The project addresses the current lack of reliable information on the state of native trout species ( genus Salmo) in Georgia, whether these populations are stable, declining, or increasing, and whether anadromous populations survive in Georgia. The project will employ molecular population genetics methods to characterize riverine and lacustrine populations, and develop baseline population estimates necessary for monitoring long-term trends in population dynamics. It will also address taxonomic questions of Salmo species in the Caucasus region, whether these species in the Caucasus are endemic species or regional variants of more widespread taxa. The project will also map free-living populations of non-native rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), to determine whether these are interfering with the ecology and success of native taxa. Alongside sampling of native and introduced salmonids, we will also be testing water samples and habitat for the presence of common fish pathogens, bacterial and protozoan, to assess the potential health threats to salmonids in Georgian aquatic and marine habitats, and their potential to harm an economically and ecologically valuable natural resource.

Principal investigator: Cort Anderson