Assessing population size and structure of the longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) in the Nooksack River

部落学院和大学计划（TCUP）的一个目标是提高为美国土著学生服务的特定高等教育机构的科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教学和研究能力。在这些机构扩大STEM课程的范围，可以扩大学生在STEM领域追求具有挑战性、回报丰厚的职业的机会，为可能具有文化意义的领域提供研究，并鼓励社区和世代对科学和数学教育的欣赏。该项目直接符合这一目标，而且将增加对长鳍鱼种群动态的知识体系，长鳍鱼是一种重要的饲料鱼类，既不受保护，也不受捕捞监测。西北印度学院（NWIC）将进行一项研究，旨在：(1)确定Nooksack河长鳍鱼种群的时间遗传结构；(2)确定是否存在遗传瓶颈；(3)估算有效种群规模；(4)考虑这些发现的保护意义。在地方一级，这项研究的数据将有助于国家和部落机构的管理决策。在国家一级，本研究获得的遗传信息将增加对长鳍鱼不同种群段的总体认识。这些数据将帮助跨国界和州界的多个机构评估其他长鳍鱼种群，以及它们是否构成不同的种群部分。此外，本研究收集的资料将为努克萨克河长鳍鱼的有效种群规模提供基线数据。这些数据可用于根据不断变化的河流条件、Nooksack河沿岸栖息地或其附近的发展以及面对气候变化和海洋酸化来评估种群规模的未来趋势。最后，通过将数据提供给其他研究人员、管理机构和公众，从这项研究中获得的信息将增加对长鳍鱼基本生物学的有限理解。

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's indigenous students. Expanding the STEM curricular offerings at these institutions expands the opportunities of their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education. This project aligns directly with that goal, and moreover will increase the body of knowledge on the population dynamics of longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys), an important species of forage fish that is not protected nor its catch monitored.Northwest Indian College (NWIC) will conduct a study that aims to (1) determine temporal genetic structure of the Nooksack River longfin smelt population; (2) determine the existence of a genetic bottleneck; (3) estimate the effective population size; and (4) consider the conservation implications of these findings. At the local level, the data from this study will aid management decisions by both state and tribal agencies. At the national level, the genetic information acquired in this study will add to the overall knowledge of distinct population segments of longfin smelt. These data will aid multiple agencies that cross international and state lines in assessing other populations of longfin smelt and whether they constitute distinct population segments. In addition, the information collected during this study will provide baseline data for the effective population size of the Nooksack River longfin smelt population. These data can be used to assess future trends in population size in the light of changing river conditions, development of or near the Nooksack River riparian habitat, and in the face of climate change and ocean acidification. And lastly, the information gained from this study will add to the limited understanding of the basic biology of the longfin smelt by making the data available to other researchers, management agencies, and the general public.