The freshwater fish Lake Sturgeon experienced drastic population declines across North America beginning approximately 150 years ago. Although commercial harvest has since ceased, many populations have been slow to recover. Stocking programs have been used to help recover the species, but they need to be approached cautiously as populations of fish that have been isolated for thousands of years may now be locally adapted to their habitats due to isolation by natural barriers such as waterfalls and large river rapids. Mixing fish from populations that are genetically distinct from each other can be problematic. Dr Patrick Nelson and Craig McDougall, of North/South Consultants Inc, Canada enlisted the services of Dr Louis Bernatchez (1960–2023) and Dr Thierry Gosselin to develop a genetic toolkit that can help determine the population structure of Lake Sturgeon, informing and guiding stocking programs.
Get to know the deepest lake in the world!
Located in southern Siberia, it outshines us with its pristine beauty and magnificent natural balance along its more than 636 km long and 80 km wide…