Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of Anadromous Alewife Restoration in a Whole-Ecosystem Experiment.
6 affiliations
- 1Institute of Marine Sciences University of California Santa Cruz California USA.
- 2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA.
- 3Fisheries Division Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Old Lyme Connecticut USA.
- 4Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service Santa Cruz California USA.
- 5Department of Ocean Sciences University of California Santa Cruz California USA.
- 6Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz California USA.
Abstract
Restoration efforts can serve as opportunities to conduct ecological and evolutionary experiments at the whole-ecosystem scale. We evaluated the eco-evolutionary dynamics of restoring anadromous alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) to a lake occupied by a well-established landlocked population isolated ca. 350 years ago. The restoration of Rogers Lake involved the construction of fishways on all downstream dams and the annual stocking of anadromous adults. Throughout the restoration project, we quantified juvenile recruitment, abundance, and growth, as well as hybridization and introgression with the landlocked population. Restoration led to the annual production of anadromous juveniles and the natural return of anadromous adults. During the decade of restoration, > 27,000 anadromous adults ascended the fishway, with ~78% identified as offspring of stocked parents. Juvenile anadromous abundance fluctuated annually but never exceeded 8% of the total juvenile composition. Anadromous juveniles in Rogers Lake grew faster than those in nearby Bride Lake, the source of the stocked anadromous adults, and matched landlocked and hybrid growth rates. Parentage analyses revealed that stocking date influenced reproductive success, age-of-return, and day-of return. Hybrid juveniles appeared early in the restoration and increased in abundance. Hybrids exhibited both life histories, with the majority remaining in the lake as freshwater residents, but several returning as mature anadromous adults. Landlocked juvenile abundance declined, suggesting ongoing demographic shifts through the restoration. Overall, restoration efforts reestablished the anadromous life history in the lake but also led to hybridization between forms. These results provide an example of how evolutionary processes can shape the outcome of restoration efforts.
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BibTeX
@article{reid2026ecoevolutionary,
title = {{Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of Anadromous Alewife Restoration in a Whole-Ecosystem Experiment.}},
author = {Kerry Reid and Katherine A Littrell and Andrew D MacDonald and Kevin Job and Stephen R Gephard and John Carlos Garza and David M Post and Eric P Palkovacs},
journal = {Evolutionary applications},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1111/eva.70350},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999499},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of Anadromous Alewife Restoration in a Whole-Ecosystem Experiment.
AU - Kerry Reid
AU - Katherine A Littrell
AU - Andrew D MacDonald
AU - Kevin Job
AU - Stephen R Gephard
AU - John Carlos Garza
AU - David M Post
AU - Eric P Palkovacs
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Evolutionary applications
DO - 10.1111/eva.70350
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999499
AB - Restoration efforts can serve as opportunities to conduct ecological and evolutionary experiments at the whole-ecosystem scale. We evaluated the eco-evolutionary dynamics of restoring anadromous alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) to a lake occupied by a well-established landlocked population isolated ca. 350 years ago. The restoration of Rogers Lake involved the construction of fishways on all downstream dams and the annual stocking of anadromous adults. Throughout the restoration project, we quantified juvenile recruitment, abundance, and growth, as well as hybridization and introgression with the landlocked population. Restoration led to the annual production of anadromous juveniles and the natural return of anadromous adults. During the decade of restoration, > 27,000 anadromous adults ascended the fishway, with ~78% identified as offspring of stocked parents. Juvenile anadromous abundance fluctuated annually but never exceeded 8% of the total juvenile composition. Anadromous juveniles in Rogers Lake grew faster than those in nearby Bride Lake, the source of the stocked anadromous adults, and matched landlocked and hybrid growth rates. Parentage analyses revealed that stocking date influenced reproductive success, age-of-return, and day-of return. Hybrid juveniles appeared early in the restoration and increased in abundance. Hybrids exhibited both life histories, with the majority remaining in the lake as freshwater residents, but several returning as mature anadromous adults. Landlocked juvenile abundance declined, suggesting ongoing demographic shifts through the restoration. Overall, restoration efforts reestablished the anadromous life history in the lake but also led to hybridization between forms. These results provide an example of how evolutionary processes can shape the outcome of restoration efforts.
SN - 1752-4571
ER -