate new technologies to better understand habitats where fish reproduce and evaluate contributions to populations.We propose to examine.fish gut microbiome as a possible indicator of the source spawning habitat and its influence on fish health. Researchers are increasingly finding that the interaction between a host and its resident microbiota influences many aspects of host biology. We will combine the molecular biological expertise of the Leydet lab at SUNY-ESF, and the TIBS facilities, under the guidance of Dr. John Farrell, to conduct the proposed research. Through the creation of microhabitats in controlled fish rearing facilities, we will test whether environmental differences in Northern Pike spawning and nursery sites influence the composition of the fish gut microbiome and how this may affect fish performance. We will use next-generation sequencing to characterize fish gut microbiomes to test for their association with the spawning/nursery environment and determine whether differences in gut microbiota are associated with differences in fish fitness.Awarded Start Date: 3/1/17Sponsor: NYS-DEC
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
l) Test whether spawning and nursery habitat influences the northern pike's acquisition of its gut microbiome.2) Determine whether differences in gut micro biota are associated with differences in pike fitness.
Project Methods
Please contact PI for details.