2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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5/21/2019 | 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM | REUNITED AT LAST: GENETIC RECOVERY OF STREAM FISH POPULATIONS AFTER THE REMOVAL OF PASSAGE BARRIERS | 250 CF

REUNITED AT LAST: GENETIC RECOVERY OF STREAM FISH POPULATIONS AFTER THE REMOVAL OF PASSAGE BARRIERS

One of the top threats to biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems is habitat fragmentation due to human activities. In streams, road crossings with poorly-designed culverts can cause fragmentation and block fish passage, which limits genetic exchange between upstream and downstream individuals. The genetic effects of population isolation are well established, but the genetic response, or pattern of recovery, of fish populations following re-establishment of connectivity is poorly understood. We address this knowledge gap by measuring allelic diversity, genetic differentiation, and assignment probabilities in Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdii) sampled upstream and downstream of sites with varying time spans since culvert replacement. We collected samples during the summer of 2018 from eight streams (n=60 individuals per stream, 30 upstream and 30 downstream) located throughout western Pennsylvania. Since fish are known to immediately use pathways when barriers are removed, we expect that sculpin individuals will disperse between upstream and downstream locations following culvert replacement. Thus we will determine whether there is a positive relationship between time since culvert removal and genetic similarity, keeping in mind that genetic change happens over multiple generations.

Fish
Fragmentation
Remediation

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Presenters/Authors

Lauren M. Prasko (), Indiana University of Pennsylvania, laurenprasko@gmail.com;