Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: New Mexico
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Gila trout are one of the rarest trout species in North America and exist in remnant habitats in the rugged wilderness of Gila National Forest where they persist in only 11 percent of their historical distribution (Propst et al., 2021). Maintenance of genetic diversity is a fundamental component of this species’ recovery plan in which higher genetic diversity is important for adaptive potential as well as alleviating inbreeding risks. Therefore, in 2020, the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish translocated the five lineages of Gila trout together into multiple sites to increase genetic diversity and fitness. A fin clip was taken from every fish translocated into the watershed for future genetic analysis. Enough time has passed since the initial translocation effort in 2020 that these translocated individuals have had the opportunity to reproduce in Whitewater. This marks an important point in the study to assess various fitness outcomes of the translocation effort. Specifically, we aim to use genetic analysis of translocated fish and their offspring to characterize the mating structure and reproductive success. These results will show whether individual lineages or hybrids are more successful and will allow us to directly investigate if outcrossing Gila trout lineages is a viable conservation strategy to improve their fitness. This project is supported and funded by the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish and may also involve collaborators from other universities and federal agencies.