Invasive Silver Carp Population Genetics

The silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), a freshwater cyprinid fish native to East Asia, was introduced globally for aquaculture and algal bloom control. However, it has become a highly invasive species in the US. This project investigates the genetic divergence of invasive silver carp with RAD-Seq (EcoRI digestion) to determine if distinct populations exist in different rivers or regions, which may lead to pinpointing specific spawning populations for targeted management efforts.