Upper Muddy Creek Sucker Genetic Analysis Phase II

The summary for the Upper Muddy Creek Sucker Genetic Analysis Phase II grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Bureau of Land Management, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Upper Muddy Creek Sucker Genetic Analysis Phase II: Project Background Information: This project is a continuation of work on the genetics of an unusual hybrid zone between two species of native fish and an introduced fish in south-central Wyoming. Previous work provides possibly the first example, for a vertebrate, of how an introduced species (the white sucker) can act as a genetic bridge that allows hybridization between two native species that were previously reproductively isolated. The study has important conservation implications because it suggests that introduced species may act as "spoilers" that homogenize the genetic distinctiveness of native faunas. By studying exactly how this breakdown of reproductive barriers occurs, we hope to provide practical guidance to natural resource managers that will allow them to assess genetic threats to native fishes, and prioritize and protect native fish habitats from the most problematic incursions of non-native fish (for example, by removing hybrids that might serve as "genetic bridges" that would threaten pure stocks of native fish). Project Objective: Utilize a controlled breeding experiment to obtain genetic signatures from individuals of known pedigree. Compare genetic samples from additional populations to those from Muddy Creek to assess the "purity" of these populations and provide a mechanism to prioritize management efforts.