Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Open Access Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Biological Sciences (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Biological Sciences
Advisor 1
Gordon Paterson
Advisor 2
Kristin Brzeski
Committee Member 1
Charlie Kerfoot
Abstract
Native Lake Superior salmonid conservation is a notable success, as the only Great Lake with stable lake trout (LT) and whitefish fisheries (LWF). To quantify toxicity to LT and LWF from legacy pollution by mine tailings at Buffalo Reef in the Keweenaw Peninsula and assess their genetic structure across U.S. waters, I used reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and genotyped ~750 fishes from Buffalo Reef and Lake Superior. ~200-300 epigenetic marks in Buffalo Reef LT and LWF indicated dysregulation of pathways related to DNA damage, immune response, stress, and metabolism, relative to Lake Huron and Michigan outgroups. Population genomic analyses showed LT ecotypes differed genetically and could be predicted with 85% accuracy despite low genetic differentiation lake wide. My results highlight probable toxicity by legacy mine tailing exposure that will inform site remediation at Buffalo Reef, expected to cost > $2 billion, and unique genetic diversity across Lake Superior.
Recommended Citation
McCall, John C., "EPI- AND GENOMIC ASSESSMENTS OF STAMP SAND TOXICITY AND POPULATION STRUCTURE OF LAKE SUPERIOR LAKE TROUT (SALVELINUS NAMAYCUSH) AND WHITEFISH (COREGONUS CLUPEAFORMIS)", Open Access Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2024.