Presenter: Rachael Mallon (Northwest Indian College)

Description:
Tiokowe (Indigenous name for Longfin Smelt, Spirinchus thaleichthys) are more commonly referred to as “Hooligans” in the local area of Bellingham, WA. The species occurs in coastal areas and some land-locked freshwater lakes from San Francisco Bay, California to Prince William Sound, Alaska. In San Francisco Bay, the population is listed as ‘threatened’ under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) as this population is genetically distinct and due to population decline. Lummi people and other Pacific Northwest elders describe a similar decline of the anadromous Longfin Smelt of the Nooksack River in the state of Washington, where there is a relatively large and well-known annual spawning run. However, the life history of the Nooksack River Longfin Smelt is poorly described in academic literature, and spawning areas within the river are currently undocumented. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is DNA released by organisms (e.g., from feces, shed skin cells, saliva, etc.) into the environment. The detection of eDNA is a sensitive, inexpensive, and non-invasive method of testing for species presence or absence and locating species in a wide range of habitats. To better understand life history dynamics of the Nooksack River Longfin Smelt, we designed a novel species-specific qPCR assay to detect Longfin Smelt in both marine and freshwater environments. We demonstrate the successful use of the assay to detect Longfin Smelt at four successive sites 0-4 miles upriver from Bellingham Bay along the Nooksack River during the annual spawning run, and as such have expanded sampling upriver for the 2021 season. Preliminary results from the first few months of data collection also demonstrate that Longfin Smelt can be detected in the Nooksack estuary months after spawning. The assay designed in this study can be used by tribal and non-tribal agencies to detect and better understand the life history dynamics of the Longfin Smelt to aid in management and recovery plans.