Assessing the health of lake whitefish populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes: Lessons learned and research recommendations

Brenden, Travis O.; Ebener, Mark P.; Sutton, Trent M.; Jones, Michael L.; Arts, Michael T.; Johnson, Timothy B.; Koops, Marten A.; Wright, Gregory M.; Faisal, Mohamed

doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2010.02.006

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The evolutionary response of a trait to fishing is influenced by the strength of selection and the level of genetic variation. Great Lakes' stocks of lake whitefish have undergone declines in growth and recruitment in recent years that could have implications for sustainable harvest rates (Brenden et al 2010). Atlantic cod are heavily exploited and several stocks of this species have undergone declines in age and size at maturation that have been attributed in part to fisheriesinduced evolution (Barot et al 2004, Olsen et al 2004, Eikeset et al 2013.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lake whitefish and yellow perch support valuable commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes (Brenden et al 2013). Great Lakes' stocks of lake whitefish have undergone declines in growth and recruitment in recent years that could have implications for sustainable harvest rates (Brenden et al 2010). Commercial yields for most Great Lakes' yellow perch stocks have undergone declines since the 1980s and 1990s (Brenden et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From genes to populations: how fisheries‐induced evolution alters stock productivity

Dunlop

Eikeset

Stenseth

2015

Ecological Applications

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By removing individuals with certain heritable characteristics such as large body size, harvesting may induce rapid evolutionary change in fish life history. There is controversy, however, as to the prevalence of fisheries-induced evolution (FIE) and to what extent it should be considered as part of sustainable resource management. Recent research has shown that FIE can be difficult to detect and its economic effects might not always be significant. Here, we show how population growth rate (r), a critical factor affecting sustainability and recovery, is affected by FIE through the analysis of a simulation model that demonstrates the link between individual-level genetic processes and stock dynamics. We examine how different levels of evolvability, fishing intensity, and density-dependence interact to influence r in three commercially harvested species: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens). We demonstrate that at low harvest levels, evolution has minimal effect on r for all three species. However, at the harvest rates experienced by many fish stocks, evolution increases r and reduces the risk of collapse for cod and whitefish. During the initial stages of a harvest moratorium, a switch occurs, and r becomes reduced as a consequence of evolution. These results explain how evolution increases stock resilience, but also impedes recovery after periods of intense harvesting.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From genes to populations: how fisheries‐induced evolution alters stock productivity

Dunlop

Eikeset

Stenseth

2015

Ecological Applications

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“…However, in recent decades they have undergone significant declines in abundance, body condition, and growth, potentially related to displaced native prey, invasive species, altered food web productivity, and harvest pressure Pothoven and Madenjian 2008;Rennie et al 2009aRennie et al , 2012Ebener 2013;Fera et al 2015;Gobin et al 2015). Concern for the sustainability of the Lake Huron Lake Whitefish fishery has prompted a variety of research recommendations to assess the appropriateness of existing management regimes, including the use of the current management units Brenden et al 2010;Ebener et al 2010;Li et al 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Isotopic Structure of Lake Whitefish in Lake Huron: Evidence for Regional and Local Populations Based on Resource Use

Eberts

Wissel

Simpson

et al. 2017

N American J Fish Manag

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Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis is the most commercially valuable species in Lake Huron. The fishery for this species has historically been managed based on 25 management units (17 in Canada, 8 in the USA). However, congruence between the contemporary population structure of Lake Whitefish and management units is poorly understood. We used stable isotopes of carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N), food web markers that reflect patterns in resource use (i.e., prey, location, habitat), to assess the population structure of spawning-phase Lake Whitefish collected from 32 sites (1,474 fish)

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“…In the Great Lakes, lake whitefish are an ecologically, culturally and economically significant species. Ecologically, lake whitefish direct energy from benthic to pelagic areas by feeding on a variety of benthic organisms (Brenden et al 2010a). Culturally, First Nations communities have harvested lake whitefish for ceremony, food and commerce since 'time immemorial', and continue to rely on these fisheries as an important component of their survival (Cleland 1982;Crawford et al 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and abundance of larval lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in Stokes Bay, Lake Huron

Ryan¹,

Crawford²

2014

Journal of Great Lakes Research

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Assessing the health of lake whitefish populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes: Lessons learned and research recommendations

Cited by 16 publications

References 29 publications

From genes to populations: how fisheries‐induced evolution alters stock productivity

From genes to populations: how fisheries‐induced evolution alters stock productivity

Isotopic Structure of Lake Whitefish in Lake Huron: Evidence for Regional and Local Populations Based on Resource Use

Distribution and abundance of larval lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in Stokes Bay, Lake Huron

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