Initiation of a delta smelt refugial population at the Fish Conservation and Culture Lab, near Byron CA.

Bradd Baskerville-Bridges and Joan Lindberg, University of California – Davis

Initiation of a refugial population for the threatened delta smelt is undertaken in collaboration with US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Genomic Variation Lab (GVL) at University of California, Davis (UC-Davis) in response to a marked decline in population abundance indices. The Fish Conservation and Culture Lab (FCCL), a satellite facility of UC-Davis, has developed successful rearing techniques for all life stages of delta smelt over the past decade. These fish supply our research program as well as those of many other labs and agencies. Progeny of wild delta smelt (F1 generation) were provided for research, until the annual collection of sub-adult broodstock was curtailed by regulatory agencies in 2007. To maintain a source of fish for research and provide a safeguard against species extinction, the FCCL is initiating a refugial population this spring, 2008. Wild-origin broodfish, birth year 2006, collected in the lower Sacramento River served to initiate the refugial population in 2008. The current breeding plan attempts to maximize genetic diversity in the refugial population, within the constraints of the existing aquaculture facilities. Single-paired crosses are combined in small groups to form multi-family groups (MFG). Fish from each MFG are reared separately and samples are taken at regular intervals throughout their life cycle. DNA analysis of the parents and progeny (GVL, UC-Davis) will serve as a blueprint to develop the spawning pedigree for 2009. Collection of supplemental wild fish, or gametes, from the field on annual basis is discussed. Facilities for a small delta smelt refugial population are nearing completion at the FCCL site.

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