Pacific Lamprey in the Susitna Watershed with Trent Sutton
Join the Susitna River Coalition as we welcome Trent Sutton to discuss his research of Pacific Lamprey in the Susitna.
Lampreys have experienced wide-spread declines in abundance on a global scale primarily as a result of anthropogenic disturbances. Even though these ancestral fishes share many of the same habitats as salmonids in freshwater ecosystems, native lampreys as a group have received little management or research attention. This paucity of information limits the development of management and conservation plans for lamprey species in Alaska, which includes Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus, a species of conservation interest throughout much of its historical distribution.
The Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative (PLCI), a diverse group of indigenous tribal organizations, federal, state and local agencies, non-profit groups, universities, and other Pacific coast entities, uses collaborative research, conservation actions, and outreach to achieve long-term persistence of Pacific Lamprey populations and their habitats while also supporting traditional cultural use. As the newest fish habitat partnership (FHP), PLCI is seeking ways to collaborate with other FHPs and partners throughout the historical range of Pacific Lamprey, especially those in Alaska, to increase awareness and understanding of the cultural and ecological importance of Pacific Lamprey, identify ways to leverage existing knowledge and resources to protect, and restore and enhance fish habitat for the benefit of all aquatic species and the communities they support. One of PLCI’s primary goals is to strengthen its network of Alaskan partners and knowledge of Pacific Lamprey as well as other lamprey species.
In this presentation, we will discuss lamprey life history, the current state of knowledge on lamprey species n Alaska, describe ongoing and future research efforts on Pacific lamprey in the Susitna River drainage, and highlight opportunities for developing partnerships to foster a greater understanding on the distribution, abundance, habitat use, and life history of Pacific Lamprey in Alaska.
Trent Sutton has been a faculty member at UAF since 2007, and previously held faculty positions at Purdue University (2001-2007) and Lake Superior State University (1996-2001). He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University, a Master of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Michigan Technological University, and a Ph.D. in Fisheries Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Over his academic career, Trent has taught 31 different undergraduate and graduate courses, primarily in the areas of fisheries biology and management. He has completed 37 graduate students (31 M.S., six Ph.D.) and currently has four (three M.S. and one Ph.D.) graduate students in his research program. He has published 117 peer-reviewed journal articles, four proceedings, five book chapters, and is one of three co-editors of Fisheries Techniques, Third Edition. Trent is an active member in the American Fisheries Society, serving as a Past President of the Indiana and Alaska Chapters and the Education Section. Trent has served as the Associate Dean of Academic Programs for the UAF College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences since July 2014 and as the co-Director (January 2015-June 2016) Director (July 2016-present) of URSA (the office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity) for the UAF Troth Yeddha’ campus, rural campuses, and CTC.
Trent’s research program uses a field and laboratory-based approach to develop a greater understanding of the role of biotic and abiotic factors on the population ecology and biology of fishes and community structure in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Trent has current research projects directed at understanding the distribution, abundance, movement patterns, population dynamics, and life history of various species in large natural rivers and lakes in interior Alaska, the Yukon River delta, Prince William and Kotzebue sounds, and the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. He currently leads the Beaufort Sea Long-Term Nearshore Fish Monitoring Program in Prudhoe Bay and has additional research projects involving lingcod, Arctic and Pacific lampreys, and sockeye salmon in Alaska.