Geological Survey

Description

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Great Lakes Science Center is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research to describe the foraging success of larval yellow perch and alewife in Lake Michigan under different historical and future climate scenarios. This work aims to improve understanding of what drives survival of young fish that ultimately contribute to fisheries. Survival is known to vary widely from year to year and has been correlated with a diversity of climatic variables. However, the exact causes underlying variable survival are generally unknown and the consequences of future climatic conditions on future survival are unclear. Yellow perch and alewife have historically contributed to large commercial and recreational fisheries and continue to support economically important Great Lakes sport fisheries (estimated value of $7B annually). Using the output from a suite of interconnected regional climate, hydrodynamic, biophysical, and Lagrangian particle models, the objectives of this Opportunity are to 1) evaluate what climatic variables and processes have historically contributed to particularly strong and weak recruitments of alewife and yellow perch in Lake Michigan, 2) examine the potential for future strong recruitments by alewife and yellow perch in Lake Michigan based upon projected climatic conditions around 2050 and 2100, 3) explore different scenarios identified by a natural resource agency advisors that could affect the potential for future strong recruitments.

Who can apply

• Others

Contact

Faith Graves 703-648-7356<br/>fgraves@usgs.gov
fgraves@usgs.gov