Project GROWS: Genetic Research on Western Salmon Peter Wimberger and Lyle Rudensey, University of Puget Sound.
Download ReportTranscript Project GROWS: Genetic Research on Western Salmon Peter Wimberger and Lyle Rudensey, University of Puget Sound.
Project GROWS: Genetic Research on Western Salmon Peter Wimberger and Lyle Rudensey, University of Puget Sound Salmon, The ESA, ESUs, and the 4 Hs Why Salmon? Plight of Wild Salmon The ESA and ESUs Project GROWS Why Salmon? A Way of Life SALMON = Charismatic Megafauna Pacific Salmon Species Chinook Sockeye Silver or Coho Chum or Dog Pink or Humpy Steelhead Cutthroat Columbia River Chinook Landings Where did all the salmon go? The 4 H’s Harvest Hydropower Habitat Hatcheries Fishing – Responsible for early declines, but not now the major problem Hydropower Hydropower Problems Passage around and through dams for adults and especially juveniles Slack water Change Hydrograph Loss of spawing and rearing habitat Temperature Habitat Some Habitat Problems Siltation Pollution Loss of Riparian Areas Loss of Estuarine rearing Areas Temperature Not enough water in streams Hatcheries: A Technological Fix? Hatchery Problems • • • • • • Artificial Rearing Environment Inbreeding Dilution of Local Adaptation Disease Competition with wild fish Heavily harvested to detriment of rarer wild stocks Endangered Species Act - 1973 “...provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved…” “Death is one thing, an end to birth is something else. -Gary Snyder Biodiversity Why protect species??? • Ecosystem services (trillions of dollars) • Source of food, clothing, shelter, energy • Medical (> 60% drugs from natural products) • Moral/ Ethical Reasons • Protect ecosystem health (“web of life”) • Unique Genetic Makeup ESA amended - 1978 Protect “…distinct population segment of any species of fish or wildlife which interbreeds when mature.” Why protect distinct populations of salmon? Because they’re different! “Evolutionarily Significant Units” Why the differences? Remarkable Local Adaptation the result of faithful homing Chinook Distinct Population Segments http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/chinesum.htm How does NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) decide whether populations are distinct? •Genetic Differences •Important component of evolutionary legacy Project GROWS Authentic research by high school students Conservation biology Molecular biology Population genetics Cooperative effort Fun! GROWS Curriculum Collect samples DNA extraction PCR Gel Electrophoresis Restriction Digest Data Analysis DNA to PCR to RFLP (genotypes) Data Analysis Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium Comparing Two Populations Salmon Recovery? Enjoy! We hope that this presentation fertilizes your teaching.