Meeting Abstract
Invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were introduced into the United States in the early 1960s to help control nuisance aquatic vegetation in ponds and lakes. Since their introduction, they have escaped or been released into multiple water bodies with the overall extent of their impact not fully known. Grass carp pose a significant risk to native species through their ability to destroy food sources, shelter, and spawning areas for native species. Although these carp are routinely bred as triploid (reproductively sterile) and are still distributed in certain regions around the Laurentian Great Lakes, a growing number of potentially reproductively capable (diploid) individuals have been recently captured in Lake Erie. The distribution and population size of these fish in the wild remains unknown. In this study, we assess the reproductively viable grass carp captured in Lake Erie over the last two years. By analyzing the genomes of captured diploid fish for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected through 2b-RAD sequencing methods, we calculate both population structure and effective population size of this harmful invasive species. These results will enable management to better understand the extent of the current grass carp invasion and assist in the management of existing populations.
