At Idaho State University, I have continued to pursue my interests in conservation biology of salmonid fishes. In southeast Idaho, one of the greatest threats to native cutthroat trout diversity has been the wide spread introduction of rainbow trout that are not naturally endemic to the upper Snake River watershed. Because rainbow trout are closely related to cutthroat trout and because both species occupy similar ecological roles, each species freely interbreeds with the other when they come in contact. In conjunction with Idaho fisheries biologists, I am currently combining genetic data with morphological data to develop a system of identifying hybrids from either parental species in natural populations. In addition, I am also working on a National Science Foundation Grant to continue my work on cutthroat trout conservation. In collaboration with Dr. Margaret Ptacek (Clemson University, SC), we intend to compare the frequency of genetic introgression among cutthroat trout watersheds that have received numerous introductions of exotic rainbow trout, but differ dramatically in levels of hybridization. We believe that differences in land-use practices between watersheds might be an important force that drives the level of impact of introduced species on native populations.
 
 

Yellowstone cutthroat trout have been reduced in distribution to only about 10% of its range.
 
 

Westslope cutthroat trout naturally occupied a fairly wide distribution in the central and northern parts of Idaho. Currently, there are also conservation concerns with this species due to habitat loss and hybridization with introduced rainbow trout.
 
 

Bonneville cutthroat are also native to Idaho, but like other native trout species, there are concerns about the status of this species as well.
 
 

Coastal cutthroat trout are not native to Idaho, but they do represent another form of cutthroat trout native to the western U.S. Like many other cutthroat trout species, this form is also threatened by habitat destruction that has dramatically reduced its range.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Distribution of three forms of cutthroat trout in Idaho; westslope cutthroat(Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi), Yellowstone cutthroat (Oncorhynchusclarki bouvieri), and Bonneville cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarki utah).
 
 
 
 
 
 

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