USGS CERC Funding Opportunity: Genetic Sequencing for Endangered Pallid Sturgeon

The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) is a federally endangered species and the focus of intense recovery efforts. Hybridization with the closely related, but more common shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) was identified as a substantial threat to the pallid sturgeon and was a factor in listing the species as endangered. Genetic and morphometric analyses indicate that the level of genetic introgression increases with distance downstream in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The extent of introgression in the downstream portion of the species¿ range challenges the ability of existing analytical techniques to identify pure specimens of pallid sturgeon and discriminate among potentially significant geographically distinct populations. Research is needed to apply new and novel techniques to sequence pallid sturgeon DNA and accurately map genetic variation to develop the thousands of additional markers needed to identify local sources of population variation, adequately characterize the threat of hybridization, and understand speciation.