AUTHORS: Hannah Lachance, University of Vermont, Rubenstein School, Gund Institute for Environment, Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory; Taylor Stewart, University of Vermont, Department of Biology, Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory; Melissa Pespeni, University of Vermont, Department of Biology; Jason Stockwell, University of Vermont, Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory
ABSTRACT. Climate change is expected to increase winter temperatures and reduce ice and snow cover on lakes. Such changes could impact the development and hatch time for fish species that incubate over winter, such as cisco (Coregonus artedi). Warmer winter temperatures are expected to result in earlier hatch dates, but impacts of an increased light environment through reduced ice/snow cover remain unclear. To test if changes in the light environment could influence cisco egg and larval development, a pilot experiment was conducted during the winter of 2016-2017. Fertilized eggs were exposed to three light treatments: continuous light, regular photoperiod, continuous dark. To understand how these conditions may impact cisco development the transcriptomes of eggs and larvae from each treatment group were sequenced. Various programs will aid in sequence data analysis, including Trinity for de novo transcriptome assembly. Differential gene expression (DE) between the treatments will be estimated using DESeq2 and gene ontology (GO) will help to identify the function of the DE genes to yield insights to the physiological and developmental impacts of changing ice coverage.
