Does supplemental stocking alter natural patterns of genetic diversity in lake trout populations?
When the genetic background of donor and recipient fish populations are poorly matched, supplemental stocking may be unsuccessful. Stocked fish may not survive, or they may numerically replace naturally produced individuals without contributing to a self-sustaining, wild population. Even in cases where supplemental stocking is successful, interbreeding between indigenous fish and non-native hatchery strains can lead to homogenization of native population genetic structure. Ultimately these admixed populations may be less suited to changes in the natural environment than the original natives. My thesis research was focused on determining how supplemental stocking had altered patterns of natural genetic diversity in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) populations. I used a genetic profiling methodology to evaluate populations in three different, representative regions of natural genetic diversity in Ontario and the Great Lakes region. I measured both mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA va
