Identifying spawning habitat of bloater in Lake Ontario

LOWBL

November 2023 - November 2026

Bloater (Coregonus hoyi) were once abundant in Lake Ontario and provided forage for deep water predators such as Lake Trout. However, Bloater are now extirpated from Lake Ontario with the last observation being in the 1980s. Since 2012, a bi-national multi agency effort has experimentally stocked Lake Michigan origin Bloater into Lake Ontario. Recaptures of hatchery-reared Bloater are limited and post-release survival is challenged by predation and handling/transport mortality. That being said, at least one mature Bloater has been recaptured indicating that there is potential for reproduction by hatchery-reared Bloater. Bloater spawning habitat has not been identified or characterized in any of the Great Lakes. This project seeks to identify Bloater spawning habitat in Lake Ontario through the use of adult hatchery-reared surrogates.

• Identify bloater spawning habitat in Lake Ontario.

• Alex Gatch (United States Geological Survey - Tunison Lab) - agatch@usgs.gov

• USGS