Trent Sutton Associate Professor

Affiliations

• American Fisheries Society
• International Association of Great Lakes Research
• American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists
• Sigma Xi
• North American Native Fishes Association
• World Sturgeon Conservation Society

Specialties

• Recruitment dynamics of fishes
• Fish habitat assessment
• Population biology and ecology of fishes
• Trophic ecology and food-web dynamics

Education

• B.Sc. 1991 Michigan State University (Fisheries Biology)
• M.Sc. 1993 Michigan Technological University (Ecology)
• Ph.D. 1997 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Fisheries Biology)

Courses

Spring 2009

• Fisheries Management (FISH F487W )
• SEM: Coregonid Biology (FISH F692D)

Fall 2009

• Fisheries Techniques (FISH F315)

Research Overview

My research focuses on population- and community-level interactions involving freshwater fishes in both lotic and lentic ecosystems. The objective of his research program is to develop a greater understanding of the role of biotic and abiotic factors on the population ecology and biology of fishes and community structure of aquatic ecosystems in order to assist subsequent natural resource conservation and management efforts. My current research is focused in two distinct areas: (1) population ecology, biology, and conservation of fish populations and communities; and (2) impacts of perturbations on aquatic community structure and function.

Current Research Projects

• Effectiveness of Deepwater-release Devices in Reducing Mortality of Demersal rockfish due to Angling-induced Barotrauma (Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
  Anglers fishing the marine waters of Alaska rely heavily on groundfish stocks, particularly Pacific halibut and nearshore rockfishes, for subsistence, recreation, and economic opportunity. A recent study commissioned by Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimated the economic impact to coastal communities by guided saltwater anglers alone exceeded $176 million annually. Restrictions to the recreational halibut fishery are likely to increase effort and harvest of rockfish by charter operators. Depressed rockfish populations are slow to recover due to their long lifespan, delayed maturation, and low reproductive potential. Conservative and creative management solutions are warranted to minimize the risk of population declines in rockfish stocks. Demersal rockfish, particularly yelloweye, quillback, and copper rockfish, even when caught at relatively shallow depths of 30 m, may sustain injury due to barotrauma. Barotrauma is damage to tissue caused by expansion of gas in the air bladder and in other organs that occurs with pressure changes as fish are brought to the surface. Returning these fish to capture depth (pressure) as soon as possible appears to increase survival, but little is known about the long-term effects of barotrauma on released fish. Several deepwater release devices are now commercially available, but the benefit of these devices to demersal rockfish populations is not yet understood. If deepwater release devices are to be considered a viable tool for fishery management, a better understanding of their effect on fish is needed. Collaborators include Dan Bosch (ADFG), Samuel Hochhalter (ADFG), and graduate student Brittany Blain.
• Biotic and Abiotic Determinants of Rainbow Trout Stocking Success in Interior Alaska Lakes (Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
  The Alaska Department of Fish and Game manages stocked waters in Interior Alaska for rainbow trout under three management categories: regional, conservative, and special. The “special” approach manages for a high probability of an angler catching more than one fish at least 457-mm total length (TL), which is considered a trophy fishery. There is a demand from the angling public for trophy-sized fish. Better allocation of fish stocks is a necessity for meeting the needs and desire of anglers and to maintain healthy fish populations. The goal of this project is to develop a model that predicts rainbow trout productivity in stocked lakes in interior Alaska. The overall objective is to evaluate rainbow trout at maximum length at age and by condition factor in stocked lakes and to analyze abiotic and biotic variables of interior lakes. To achieve this objective, lakes will be visited three times between May and September 2008 and 2009 to measure and weigh fish, and to measure lake temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, alkalinity, hardness, phosphorus, nitrogen, lake depth, lake surface area, shoreline development, turbidity (Secchi depth), lake elevation, chlorophyll a, macrophyte cover, and zooplankton. An expected outcome from this project is a predictive model that can be used by researchers and managers for evaluating rainbow trout productivity in stocked lakes in the interior of Alaska. Collaborators include Cal Skaugstad (ADFG), Amanda Rosenberger (UAF), and graduate student Kelly Mansfield.
• Ecological Escapement of Pacific Salmon in the Kulukak River, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Alas)
  Ongoing climate change in Alaska has the potential alter the availability and quality of riverine habitats used by Pacific salmonids. As a result, there is a need to evaluate salmon escapement goals and consider the ecological needs of the watershed or the watersheds’ potential carrying capacity. For this study, we will evaluate the quantity of salmon spawning and juvenile rearing habitat for a small coastal watershed (Kulukak River) within the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge in 2009 and 2010. The entire drainage will be photographed using an aircraft equipped with high resolution digital and forward looking infrared photography equipment. Ground control points and Ikonos satellite imagery will be used to georeference the produced images. A decision-based fusion technique will be used to produce a classified image which combines the best characteristics from the three image sources. Field habitat data will be used to develop a classification scheme based on the spectral image and the habitat’s value as salmon adult spawning and juvenile rearing habitat. Adult salmon spawning locations and abundance will be determined using low-level helicopter surveys and GPS technology. Juvenile rearing habitat will be estimated to classify juvenile salmon rearing habitat types in selected stream reaches. An estimate of the quantity of total available salmon spawning and rearing habitat will be made for the entire watershed and estimates for varying water flow stage will be calculated using stream gage data. Juvenile rearing carrying capacity will be determined based on the estimate of available rearing habitat during periods of minimal winter flows levels. The number of spawning adult salmon required to produce the minimum number of juveniles of each species will be estimated using fecundity and survival estimates available from existing research literature and field sampling. Estimated minimum sustainable escapement will be compared to existing escapement goals and estimates for Chinook, coho and sockeye salmon. Collaborators include Mark Lisac (USFWS) and graduate students Jesse Coleman and Christine Woll.
• Effects of climate variability on the spawner-recruit relationship of Kuskokwim River Chinook salmon (Pacific Coast Salmon Restoration Fund)
  Accurately forecasting spawner abundance and setting realistic escapement goals for Pacific salmonids is challenging given our poor understanding of environmental impacts on spawner-recruit relationships. We will examine the impact of environmental variability on abundance and survival estimates of Chinook salmon in the Kuskokwim River. Our specific study objectives are to: (1) describe potential environment-recruit relationships by incorporating environmental variables into a spawner-recruit model; and (2) identify deficiencies in environmental and life-history information needed for improvement of this model. These objectives will be met by using the Kuskokwim River Chinook salmon spawner-recruit model currently being developed through a project sponsored by the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Sustainable Salmon Initiative to assess the effects of various environmental conditions. The total suite of variables will be reduced through an exploratory phase, and formal selection procedures will be used for the remaining variables to identify the final best-fit model. By understanding the environment-recruit relationship and improving our ability to forecast abundance, this project will allow for the development of appropriate, science-based escapement goals and better strategies for the management of Chinook salmon in the Kuskokwim River drainage at sustainable levels. Collaborators include Douglas Molyneaux (ADFG), Milo Adkison (UAF), and graduate student Kay Larson-Blair.
• Stock characteristics, movement patterns, habitat use, and reproductive biology of whitefish species in the Chatanika River-Minto Flats complex (University of Alaska Fairbanks)
  The Chatanika River supports personal-use spear fishery for humpback whitefish during their fall spawning migration. This system also supports a large spawning population of least cisco, which also are occassionally taken during the fall fishery. To assess the impact of the fishery on long-term population viability and to better understand the life history of these fishes, we have identified the following project objectives for these three species: (1) assess their stock characteristics and population dynamics; (2) evaluate the impact of varying levels of harvest-induced mortality; (3) characterize the stock attributes of harvest fish relative to the non-harvested population; (4) examine the summer-fall-winter movement patterns and spawning run timing; (5) characterize reproductive habitat attributes and spawning success; and (6) assess the reproductive biology of spawning fish. With the results that we gather during this study, we will be able to provide resource managers with critical information for better managing these populations of whitefish in the interior of Alaska. Project collaborators include Matthew Evenson and Klaus Wuttig (ADFG), Randy Brown (USFWS), and graduate students Lorena Edenfield and Aaron Dupuis.
• Linking traditional local knowledge and western science to better understand the life history of Bering cisco in the Yukon River Delta (Alaska Sea Grant College Program)
  Little is known about the life history of Bering cisco. However, Alaskan Native coastal villagers have historically relied heavily on this species for subsistence purposes. For this study, we will link traditional local knowledge of Bering cisco with scientific collections to better understand the life history of this species. Our study objectives include the following: (1) examine the stock characteristics and population dynamics of Bering cisco in the Yukon River Delta; and (2) assess life history, particularly anadromous or amphidromous movement patterns, using otolith elemental analysis. Through this study, we will gain a better understanding of Bering cisco which will facilitate management efforts for this species in the Yukon River. Project collaborators include Randy Brown (USFWS) and graduate student David Runfola.
• Stock characteristics, movement patterns, and life history of broad whitefish in the Yukon River (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
  Little is known about broad whitefish in the Yukon River, a species that is highly migratory and is important for subsistence harvest. For this study, we have identified the following objectives: (1) examine the stock characteristics of broad whitefish in the middle Yukon River; (2) evaluate migration patterns and spawning run timing using radio telemetry; and (3) assess life history, particularly anadromous or amphidromous movement patterns, using otolith elemental analysis. Through this study, we will gain a better understanding of broad whitefish which will facilitate management efforts for this species in the Yukon River. Project collaborators include Randy Brown (USFWS) and graduate student William Carter.
• Assessment of eastern hellbender population status in the Blue River, Indiana (Indiana Department of Natural Resources)
  The eastern hellbender is a large, primitive species of aquatic salamander native to clear, cool streams and rivers of the eastern United States. Hellbenders are habitat specialists that are confined to highly oxygenated, swift-flowing waters with large rocky substrates for hiding and nesting and an abundance of prey species such as crayfish. Because population declines and physical abnormalities have been documented throughout much of the hellbender’s range and likely have multiple causes, it is critical to understand the population status and health, life-history attributes, habitat availability and quality, and the incidence of reproductive and recruitment success in order to develop appropriate conservation and rehabilitation strategies for this species. For this research, we propose to initiate research on the Eastern hellbender to: 1) examine the life-history attributes, population status, movement patterns, habitat availability and use, and reproductive and recruitment success; 2) develop a stage-structured, life-history model to evaluate the long-term population viability of the Eastern hellbender in the Blue River and assess the impacts of various perturbation and rehabilitation scenarios on the population abundance, recruitment, and reproductive potential of this species; and 3) develop a suite of hypervariable microsatellite markers, assess levels of genetic variation and genetic structure at both local and regional scales, and identify genetic source populations for potential augmentations. Project collaborators include Brant Fisher(IDNR), Rod Williams (Purdue University), and graduate students Nicholas Burgmeier and Shem Unger.
• Mortality and recruitment mechanisms affecting early life stages of lake sturgeon in Lake Michigan (Great Lakes Fishery Trust)
  The extent to which mortality mechanisms impact lake sturgeon early life stages and limit recovery efforts remain unknown. For rehabilitation to be successful, an understanding of the relationship among mortality and recruitment factors acting on lake sturgeon populations is necessary. For this study, we will examine the following objectives: (1) estimate egg density, production of larvae during the drift period, and the abundance of age-0 juvenile lake sturgeon prior to river emigration in the lower Peshtigo River; (2) identify and quantify the mechanisms of mortality during each lake sturgeon life stage; (3) determine if predation on age-0 life stages is dependent upon lake sturgeon body size; and (4) assess how mortality sources influence recruitment dynamics, year-class strength, and population viability of lake sturgeon. This research will directly increase our understanding of the mechanisms regulating recruitment dynamics of lake sturgeon in the Lake Michigan basin and help to identify mortality sources that may negatively impact ongoing and future recovery efforts for this species throughout the Great Lakes basin. Collaborators include Robert Elliott (USFWS), Michael Donofrio (WDNR), Edward Baker (MDNR), and graduate student David Caroffino.

Selected Publications

Daugherty, D. J., T. M. Sutton, and R. E. Elliott. 2007. Potential for reintroduction of lake sturgeon in five northern Lake Michigan tributaries: a habitat suitability perspective. Aquatic Conservation (in press).

Kennedy, A. J., D. J. Daugherty, T. M. Sutton, and B. E. Fisher. 2007. Population attributes of shovelnose sturgeon in the upper Wabash River, Indiana. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 27:52-62. Download PDF (120 KB)

Benson, A. C., T. M. Sutton, R. F. Elliott, and T. G. Meronek. 2006. Biological attributes of age-0 lake sturgeon in the lower Peshtigo River, Wisconsin.  Journal of Applied Ichthyology 22:103-108. Download PDF (160 KB)

Benson, A. C., T. M. Sutton, R. F. Elliott, and T. G. Meronek. 2005. Movement patterns and habitat preferences of age-0 juvenile lake sturgeon in the lower Peshtigo River, Wisconsin.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 134:1400-1409. Download PDF (70 KB)

Kreutzweiser, D. P., K. P. Good, and T. M. Sutton. 2005. Large woody debris characteristics and contributions to pool formation in Boreal Shield forest streams. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 35:1213-1223.

Daugherty, D. J., and T. M. Sutton. 2005. Population abundance and stock characteristics of flathead catfish in the lower St. Joseph River, Michigan. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25:1191-1201. Download PDF (80 KB)

Daugherty, D. J., and T. M. Sutton. 2005. Seasonal movement patterns, habitat use, and home range of flathead catfish in the lower St. Joseph River, Michigan. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25:256-269. Download PDF (90 KB)

Kennedy, A. J., R. W. Greil, R. C. Back, and T. M. Sutton. 2005. Population characteristics and spawning migration dynamics of pink salmon in U.S. waters of the St. Marys River. Journal of Great Lakes Research 31:11-21. Download PDF (290 KB)

Pangle, K. L., and T. M. Sutton. 2005. Temporal changes in the relationship between body condition and proximate composition of juvenile Coregonus artedi. Journal of Fish Biology 66:1060-1072. Download PDF (170 KB)

Pangle, K. L., T. M. Sutton, R. E. Kinnunen, and M. H. Hoff. 2004. Overwinter survival of age-0 lake herring in relation to body size, physiological condition, energy stores, and food ration. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 133:1224-1234. Download PDF (150 KB)

Daugherty, D. J., T. M. Sutton, and R. W. Greil. 2003. Life-history characteristics, population structure, and contribution of hatchery and wild steelhead in a Lake Huron tributary. Journal of Great Lakes Research 29:511-520. Download PDF (80 KB)

Sutton, T. M., and J. J. Ney. 2002. Influence of trophic competition on first-year survival of stocked striped bass in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 22:550-559. Download PDF (190 KB)

Michaelson, D. P., J. J. Ney, and T. M. Sutton. 2001. Largemouth bass predation on stocked striped bass in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management 21:326-332. Download PDF (60 KB)

Sutton, T. M., and J. J. Ney. 2001. Size-dependent mechanisms influencing first-year growth and winter survival of stocked striped bass in a Virginia mainstream reservoir.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 130:1-17.  Download PDF (270 KB)

Sutton, T. M., K. A. Rose, and J. J. Ney. 2000. A model analysis for enhancing stocking success of landlocked striped bass populations. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 20:841-859. Download PDF (180 KB)

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