Fisheries Experiment Station research

The Fisheries Experiment Station research program has been actively involved in fisheries research since 1986, although informal research has been conducted at the station since the early sixties. The general goal of the research is to provide better fishing through better survival of fish—primarily trout. The research has focused on several general areas including 1) fish diseases such as whirling disease and bacterial coldwater disease 2) reduction of fin erosion of hatchery fish, 3) production of sterile fish for stocking in waters with native cutthroat trout, 4) aquaculture of threatened fishes and 5) refinement of aquaculture rearing techniques and evaluation of new technologies.

See FES Research Publications for list of published articles (titles and abstracts) by the FES research staff. A bibliography on Tubificid worms or on fish transport compiled by Eric J. Wagner and Steven Intelmann may also be of interest. See Current Research Projects for a listing of research experiments for the coming year.

Current research projects

FY06 projects

Fish disease studies
1. Evaluating discharge mechanisms of triactinomyxon polar capsules of M. cerebralis
  The polar capsule is a cell containing a coiled filament and is typical of the members of the phylum Myxozoa. The polar capsule discharges a polar filament that is used to attach to a fish host. Research on discharge mechanisms could provide insight into ways to prematurely discharge the polar filament, thus preventing infection. Work is ongoing to try to understand the discharge mechanism.
2. Resistant trout brood development
  Recent research has indicated that a German strain of rainbow trout (Hofer) and a strain from Montana's Harrison Lake, show some resistance to infection by Myxobolus cerebralis. We have obtained eggs of a cross between the two strains for comparison with a current Utah rainbow trout strain, the TenSleep. The hybrid cross is expected to engender the higher resistance and growth characteristics of the Hofer and the survivability attributes of the Harrison Lake strain. Testing will compare hatchery performance and post-stocking survival between the whirling disease resistant hybrid and the TenSleep strain.
3. Bacterin development for Coldwater disease
  A bacterin (killed bacteria that can help the immune system defend against live ones) will be developed for salmonids that suffer from coldwater disease. This disease occurs in some Utah hatcheries and contributes to poor growth, condition, and survival.
Fish sterilization studies
1. Comparison of pressure and heat shocks to induce triploidy
  Heat shocks have been successful in inducing triploidy in recent tests both at the FES and other state agencies. The shock has been shown to suppress the extrusion of the the second polar body, a normal process in meiosis in which the egg halves the number of chromosomes it carries to mate with the sperm chromosomes. These shocks induce triploidy, a sterile condition. Recent tests have indicated that pressure shocks have also induced high levels of triploidy. Further tests are underway to compare the two techniques for optimization of triploid yield of rainbow trout.
Improvements in aquaculture
1. Probiotics
  Probiotics are living organisms such as bacteria that can help reduce the mortality from pathogenic organisms. We will be testing survival and growth of cutthroat trout fry given probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus) at the initiation of exogenous feeding. It is hoped that the initial colonization of beneficial bacteria will help discourage the colonization of potentially pathogenic bacteria
2. Another application of probiotics we plan to evaluate is use for eggs, recolonizing the egg with beneficial bacteria after chemical treatment or just using beneficial bacteria initially to outcompete the potentially pathogenic ones.
3. Egg disinfection
  Eggs come with lots of bacteria on the outside of the egg that can contribute to poor survival and transfer pathogens from the wild and other hatcheries that can compromise fish health. We plan a series of tests to evaluate different disinfectants for potential use for egg disinfection.
4. Wastewater treatment
  We plan to assess the use of flocullants (alum or ferric chloride) for settling waste from hatcheries, reducing eutrophication of downstream waters.
5. Leatherside
  The leatherside Snyderichthys copei, is a small, rare, riverine cyprinid limited to a few populations in the Bonneville Basin and Snake River system. We are conducting experiments and observations to determine spawning substrate preferences, optimal larval diets and rearing temperatures, velocity preferences, and other aspects of cyprinid aquaculture. Results will lead to techniques for rearing fish for recovery efforts and a better understanding of the life history of the species.