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Organic pellet decomposition induces mortality of Lake Trout embryos in Yellowstone Lake

October 18, 2019

Yellowstone Lake is the site of actions to suppress invasive Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush and restore native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri and natural ecosystem function. Although gill netting is effective (Lake Trout λ ≤ 0.6 from 2012 through 2018), the effort costs more than US$2 million annually and only targets Lake Trout age 2 and older. To increase suppression efficiency, we developed an alternative method using organic (soy and wheat) pellets to increase mortality of Lake Trout embryos on spawning sites. Decomposition of pellets during two in situ experiments caused dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations to temporarily decline to lethal levels (

Publication Year 2020
Title Organic pellet decomposition induces mortality of Lake Trout embryos in Yellowstone Lake
DOI 10.1002/tafs.10208
Authors Todd M. Koel, Nathan A. Thomas, Christopher S. Guy, Philip D. Doepke, Drew J. MacDonald, Alex S. Poole, Wendy M. Sealey, Alexander V. Zale
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
Index ID 70227117
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Coop Res Unit Seattle; Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
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