Service staff spawning the Tobin Harbor coasters during their spawning run to collect new gametes from the wild population.

Much like Christopher Columbus sailing across the Atlantic to discover the new world, Glen Miller (Ashland FRO), Anna Varian (Northern Michigan University), and Nick Starzl (Genoa NFH) ventured out on that special Columbus day across Lake Superior to bring hope for a population of genetically distinct brook trout called “Coasters” which inhabit the Tobin Harbor region of Isle Royale.  The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Iron River NFH, Genoa NFH, La Crosse Fish Health Lab, and the Ashland National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office actively work with the staff of the Isle Royale National Park Service in order to conserve this rare strain of fish.  The once common coaster brook trout is now scarce throughout most of its historical range because of over-fishing and loss of habitat. In order to restore the coaster to the north shore of Lake Superior, the service maintains a broodstock at the Iron River NFH which is derived from Isle Royale coaster offspring.  This broodstock supplies both Iron River NFH and the Genoa NFH with all of its brook trout eggs for their annual production goals.  Stocking “wild” fish, or fish that represent the founding population, is key to a successful program.  To achieve this, service staff periodically captures the Tobin Harbor coasters during their spawning run to collect new gametes from the wild population.  During this years trip to the island, 17 females and 28 males were selected from the over 100 captured brook trout to create 30 individual families.  The small 150 egg pairings were then disinfected and transferred to the Genoa NFH for incubation.  If all goes well, the families will develop and hatch over the next month, and biannually undergo disease testing throughout the production cycle.  If cleared, the lot of fish will be folded into the existing Tobin Harbor broodstock at Iron River NFH, and eventually produce families of their own.