Smelt
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History of Smelt in the Great Lakes
The rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) is not native to the Great Lakes. They have gone from very abundant to nearly eliminated since their introduction to Lake Michigan in the mid 1920s.
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Commercial Smelt Fishing
The commercial fisherman's strategy differs from scientific sampling. Like anglers, commercial fishermen, want to catch the most fish possible; to do this commercial fishermen change where and how they fish. They modify their nets, change speed, or move from one area to another to maximize their catch on a day-to-day basis.
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Alewife Die-Off
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What causes alewives to die off in great numbers in the spring?
Several factors combine to make alewives vulnerable.
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Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS)
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Fisheries Forum
The Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum will address issues related to Lake Michigan fisheries. It will advise the Lake Michigan Fisheries Team (LMFT), facilitate exchange between the department and interested groups and individuals, provide a forum for discussion of issues of concern, develop consensus among diverse interests on matters of common concern and develop public advocacy for policies of general interest.
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Fisheries Forum Recommendations and Notes
A list of all official recommendations and notes from Fishery Forum meetings in PDF format.
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Trap Nets
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Trap Nets in the Great Lakes
Whitefish trap nets are out in the lake again. Entanglement in commercial fishing nets can be extremely dangerous. Learn how to steer clear and keep yourself and your gear out of the nets.
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Sea Grant Research
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Parallel Toxicogenomic Resources for Zebrafish and Rainbow Trout: Identifying Conserved Molecular Biomarkers of Toxicant Exposure
Michael Carvan, UW-Milwaukee, (414) 382-1706, carvanmj@uwm.edu
This continuing project will use genomic tools to identify toxicant-response molecular biomarkers in zebrafish and rainbow trout for use in assays evaluating the potential effects of exposure to persistant, bioaccumulative toxicants on fish. The investigators will combine DNA microarray work with quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction methodologies to identify embryonic and larval genes responsive to dioxin (TCDD), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and methylmercury (MeHg) exposure. They plan to sequence about 20,000 toxicant-response transcripts for zebrafish and rainbow trout and create publicly accessible, functionally annotated, expressed sequence tag databases–a biomarker library that can be used as reference for examining toxicant responses among Great Lakes wild fish species. R/BT-21
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Genomic Approach to Understanding TCDD Toxicity in Zebrafish
Warren Heideman, UW-Madison, (608) 262-1795, wheidema@facstaff.wisc.edu
Richard Peterson, UW-Madison, (608) 263-5453, repeterson@pharmacy.wisc.edu
This continuing project will address gene expression changes in zebrafish associated with TCDD exposures. Besides being nearly transparent, the zebrafish is the first fish to have had its genome mapped, which makes it ideal for research on the genetic effects of exposure to toxic contaminants. The goal of the project is to determine whether different TCDD responses in tissues correspond to a distinct gene expression pattern. Using DNA microarrays, the investigators hope to determine whether gene expression patterns can be used to predict sublethal toxicity; if successful, the microarray approach may be used as a screening tool to predict responses in wild fishes. This work directly addresses the strategic priority of developing gene microarrays in fish for identifying alterations in gene expression associated with chemical and physical stresses. R/BT-22
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Target Organ Toxicity and Blue Sac Syndrome
Richard Peterson, UW-Madison, (608) 263-5453, repeterson@pharmacy.wisc.edu
Warren Heideman, UW-Madison, (608) 262-1795, wheidema@wisc.edu
Exposure of fish larvae to various chemicals causes blue sac syndrome, a cause of mortality in fish larvae in the lab and in the wild. This research will test the hypothesis that a birth defect involving the heart called "hypoplastic heart failure" causes the syndrome. This research project will test AhR2 agonists and non-AhR2 agonists for their ability to cause hypoplastic heart failure in zebrafish larvae. Results will help us understand the underlying cause of chemical-induced blue sac syndrome and recruitment failure in Great Lakes lake trout. Hatchery managers who encounter blue sac disease in hatchery stocks and aquatic toxicologists will find the results useful to better understand and evaluate the impacts of chemical exposure on feral populations. Ultimately, chemicals determined to cause hypoplastic heart failure in zebrafish may be useful in identifying heart teratogens that women may be exposed to during pregnancy that threaten the life of a fetus. R/BT-25
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Lake Superior Food Web Dynamics: Modeling at Multiple Scales
James Kitchell, UW-Madison, (608) 262-3014, kitchell@wisc.edu
Trophic interactions occur at multiple scales, ranging from predator-prey interactions that govern population dynamics and community structure to daytime-nighttime vertical and horizontal migrations that regulate the daily feeding activity and growth rates of individual aquatic species. This continuing project will develop a model to assess diel changes in predator-prey encounters as a function of time of day, depth and nearshore versus offshore habitats. Complementing a Minnesota Sea Grant study, this work is novel in developing the first simulation model of diel changes in predator-prey relationships specific to the Lake Superior food web. R/EH-1
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Lake-Wide Sustainability of Lake Trout Stocks in Lake Superior
Michael Hansen, UW-Stevens Point, (715) 346-3420, mhansen@uwsp.edu
A meta-population model is being developed to evaluate lake-wide sustainability of recently restored lake trout stocks across Lake Superior, building on a stochastic, agestructured population model that was developed under a previous Sea Grant-funded project. The hypothesis with this continuing project is that long-term sustainability of individual stocks within Lake Superior is enhanced by the presence of other stocks in the lake through immigration. Movement among stocks and effects of environmental factors are being modeled. It is also mimicking combinations of recreational and commercial fishery harvest by simulating probability distributions for key population parameters, such as population abundance and recruitment. R/FI-2
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Modeling the Interactive Effects of Dreissenid Invasion and Nutrient Loading on Autotrophic and Food Web Structure in Green Bay, Lake Michigan
M. Jake Vander Zanden, UW-Madison, (608) 262-9464, mjvanderzand@wisc.edu
The introduction of zebra and quagga mussels has had a dramatic economic and ecological impact on lake ecosystems due to their remarkable ability to change primary productivity. Most research has focused on the open-water system, but this new research project will examine the impacts of mussels on primary production in bottom- and open-waters across the variable nutrient-enriched gradient of Green Bay and study the impacts across the aquatic food web. The researcher will measure primary productivity across the trophic gradient of the mussel-invaded Green Bay; use productivity models to estimate the impact on primary productivity, including the nuisance alga Cladophora glomerata; examine how changes in nutrient and sediment loading will affect autotrophic structure; and use stable isotopes to examine the trophic pathways supporting fish. R/HCE-5
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Constructing the Nearshore Lake Michigan Food Web Using Multiple Trophic Indicators
Harvey Bootsma, UW-Milwaukee, (414) 382-1717, hbootsma@uwm.edu
John Janssen, UW-Milwaukee, 414-382-1733, jjanssen@uwm.edu
Food web studies in Lake Michigan have focused primarily on the pelagic food web, due to the significant role of pelagic fishes in both commercial and sport fisheries. The trophic ecology of several nearshore species, particularly yellow perch, has received attention, but the nearshore food web as a whole is not well studied. In many parts of the lake, the nearshore fish community has changed from one composed of a mixture of species with moderate numbers to one dominated by high densities of the round goby, whose trophic role is not well understood. This project will use a combination of three methods – stomach content analysis, fatty acid analysis and stable isotope analysis – to construct the nearshore food web and assess how it varies with substratum and location. Results will be used to determine how individual species have responded to change in community structure and energy flow. R/RegHCE-4
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Novel Epidemiologic and Diagnostic Approaches for Reducing the Impact of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus on Aquatic Ecosystems in Wisconsin
Tony Goldberg, UW–Madison, (608) 890-2618, tgoldberg@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is an invasive pathogen that threatens the health and sustainability of Wisconsin’s aquatic ecosystems. In Wisconsin, the virus has been found in the Lake Michigan and Lake Winnebago watersheds. Despite the potential economic and ecological damage that could ensue if VHSV spreads to other areas of Wisconsin, adequate tools for predicting and managing the emergence of the virus are lacking. This project seeks to develop and distribute novel epidemiological and diagnostic tools for predicting the emergence and spread of VHSV. Specifically, it will develop non-lethal laboratory diagnostics to detect VHSV antibodies and use them to construct and validate a predictive model of VHSV transmission. This effort will allow the future course of VHSV transmission to be forecast from current measures of fish demographics and infection status, thus improving our ability to monitor and manage the disease in Wisconsin’s wild fisheries. R/SFA-3
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Effectiveness of a Lake Trout Refuge at Gull Island Shoal, Lake Superior
Michael Hansen, UW-Stevens Point, (715) 346-3420, mhansen@uwsp.edu
Lake trout were the predominant fish predator in Lake Superior before stocks collapsed from exploitation and sea lamprey predation. In Wisconsin waters of the lake, the Gull Island Shoal refuge, created in 1976 to prevent depletion of a remnant lake trout stock, enabled the stock to recover by providing recruitment to the entire Apostle Islands area. Previous research has shown that growth and recruitment of lake trout in the Apostle Islands region changed from density independent during early recovery to being density dependent at present, which indicated that the population was nearing carrying capacity and may be able to sustain harvest. This project will thoroughly evaluate historical effectiveness and future need for the Gull Island Shoal Refuge on lake trout stocks residing in Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior. R/SFA-4
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Reducing the Level of Bio-Contaminants in Fish-Based Foods
Mark Richards, UW-Madison, (608) 262-1792, mprichards@ansci.wisc.edu
Concern about mercury contamination of fish-based products is an issue that negatively affects fish consumption. The focus of this continuing work is to determine the location of mercury in fish tissues and to determine if certain processing steps can be used to lower mercury levels in the resulting food product, specifically, a process that manipulates pH. That process is now used to manufacture surimi, imitation crab meat. R/SS-1
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Related Publications
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Fishes of Wisconsin by George Becker
This classic book is available in its entirety in a digital format through the University of Wisconsin library system.
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Related Websites
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Video on Lake Sturgeon
Learn more about Wisconsin's Lake Sturgeon population through Sea Grant-produced video, which is located on the organization's You Tube channel.
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Fish of the Great Lakes
This site provides profiles of major fish species that live in the Great Lakes, the entire text of George C. Becker's landmark text "Fishes of Wisconsin", and lots more.
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Fish Identification Database: Resource for Researching Fish of Wisconsin
This website contains photographs of every species of fish found in Wisconsin, descriptions of crucial features for identification, similar species, and general fish anatomy.
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Explore Fish
This site offers profiles of 10 fish, selected by Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist Cliff Kraft, that represent the Great Lakes.
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Wisconsin's Water Library
Established in 1964 by the UW Water Resources Institute, Wisconsin's Water Library (formerly known as the Water Resources Library) is unique among UW-Madison's many libraries for its collection of almost 30,000 volumes of water-related information about the Great Lakes and the waters of Wisconsin. The library includes a curriculum collection, dozens of educational videos, a children's collection, and more than 20 journals and 100 newsletters.
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Related Topics on this Site
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