Developing Genomic Biomarkers for Assessing Fish Reproductive Health

Graham Young and J. Adam Luckenbach, School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, University of Washington; Fred Goetz, Great Lakes Water Institute, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Penny Swanson, Northwest Fisheries Science Center

R/B-49

When migrating through urban waterways and nearshore environments, salmon are exposed to environmental estrogens, low oxygen concentrations and other contaminants and conditions that can inhibit reproduction. This project seeks to identify an array of genes in salmon that might serve as markers of such exposures. Fisheries researchers and managers can use the resulting bioassessment tools to evaluate relationships between specific environmental conditions and contaminants and the reproductive health of Puget Sound salmon stocks.