Protecting Walleye from Climate Change
Research project using state-of-the-art technology to monitor walleye in the Great Lakes seeking collaboration with Ph.D. student
Trent University is recruiting an Environmental Science Ph.D. student to help lead an exciting new research project, using state-of-the-art sensor technology to better understand walleye in the Great Lakes and conserve their populations throughout climate change.
Dr. Graham Raby, an assistant professor of Biology, was recently awarded a four-year grant of $292,000 from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to conduct research into how walleye metabolism varies according to water temperature, location, body size and sex.
“We lack robust estimates in these areas for walleye, which are one of North America’s most important fish species, including in the Great Lakes where they support recreational, Indigenous and commercial fisheries,” Professor Raby says. “The research will better support long-term conservation for these fish, which face threats from both invasive species and climate change.”
Electronic tags provide valuable insight
The successful Ph.D. student will assist Prof. Raby in lab and field work spanning three of the Great Lakes’ major walleye populations in lakes Erie, Michigan and Ontario. As a team, they will use electronic accelerometer tags to gain detailed insight into walleye migration, body temperatures and activity levels with information as detailed as how many calories the fish are burning in the wild.
“These studies will help us better understand how walleye are affected by climate variability and warming, clarify the factors that drive walleye to make long-distance migrations and address the mystery of how female walleye grow to be larger than their male counterparts,” says Prof. Raby.
Students to work with U.S., Canadian researchers
Up to five other students will be able to contribute to this research through projects, data analysis and lab experiments in Prof. Raby’s Integrative Fish Ecology Lab.
The research project offers students a unique mix of marketable skills, including tracking fish and advanced data analysis. Students will also work closely with a network of researchers and stakeholders in the U.S. and Canada, including those from the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System.
As the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry science group is housed on campus, students also have the advantage of learning from and making connections to government fishery biologists.
Learn more about this paid research opportunity and Trent’s renowned Biology programs.