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

I attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington and earned my bachelor's of science in Marine Biology. I started at The Pennsylvania State University in fall 2010, as a Master's student. . Lake trout spawning habitats have experienced degradation due to sedimentation and introduced zebra mussels. Egg predation, particularly by round gobies, may also contribute to reduced reproduction; eggs experience reduced survival due to Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) from thiaminase found in introduced prey species like alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax). With these challenges to stocking, survival and natural reproduction, restoration of lake trout is an ongoing process. The study I am currently working on aims to quantify strain of origin for a sample of mature lake trout in the Niagara River, where two hatchery strains are currently stocked, and identify parental hatchery strain of naturally reproduced offspring. To further assist in management practices, lake trout will be tagged and tracked to assess lake trout movement, with focus on strain-specific reproductive patterns and behaviors.