october 22, 2021
Conservation of a culturally relevant fish at landscape scales: A case study of Pacific lamprey
Dr. Kellie Carim
Research Ecologist, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute
Abstract
Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) are an ancient lineage of jawless fish. Their historic range encompasses the west coast of North America (California to Alaska) and inland to Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Historically abundant populations of Pacific lamprey served as an important source of food and medicine for many Native American Tribes of the Columbia River basin. Over the last 100 years, human activities that block fish passage and degrade stream habitats have decimated populations of Pacific lamprey across their range. In 2004, a petition to list Pacific lamprey under the Endangered Species Act was precluded due to insufficient information on the species’ distribution. To address this information gap, researchers at the U.S. Forest Service National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation are leading efforts to determine the current distribution of Pacific lamprey using environmental DNA (eDNA) technologies. The Broadscale Lamprey Inventory and Monitoring Project (“BLIMP") relies on local knowledge and collaboration with tribal, federal, state, and non-profit organizations to sample subbasins across the historic range of Pacific lamprey. This talk will focus on lessons learned from over 3000 eDNA samples collected across the Columbia River basin to determine the presence and distributions of Pacific lamprey populations. It will also highlight the strengths and limitations of eDNA applications, and the value of diverse partnerships for species conservation.
Biosketch
Dr. Kellie Carim is an aquatic biologist whose research has focused on using genetic information and tools to inform management of freshwater fish and aquatic ecosystems. She received her B.A. in Biology from Carleton College (Northfield, MN) and her Ph.D. in Fish and Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana (Missoula, MT). From 2014 – 2021, Kellie worked in a joint position at University of Montana and the U.S. Forest Service National Genomic Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation. Here, her research program focused on building partnerships across federal, state, and tribal partners to inform conservation of culturally important species. She may be best known for her work using environmental DNA methods to understand the presence and distribution aquatic species on both local and landscape scales. However, her research experiences are broad and include aspects of landscape ecology, invasive species management, population dynamics, and stream restoration in addition to traditional population genetics research. Kellie recently joined the U.S. Forest Service Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute as a Research Ecologist. In this new position, she will build upon her research experience and diverse partnerships to assist the National Wilderness Preservation System in protecting federally designated Wilderness Areas. When not at work, Kellie enjoys cross-country skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and spending time with her best (canine) friend, Ravi.