brook trout temp adaptation

[nymphingmaniac]

Threatened by warming waters, brook trout may be able to adapt to hotter weather | Penn State University

Brook trout may have a genetic trick up their scales when it comes to adapting, with limitations, to heatwaves that threaten their existence. A novel study led by researchers at Penn State suggests that brook trout — an iconic coldwater fish species native to streams and lakes in the eastern...

www.psu.edu

a significant number of caveats, but you might find it interesting. The different behavior of brook trout in different watersheds may be interesting if truly genetic. It is very possible that the differences in expression may be caused by other stress features of a particular stream- e.g. pH, habitat when sampled etc. Stresses tend to synergize in organisms

 

[Mike]

Good article, as is the linked one within on landscape transcriptomics, which explains the science further. Genetic plasticity of salmonids continues to express itself in different ways. The more researchers look, the more they find…and in this case as an adaptive mechanism.

 

[JeffP]

Very interesting. I believe all those creeks have a dam on it. It looks like Poe was done below the lake. I don't think there are many brookies left in lower Poe. I've always been interested in fish numbers on Poe specifically for that reason. I have caught an occasional brookie the last few years but not many. I think it also gets hammered by the camping crowd. It does have Little Poe as a feeder but that has been nothing more than a trickle. Pine Swamp might have a couple in it.

 

[JeffP]

Guessing the future we won't see many of these studies. To some people, they just die or they don't.

 

[troutbert]

What are the practical management implications of this study?

The important question is "What should be done to improve brook trout populations?