The Importance of the Larval Stage to Cisco Recruitment Variation in the Great Lakes

FWS Agreement Numbers

30181-8-G018, 30181-8-G046

Study Objectives

Sample multiple spawning/natal sites in Lake Superior and single sites in lakes Huron and Michigan to:

1. Examine inter-annual variability in larval densities within each site, across sites, and across lakes to determine consistency and synchronicity in recruitment patterns at the larval stage;
2. Correlate larval densities with spawning stock to identify if bottleneck occurs prior to or after the larval stage;
3. Examine the influence of growing conditions (as measured by prey resources and temperature) and rainbow smelt predation on larval cisco recruitment patterns to test the hypothesis that growth potential at the larval stage, and not predation, is the dominant factor governing recruitment variability.