Identifying and characterizing coregonine spawning habitat in Lake Erie

Justin Chiotti (USFWS, justin_chiotti@fws.gov), Edward Roseman (USGS), Zach Amidon, Robin DeBruyne (USGS), John Deller (ODNR), Jason Fischer (USFWS), Dimitry Gorsky (USFWS), Philippa Kohn (TNC), Tom MacDougall (OMNRF), James Markham (NYSDEC), Chris Olds (USFS), Amanda Popovich (Ohio DNR), Wendylee Stott (DFO)

During the fall of 2021 and 2022, Lake Whitefish egg deposition was assessed using egg mats and egg pumping along the southern shore of the central and eastern basins in Lake Erie. Sampling was conducted at 12 different locations with 111 individual sites sampled over the two years. Lake Whitefish eggs were collected at the Fairport and Lorain, OH ports during both 2021 and 2022. Lake Trout eggs were collected at Fairport, OH in 2021 and 2022 and at the Barcelona/Shorehaven reef, NY in 2021 and Woodlawn Bar reef, NY in 2022. Lake Whitefish eggs were collected at water depths ranging from 3.6 – 8.0 meters and at water temperatures ranging from 1.7 – 5.5°C. Eggs were reared to larvae (number hatched = 8 in 2021 & 13 in 2022) at the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center, genotyping will be done and results compared to other samples collected in Lake Erie for stock identification. Substrate was assessed using camera drops and video collected at each site and classified according to the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard. Dominant substrate types where Lake Whitefish eggs were collected at Lorain, OH consisted of bedrock, gravel mixes, and sand. Dominant substrate at the Fairport, OH Lake Whitefish egg collection locations consisted of gravel mixes and sand.