Coaster Brook Trout Coordinator: Henry Quinlan
Fishery biologist are trying to save the once abundant, native coaster brook trout in the few places where it has survived overfishing and loss of spawning areas dating from the 1980s.
Click below to view a short video highlighting the coaster brook trout
restoration effort for Whittlesey Creek!
Returning Coaster Brook Trout to Whittlesey Creek Video (13:20 seconds, 74mb)
Coasters are brook trout that live at least some of their life in the Great Lakes or in the ocean along the Atlantic coast of North America. In Lake Superior they usually swim up tributary streams to spawn in late fall, but may also spawn along the lake shore. Coasters differ from brook trout that live in streams year-round in size (mature adults are usually over 16 inches long and may weigh several pounds) and color (more silvery), and have longer life spans.
The Ashland NFWCO has undertaken several efforts to better understand coaster brook trout population trends and to help reestablish this magnificent fish into their native range. The projects listed below are summaries of recent accomplishments made by the Ashland NFWCO staff.
Grow Babies, Grow
Staff members from the Ashland NFWCO, the Iron River National Fish Hatchery, and the Wisconsin DNR, along with volunteers from the local Wild Rivers Trout Unlimited Chapter have been monitored egg boxes in Whittlesey and North Fork Whittlesey Creek.
During weekly trips to the creeks, egg boxes were monitored for sand deposition and repositioned if needed, and egg trays were checked to monitor egg development and hatch. Environmental conditions in the stream were also monitored with water temperature and water velocities being measured. Two laundry baskets lined with screen were installed around two egg boxes to prove that fry are able to emerge from the boxes. Substrate (gravel) was added to give the fry that do emerge some cover to hide in. The eggs in these boxes are projected to hatch sometime mid-march. Once it is established that fry have successfully emerged, the baskets will be removed to allow fry that emerge access to the stream. To determine success of our efforts, assessments during the fall will give information to the contribution of stocked fish that came from our egg stocking.
The local television station TrueNorth TV came along Feb. 27, and filmed our activities for a program that they will broadcast sometime in late March. We were able to show them some newly hatched fry and did a stream side interview that will provide the public with more information on our efforts to restore coaster brook trout to the stream.
Egg Stocking in Whittlesey and North Fork Whittlesey Creeks
Staff from the Ashland NFWCO pre-positioned egg boxes on the creeks to reduce the time needed to stock the eggs. Boxes were carried into the stocking site and the rebar driven in the creek where the box was to be positioned. Carrying the boxes and weights in and having the stakes positioned, reduced the time the eggs need to be in transport.
Staff from the Ashland NFWCO, Iron River NFH, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources transferred coaster brook trout eggs from the Iron River hatchery to Whittlesey and North Fork Whittlesey creeks. The eggs were loaded onto Astroturf bundles in the hatchery and transported to the creek in Styrofoam containers or coolers.
At the stream, the Astroturf bundles were loaded into egg boxes. Egg boxes were used to provide a substrate that is stable and can prevent sand deposition from smothering the eggs. An egg box consists of Astroturf bundles sandwiched within a frame which is then anchored to the streambed with a rebar stake. The boxes were placed in areas of moderate to slow current that were out of sand deposition zones. When possible, boxes were also placed close to areas that will provide juvenile habitat once the eggs hatch. In order to monitor egg development, eggs trays were used. An egg tray holds 50 individual eggs that can be visibly checked for development and eventually hatch. An egg tray was loaded for each strain and each egg take date. The egg trays were fastened to the rebar and positioned on top of an egg box.
The egg stocking is part of the seven year experiment to restore coaster brook trout to the Whittlesey Creek watershed by stocking different life stages. Two strains of eggs from Isle Royale brood stock (Tobin Harbor and Siskiwit Bay) were stocked in the creeks (approx. 30,000 eggs total). Eventually, as fish are sampled during assessments, strain composition and contribution can be determined.
On a Dark and Tranquil Night?
On several dark and tranquil nights conditions were prime for electrofishing the near-shore waters of the Bayfield Peninsula for brook trout. Jonathan Pyatskowit and Glenn Miller from the Ashland NFWCO, along with the Red Cliff Tribe Natural Resources Department, conducted six electrofishing trips along the Bayfield Peninsula to capture brook trout. These efforts are being used to help evaluate the effectiveness of the tribe?s brook trout stocking program. A total of 22 brook trout were captured. Captured fish were measured, weighed, tagged with a Floy tag and released. Fish were identified as hatchery fish if a permanent fin clip is detected. Fish that did not have a fin clip had a tissue sample taken for genetic analysis.
Fish Population Estimate Conducted in Whittlesey Creek
Six days of back pack and barge shocking electrofishing surveys were conducted in Whittlesey Creek to obtain a population estimate for salmon and trout species. Along with this population estimate the crews were also evaluating survival of coaster brook trout fingerling and adult plants. Staff members from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Ashland NFWCO, Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Iron River National Fish Hatchery and the Wild Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited joined efforts to collect this important fish population information. This survey is a part of a long term data set the WDNR has been collecting on Whittlesey Creek, and part of the experiment to establish a self-sustaining coaster brook trout population in Whittlesey Creek.
The crew focused on brook, brown and rainbow trout and coho salmon. Once the fish were collected, length data was collected and the fish were given a fin clip before they were returned to the creek. All brook trout netted were checked for previous fin clips as there was the possibility of previously stocked years of brook trout still remaining in the system. The majority of fin clips from individual brook trout were saved for genetic analysis. During a second survey period, any fish collected were checked for an identifying fin clip. A formula is then used to estimate the population size of the trout/salmon species based on the number of marked fish in the first run and the number recaptured in the second run. Population estimates will be conducted annually for a nine year period. Approximately 950 brook trout young of the year were netted in the survey. Also netted were yearling brook trout that had a adipose clip along with coded wire tags that were injected into the snout of the brook trout at the Iron River National Fish Hatchery before stocking. The crews were very happy to see the survival of all the brook trout that were collected.
Region 3 Great Lakes Fisheries Stations and Minnesota DNR Coordination Meeting
Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries offices working on Lake Superior issues and programs held a coordination meeting in Two Harbors, Minn., with colleagues of the Minnesota DNR. The FWS was represented by the Ashland NFWCO, Iron River National Fish Hatchery, and the Midwest Regional Office. Minnesota DNR was represented by field offices from Duluth, French River and Finland, and the Regional office in Grand Rapids. Valuable information was shared and discussed on programs of mutual interest including fish habitat programs, Tribal issues, coaster brook trout, lake sturgeon and lake Trout, St. Louis River, lake trout stocking, and sea lamprey control. Participants found the meeting valuable and recommended we do it again next year.
Journalists Learn about Lake Superior and Coaster Brook Trout
During recent survey work at Isle Royale National Park, Henry Quinlan and Jonathan Pyatskowit of the Ashland NFWCO addressed 16 journalists from around the country as part of the Great Waters Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources (IJNR) program. The Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources is a non-profit organization that "seeks to pursue higher standards of news coverage through expedition-style programs of professional development."
IJNR attempts to improve the quality of the conversations that produce the coverage, especially the conversations between journalists and their sources. Such interaction is an essential starting point for improving the quality of the public conversation and debate on natural-resource and environmental issues.
Henry and Jonathan were invited to provide journalists with insight into successful fishery rehabilitation efforts in Lake Superior and how that compares to the status of fisheries in other Great Lakes and to explore the mystique of migratory coaster brook trout.
During a morning session, Henry, former Isle Royale commercial fisherman, Mark Rudd, and Park Service staff detailed from three different perspectives, the changes and current status of Great Lakes fisheries with an emphasis on Lake Superior and Isle Royale. In the afternoon, Jonathan and Henry conducted a survey of Benson Creek to shed light on efforts by Lake Superior fishery agencies to rehabilitate migratory coaster brook trout. During fish work-up a discussion and question and answer session was held regarding the unique migratory life history of coasters and associated genetic research to determine mechanisms for anadromy. The capture of beautifully colored, ripe, male brook trout and abundant young-of-the-year as well as many non-native rainbow trout made for interesting discussion and potential material for future articles.
Related Reference Links:
Coaster Brook Trout (USFWS)
Native Species Conservation (USFWS)
Lake Superior Coaster Brook Trout Initiative (Trout Unlimited)
