Iowa State University

Marty Simonson studied Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University before earning a MS degree from the University of Toledo researching the effects of shoreline vegetation on the nearshore fish community of Lake Erie. Marty’s PhD research at Iowa State University examined the effects of commercial harvest on Common Carp and Bigmouth Buffalo populations in shallow, natural lakes of northwest Iowa. Marty’s CASC-funded position at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center is testing for differences in thermal tolerance and aerobic scope between a northern-latitude Great Lakes population and a southern-latitude inland population of Cisco (Coregonus artedi). The objective of this study is to find out if the southern population is better adapted to warmer water temperatures and could serve as a source population for reintroduction efforts in warmer habitats of the Great Lakes, like Lake Erie.