Introduction to Environmental Sciences course poster session to promote student science communication and critical thinking.

GROWTH EVALUATION AND STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT OF JUVENILE LAKE TROUT IN LAKE

By Pascal Dylan Wilkins

Seminar: 8:30AM, Aiken 311
Defense: 9:30AM, Aiken 311

Committee
J. Ellen Marsden, Professor, RSENR, Advisor
Sara Helms Cahan, Associate Professor, Biology, Chair
Jason D. Stockwell, Professor, RSENR

ABSTRACT
Wild lake trout recruitment was discovered in Lake Champlain in 2015; since then, biweekly bottom trawl sampling during the ice-free season from 2015 to 2018 was used to assess recruitment at three sampling areas (north, central, south) of the Main Lake. Juvenile lake trout collections enabled comparison of growth and distribution between wild and stocked juveniles. Age-0 lake trout stocked in Lake Champlain established an adult population, therefore if growth of wild lake trout is similar to stocked fish of similar size, survival should be similar. I compared growth of juvenile lake trout in Lake Champlain spatially, seasonally, and by origin (wild or stocked). No consistent differences were found in growth between wild and stocked juveniles, suggesting wild lake trout survival should be comparable to stocked fish. Juvenile lake trout grew overwinter and therefore must be feeding during the winter. The percentage of wild juveniles was higher in the central sampling area than the north and south, but no spatial trend in growth was evident. Using trawling data from the central sampling area, I compared seasonal distributions of wild and stocked lake trout by depth and temperature. Distribution differences were most pronounced during thermal stratification, with wild lake trout abundant in warm, shallow depths and stocked juveniles abundant in cold, deep areas. Overall, results suggest wild juvenile lake trout survival should compare to stocked juveniles in Lake Champlain, and data on depth and temperature distributions can be used to develop a standardized assessment for wild lake trout recruitment.

The Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative (FEMC) is hosting their 2019 Conference: "Forests and Climate Change: Managing impacts and planning for the future.”

Full conference details<https://www.uvm.edu/femc/cooperative/conference/2019>

As our understanding of climate change and its impacts on forested ecosystems in the Northeast grows, many innovative efforts are being initiated to track, mitigate, and adapt to changing climate patterns. Following on the theme of the previous FEMC conference, this year's conference will focus in on the ways in which we can monitor and assess how impacts from climate change are being felt, and how we can evaluate the success of efforts to manage or mitigate these impacts.

The annual conference of the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative provides an important opportunity for communication, exchange of ideas, and expanding collaboration around forest ecosystem management and monitoring in the region.

Who Should Attend

All policy makers, researchers, resource managers, students and other stakeholders who work or are interested in northeastern forested ecosystems.

Location

Davis Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont.

Cost

$26 per person ($24 per person if you register as a group of 3 or more). Registration will open in late October.

Parking

Information on where to park at UVM is available here<https://www.uvm.edu/transportation/visitor-parking>, and a map of parking areas can be found here<https://map.concept3d.com/?id=1194#!ct/31679,0,29885,34014,32114,32113,32112,32110,32108,35305,35304,35303,30539,34013,34680,32111?mc/44.47567067298419,-73.19046735763551?z/15?lvl/0>. We request that attendees park in the Gutterson lot, a short 5 minute walk from the conference venue. Vehicles with Vermont state or federal license plates can park without payment.

Carpooling

Offer a ride or find a ride here.<https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/za2kow>

Continuing Education Credits

The conference has been approved for four Category 1 Continuing Forestry Education credits from the Society of American Foresters.

Questions?

Contact Jim Duncan<mailto:James.Duncan@uvm.edu?subject=2019%20FEMC%20Meeting%20-%20Additional%20Information%20Request>, FEMC Director.

Lake Champlain Sea Grant invites you to participate in upcoming brown bag seminars/webinars in which Lake Champlain Sea Grant-funded researchers (and a few other researchers) will share their ongoing work. We will host these seminars in person for those wishing to bring their lunch and have a learn-at-lunch opportunity, and concurrently as webinars for those who can’t join us in person. We will send out reminders about and Zoom information to login to the seminars as each approaches.

For disability-related requests, please contact Kris Stepenuck (kstepenu@uvm.edu<mailto:kstepenu@uvm.edu> or 802-656-8504) by 3 weeks before the event, so we can accommodate your request.
The fine print: Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Vermont Extension, Burlington, Vermont. University of Vermont Extension, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status.

Lake Champlain Sea Grant invites you to participate in upcoming brown bag seminars/webinars in which Lake Champlain Sea Grant-funded researchers (and a few other researchers) will share their ongoing work. We will host these seminars in person for those wishing to bring their lunch and have a learn-at-lunch opportunity, and concurrently as webinars for those who can’t join us in person. We will send out reminders about and Zoom information to login to the seminars as each approaches.

For disability-related requests, please contact Kris Stepenuck (kstepenu@uvm.edu<mailto:kstepenu@uvm.edu> or 802-656-8504) by 3 weeks before the event, so we can accommodate your request.
The fine print: Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Vermont Extension, Burlington, Vermont. University of Vermont Extension, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status.

Lake Champlain Sea Grant invites you to participate in upcoming brown bag seminars/webinars in which Lake Champlain Sea Grant-funded researchers (and a few other researchers) will share their ongoing work. We will host these seminars in person for those wishing to bring their lunch and have a learn-at-lunch opportunity, and concurrently as webinars for those who can’t join us in person. We will send out reminders about and Zoom information to login to the seminars as each approaches.

For disability-related requests, please contact Kris Stepenuck (kstepenu@uvm.edu<mailto:kstepenu@uvm.edu> or 802-656-8504) by 3 weeks before the event, so we can accommodate your request.
The fine print: Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Vermont Extension, Burlington, Vermont. University of Vermont Extension, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status.