Julianne Rosset, co-advised by Dr. Adrian Jordaan and Dr. Allison Roy, wins best oral presentation at the Life Sciences Graduate Research Symposium. Julianne presented a talk on “Life history characteristics of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) in freshwater environments”, one of 17 oral presentations.
ECo was very well represented at the symposium. Congratulations to all the participants for a great day of oral and poster presentations.
Julianne’s abstract:
Life history characteristics of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) in freshwater environments
Julianne Rosset – Environmental Conservation
Every spring, alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) begin their annual spawning run into lakes and ponds along the northeastern coast of the United States and Canada. Adults provide a significant source of marine-derived nutrients to freshwater systems and young of year act as an important food source for piscivorous fish. Over the past two centuries, coastal migratory alewife populations have drastically declined due to habitat degradation, overfishing, and the blockage of critical spawning rivers by dams. Alewife populations are typically assessed by counting adult fish as they enter spawning habitats. However, there is seldom an account of the resulting juvenile production within freshwater habitat. The objective of our research was to assess juvenile densities, age, mortality, and growth rates in freshwater lakes, and evaluate environmental and landscape factors that influence nursery productivity. We sampled alewives in 20 freshwater lakes and ponds in eastern Massachusetts three times throughout the summer. Our research will help develop a more complete understanding of the role of habitat quality and cohort dynamics which will help guide alewife restoration priorities throughout their native range.