May 12, 2021
Rainbow Trout are a north-temperate zone species native to freshwater habitats on the west coast of North America. This species requires clean, cool water to thrive, but local human activities (e.g., land use change, pollution) and the effects of climate change are altering freshwater habitats and posing severe challenges for Rainbow Trout.
In this multi-investigator project, the team is using a combination of conservation genomics, quantitative genetics and conservation physiology to characterize patterns of genetic variation among Rainbow Trout populations and associate this variation with habitat variation. Using hatchery-reared Rainbow Trout they are also working to identify genetic variants that are associated with differences in vulnerability to a range of climate-change relevant stressors. Together this work will allow us to identify appropriate units for conservation and management of wild trout and provide advice to fisheries managers for the selection of optimal strains of Rainbow Trout for stocking in the face of a changing environment.
