The Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited will host a presentation on the use of genetics to determine the sex of Chinook salmon in Lake Ontario during its monthly meeting Monday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m.
The meeting will be held at the Sixth Ward Athletic Club, 22 W. Broadway in Oneonta. The public is welcome.
Guest speaker Elijah Horst of Canandaigua will discuss research he conducted as an undergraduate at SUNY Oswego, where he studied ways to genetically identify the sex of Chinook salmon.
The research supports a separate study examining the ratio of hatchery-raised and wild fish in Lake Ontario. While visual identification is generally reliable, genetic testing can provide greater accuracy, particularly with smaller salmon, which are more difficult to distinguish by appearance.
Horst conducted genetic tests on tissue samples from more than 2,200 fish collected during 2024 egg takes at two hatcheries. He also tested salmon caught in the Oswego River and Lake Ontario. The research remains underway with his former undergraduate lab.
Horst is pursuing a master’s degree in lake management. He began fishing on Lake Ontario at age 7 and later worked as a first mate on his father’s charter fishing operation after graduating from high school in 2022.
Following the presentation, attendees can enjoy refreshments and take part in the chapter’s monthly raffle, which will feature four or five prizes.
For more information about the meeting or membership, contact chapter Co-President Tom Trelease at 607-434-7211 or tomtrelease@gmail.com, or Co-President Steve Eichler at 607-643-1516 or sefranklinmtn@yahoo.com
