糖心视频

(糖心视频Org.com) -- Overfishing and destruction of its habitat have driven the Arctic grayling from its native Upper Michigan waters. But Michigan Technological University biologists Nancy Auer and Casey Huckins are looking into the possibility of bringing them back.

The fish, a member of the Salmonidae family of fish, like trout, disappeared long ago from Michigan鈥檚 rivers and lakes.  Its range had stretched from the Au Sable River below the Mackinac Straits to the Otter River in the Keweenaw.

Auer, who is noted for her work with lake sturgeon, and Huckins, whose research focuses on coaster brook trout, are studying the viability of reintroducing Arctic grayling in the Big Manistee River watershed, where, Auer says, 鈥淚n days of old, they used to be very abundant.鈥�

Auer and Huckins, both associate professors in biological sciences at Michigan Tech, have a two-year grant from the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians to study the potential for reintroducing the native fish.  Working with them are two graduate students, Brian Danhoff (whom Huckins advises for an MS) and Cameron Goble whose advisor is Auer.  At the moment they are electro-fishing on the Manistee to record the resident fish, identifying potential competitors and predators. The faculty-student team is collaborating with two other Michigan Tech PhD candidates, Stephanie Ogren and Marty Holtgren, who work for the tribe.

The Manistee flows southwest for about 230 twisty miles, from near Alba to Manistee, where it empties into Lake Michigan. The watershed has more than 80 species of fish, including 13 non-natives, but no longer any grayling.

The Michigan Tech team is focusing on a 11-mile section of the Big Manistee, between two hydroelectric dams, the Tippy and the Hodenpyl. What Huckins calls 鈥渢he main stem鈥� has six tributaries, which Auer calls 鈥渃old water inputs鈥濃�攏ecessary because grayling require clean, cold water.

Besides other species, the students are looking at river discharge, the substrate, water temperature and the availability of food 鈥渋n the drift鈥濃�攁ll to identify whether the characteristics of the aquatic environment could support grayling. 鈥淲e want to have a really good idea about the suitability of the habitat before we move,鈥� Auer explains. Overall, Huckins describes the objects of inquiry as the 鈥渂iotic鈥� (living things) and the 鈥渁biotic鈥� (chemistry and physical makeup)鈥攂oth aspects of the river system and its potential to support grayling.

Meanwhile, he and Auer are searching the scientific literature to determine ideal historic conditions and the best genetic strain of grayling to use, should reintroduction prove promising.

 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to think that it might be possible,鈥� Auer says. She is enamored of this native species. 鈥淕rayling are what we used to have, and they鈥檙e a remarkably pretty fish.鈥�

There are two types of Arctic grayling, distinctive by an outsized dorsal fin: those that live in rivers and those that live in lakes. Auer and Huckins are looking at the river type for the Manistee. In North America, abundant populations of Arctic grayling thrive in Canada and Alaska. In the Lower Forty-eight, Montana has the sole self-sustaining grayling population, in the Big Hole River.  

Why the big fin? 鈥淚t鈥檚 always dangerous for us to say why a species has a distinctive feature,鈥� Huckins says. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 know why that feature evolved, why it鈥檚 so large and colorful.鈥�

Huckins, who grew up in Montana, recalls seeing spawning grayling in a remote creek. 鈥淭o this day, I remember those flapping dorsal fins waving back and forth,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was almost magical.鈥�

Should the inquiry lead to stocking, Auer and Huckins suggest that the people in charge be fussy about identifying the right strain of fish to stock to have the best chance for success. The State of Michigan tried restocking both river and lake grayling in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but the fish didn鈥檛 establish due to a number of factors, including hooking mortality, disease, predation and competition.

Auer notes that, in general, fish are highly adaptable, and nonnatives, like salmon, black bass, and brown trout, 鈥渉ave been plunked all over the place for fishermen. We鈥檝e played musical chairs with fish everywhere.鈥� She adds. 鈥淥ur lake trout are in Wyoming.鈥�

Auer and Huckins attended a symposium and workshop on Arctic grayling in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada, in June. 鈥淲e were surrounded by people dedicated to the study and preservation of the species,鈥� Huckins says. 鈥淲e got great support. They said the potential is good. The logic is there.鈥�

Auer adds, 鈥淭he mantra from the professionals who work with grayling is persistence. You have to keep at it. If you want fish to come back, stick to a stream and work for several years. Don鈥檛 give up. 鈥�

Whether working with lake sturgeon, coaster brook trout or grayling, Auer says, 鈥淭he goal is to get people aware of how beautiful these fish are, and how wonderful these ecosystems are. These big rivers are our lifeblood.鈥�

The land around the target area on the Big Manistee is national forest鈥攁 protected place of abundant wildlife and beauty. Auer told a member of the Little River Band, 鈥淚 just love coming down here. I love this forest.鈥� The native replied, 鈥淣ow you can see why our ancestors chose to live here.鈥�

Huckins calls it 鈥渁 gorgeous watershed with little land use beyond the natural鈥濃�� which is good, Huckins adds, because grayling are a somewhat fragile species. 鈥淭hey are low on tenacity. They are more sensitive. They don鈥檛 tolerate land use well, and it appears they don鈥檛 tolerate strong competition,鈥� the biologist explains.

He says the Manistee work is more than repopulating a fish. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an important species to the tribe,鈥� he says, 鈥渨ith spiritual and cultural connections.鈥�

That鈥檚 because in the Native American world, they鈥檙e not grayling, they鈥檙e 鈥�fish 辫别辞辫濒别.鈥�