Conservation Genetics

The Alaska Region Conservation Genetics Laboratory was established in 1987 as the first conservation genetics facility in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We apply expertise in sophisticated genetic analyses and bioinformatics to a wide variety of management issues in support of Department of Interior and Administration priorities as part of the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program.

We work with partners towards a connected network of lands and waters that support diverse, self-sustaining populations of wild, native fish that exhibit their natural variability in abundance, genetics, and life history. To that end, we use modern DNA analyses that allow us to provide non-invasive, accurate and precise information about species, populations, stocks and individuals not obtainable using other methods. 

See Conservation Genetics Lab Publications

Projects

Our annual In-Season Genetic Mixed-Stock analysis of Yukon River salmon harvests to estimate stock composition in real time provides unique information that is used by Federal and State managers to conserve stocks and provide equitable sharing of the resource as mandated by the Pacific Salmon Treaty and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA).

In addition, our pioneering use of environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques for early detection of invasive and injurious species is pursuant to the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act, the Fish and Wildlife Act and Executive Order: Safeguarding the Nation from the Impacts of Invasive Species, among others. We use eDNA (DNA that has been “shed” into the environment from skin cells, scales, or waste) to monitor the presence of a species in the water, on land, or even in the air. Our collaborative work with invasive and injurious species helps mitigate the tremendous harm they can cause to our environment, economy and health, including the extinction of native species, the spread of disease and costly damage to infrastructure. 

One prime example is our 10+ year collaboration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to detect the invasive Northern Pike in water bodies in Southcentral Alaska using eDNA. Invasive Northern Pike prey heavily on juvenile salmon and trout. Some lakes and streams that once supported healthy numbers of trout and salmon now have only invasive Northern Pike. Through a variety of projects in the field and the lab, we developed reliable eDNA markers for Northern Pike that we now use to direct eradication efforts and test their efficacy. These efforts help prevent the spread of Northern Pike to protect some of Alaska’s most economically important commercial and recreational fisheries. 

We are further expanding our applications of eDNA as one of the three U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service genetic facilities that form the Molecular Laboratory Network (MLN). The MLN is an integral component for the Department of Interior’s national Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) initiative and will use eDNA to detect and respond to a variety of invasive species threats across the U.S. 

Other applications of eDNA include a cost-effective, non-invasive, and comprehensive approach to ecosystem monitoring. These methods can enhance assessment of environmental impacts and help drilling and mining companies meet rehabilitation and sustainability goals in support of Administration priorities and the Alaska Executive Order: Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.

Authorities

Our portfolio of projects is pursuant to an array of legal and statutory mandates, including:

• Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956
• Anadromous Fish Conservation Act
• Endangered Species Act of 1973
• Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
• National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act
• National Environmental Policy Act
• Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, Title VIII
• Subsistence Management Regulations for Public Lands in Alaska
• Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
• Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act
• National Invasive Species Act of 1996
• Executive Order: Safeguarding the Nation from the Impacts of Invasive Species
• Executive Order: Protecting the Great Lakes from Invasive Carp
• Marine Mammal Protection Act
• Lacey Act
• Sikes Act
• Pacific Salmon Treaty and Yukon River Salmon Agreement
• Alaska Executive Order: Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential
• Open Government Act of 2018
• OMB Memo M-19-18 Federal Data Strategy
• Secretarial Order 3369 Promoting Open Science
• OMB Circular A-130 Managing Information as a Strategic Resource