Northern Exposure: The Ecology and Conservation of Charr Species

Charr are fishes belonging to the genus Salvelinus, which are distributed across northern latitudes worldwide.   Species in this genus include brook trout (S. fontinalis), native to the Northeastern United States and Canada, Lake trout (S. namaycush), native to Alaska through Eastern North America and the Great Lakes region, Arctic char (S. alpinus), which are distributed throughout the Circumpolar north, bull trout (S. confluentus), endemic to Western North America, and dolly varden (S. malma), which occur across the Pacific rim.  This symposium will investigate the fascinating ecology and life-history diversity of charr in their native habitats across North America.  Each of the Salvelinus species exhibits diverse life histories that may vary among and within individual river systems in response to environmental conditions and trophic interactions.  Our understanding of the ecology of charr varies substantially across species, and threats to specific populations and species may differ.  However, the overarching effects of climate change and other anthropogenic impacts to charr species worldwide illustrate the value of a collective symposium that exposes biologists to our current knowledge of the ecology and life-history patterns of various charr species.  In this symposium, we will compare and contrast the ecology of numerous charr species, and explore various environmental and biotic impacts on charr populations, with the ultimate goal to increase our understanding of this group of fishes in order to improve conservation efforts in their native habitats.