Research Projects

Evaluating escapement goals and harvest control rules for Alaskan Salmon

Many salmon stocks in the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim region of Alaska have little or no stock and recruitment data, which is used to estimate maximum sustainable yield escapement goals. This project will explore methods for determining escapement goals for data poor stocks and evaluate the relative performance of harvest control rules that use escapement goals to alternative control rules. Funding: AYK-SSI. Contact: Mike Jones

Harvest policy evaluations

We are evaluating alternative ways to specify appropriate fishing levels using stochastic simulation models. This work addresses management of specific Great Lakes stocks (e.g., yellow perch in Lake Michigan, upper Great Lakes lake whitefish) and general performance of strategies. Funding: Mich. DNR. Contact: Jim Bence

Importance of the larval stage to cisco recruitment variation in the Great Lakes

This multi-agency collaborative effort is focused on understanding the mechanisms that cause large variations in inter-annual recruitment of cisco. We are particularly interested in the hypothesized bottlenecks acting on the larval stage. Funding: USFWS-GLFWRA. Contact: Jared Myers

Spatial and temporal components of variation in Great Lake percid populations

This project seeks to determine spatial and temporal components of variation in percid relative abundance data, how these variance structures may differ among systems, and whether variance structure itself is responsive to large-scale ecological perturbations. Funding: GLFWRA. Contact: Brian Irwin

Alternative management strategies for Lake Erie percid fisheries

This project involves refining the existing walleye and yellow perch statistical catch-at-age stock assessment models . Alternative management strategies will be evaluated against predetermined management objectives using simulation experiments. Funding: OMNR. Contact: Aaron Berger

Fishery stock assessment methodology

We are conducting Great Lakes fishery stock assessments and evaluating alternatives. This work includes developing standardized indices of abundance, fitting assessment models, and simulation testing assessment approaches. Funding: Mich. DNR. Contact: Jim Bence

Food web dynamics and commercial fishery harvest in Lake Huron

Decision analysis is used to evaluate harvest strategies for the multi-species cold-water commercial fisheries in Lake Huron. A food web model is used to account for both direct (harvest and bycatch) and indirect (predator-prey dynamics) impacts within the ecosystem. Funding: GLFC. Contact: Brian Langseth

Estimating mortality parameters for the Lake Erie walleye population

This project focuses on estimating natural and fishing mortality parameters for the Lake Erie walleye population. Estimates of mortality based on PIT (passive integrated transponder) tag recaptures will be compared to historic estimates of mortality based on jaw tag return data. Funding: USFWS-GLFWRA. Contact: Chris Vandergoot

Assessing Lake Michigan salmonine stocking policies using decision analysis

The project aims to develop an updated Decision Analysis model for the Lake Michigan salmonine stocking program. Alternative stocking rates are evaluated based on the balance between stocked fish and the supply of prey fish using stochastic simulation. Funding: GLFT. Contact: Iyob Tsehaye