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I am a second year Masters student in the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences program at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The goal of my laboratory-based research project is to evaluate host-size selection and lethality of sea lamprey on lake sturgeon. Sea lampreys are an invasive species that are thriving in the Great Lakes, which have devastated many fish populations since they became established. There is a lot of effort to reestablish self-sustaining populations of lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes and the effects of sea lamprey parasitism on lake sturgeon remain unclear. My project will hopefully shed some light on the actual lethality of sea lamprey parasitism on lake sturgeon.
I spent last year taking care of approximately 100 lake sturgeon in the lab trying to get them to certain sizes before beginning my research. I recently received 15 lake sturgeon from Lake Huron that are over 5-feet long! I began my research in August 2006. My project entails pairing a single sea lamprey with a lake sturgeon from one of four size classes and doing observations three times daily to spot sea lamprey attachments. Basically, I am trying to determine the rate of mortality for the different size classes of lake sturgeon, to see if a certain size threshold exists that may preclude mortality caused by a sea lamprey attack. To better determine the effects of a single sea lamprey attack on each of the four size classes of lake sturgeon, I take a blood sample from each fish immediately following sea lamprey detachment and compare the values to baseline blood chemistry values. In addition I am developing a photographic dichotomous key of sea lamprey wounds on lake sturgeon, which can eventually be distributed to researchers all over the Great Lakes to help ensure consistency in classifying sea lamprey wounds, and thereby increase the consistency of sea lamprey marking statistics used in fisheries management.
So how did I get involved with fisheries research? I grew up near Lake Ontario and have always had an affinity towards the water and a curiosity about all aquatic organisms. In middle school I wrote essays to organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited, for chances to attend science-based summer camps to learn more about aquatic biology. I did my undergraduate studies at Lakehead University, a small school in northern Ontario, majoring in Forestry and Environmental Studies. I began an undergraduate research project when I was a junior, collecting algal samples from Lake of the Woods. I worked part-time at Lakehead in a nutrient ecology lab processing water quality samples. In addition, I worked part-time with the Kenora Ministry of Natural Resources Fisheries Assessment Unit one summer. One of the projects the fisheries crew was doing that summer was gill-netting lake sturgeon to assess populations in the Rainy River area. It was working with these large, enigmatic fish that I knew I wanted a career in fisheries. When I was a senior, a professor at Lakehead put me in touch with my academic advisor at Purdue University who has been doing lake sturgeon research for the past 14 years and I applied to the Masters program.
Since my arrival at Purdue University in the summer of 2005 my interests have expanded even further. I am tossing between a career as a fish health specialist, working with sea lamprey control, or continuing my education by doing a PhD, but one thing is for sure - I know that no matter what I do it will be in the field of fisheries and aquatic biology.
Fortunately, I have not experienced many barriers in achieving my goals, but instead have been surrounded by lots of encouragement and I have had a lot of great mentors and employers. My best recommendation to students wishing to pursue a career in fisheries, or any natural resource-based career, is to get out there and volunteer! You can never have too much experience, and there are opportunities everywhere if you are willing to look for them. Ask graduate students, teachers, and professors if they need help in the field, volunteer at local science centers or aquariums, and become an active member of organizations such as the American Fisheries Society. The experience you'll gain by volunteering will be invaluable and it's a great opportunity to network with and receive guidance from individuals in the field.
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