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Understanding the spatial ecology of sturgeon (Acipenseridae) has proven to be a challenge due to the life history characteristics of these fish, especially their long life span, intermittent spawning, and long‐distance migrations. Within the Huron‐Erie Corridor (HEC) of the Laurentian Great Lakes, habitat use of 247 lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) was monitored over a three‐year period (2015–2017) with acoustic transmitters. Extensive spatial coverage of receivers throughout the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and Detroit River between Lake Huron and Lake Erie (~150 km) allowed for continuous monitoring of the movements of acoustic‐tagged individuals. Sequence analysis of individual detection histories was used to describe lake sturgeon habitat use and to determine (1) whether distinct habitat‐use patterns occurred within the HEC; (2) whether the range of habitats occupied varied across seasons among sturgeon grouped by common patterns; and (3) whether variation identified was related to tagging sites in the two rivers or sex. Lake sturgeon were active throughout the HEC, but five distinct habitat‐use patterns were identified. River residents were not broadly distributed across entire rivers, but rather associated with particular segments (middle Detroit River, St. Clair River delta). Variations in habitat‐use sequences were in part related to three river tagging sites, but not sex, and did not produce groups with sequences that reflected all five habitat‐use patterns derived from cluster analysis. Lake sturgeon distribution was reduced to fewer habitat segments during winter and expanded to the maximum extent during the spring and summer. Conservation planning that incorporates behavioral diversity of habitat use is relatively rare due to a lack of observations on movements of individuals at biologically relevant spatial and temporal scales, but using telemetry and sequence analysis methods may promote the success of conservation and restoration efforts.

Channelization for navigation and flood control has altered the hydrology and bathymetry of many large rivers with unknown consequences for fish species that undergo riverine migrations. In this study, we investigated whether altered flow distributions and bathymetry associated with channelization attracted migrating Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) into commercial navigation channels, potentially increasing their exposure to ship strikes. To address this question, we quantified and compared Lake Sturgeon selection for navigation channels vs. alternative pathways in two multi-channel rivers differentially affected by channelization, but free of barriers to sturgeon movement. Acoustic telemetry was used to quantify Lake Sturgeon movements. Under the assumption that Lake Sturgeon navigate by following primary flow paths, acoustic-tagged Lake Sturgeon in the more-channelized lower Detroit River were expected to choose navigation channels over alternative pathways and to exhibit greater selection for navigation channels than conspecifics in the less-channelized lower St. Clair River. Consistent with these predictions, acoustic-tagged Lake Sturgeon in the more-channelized lower Detroit River selected the higher-flow and deeper navigation channels over alternative migration pathways, whereas in the less-channelized lower St. Clair River, individuals primarily used pathways alternative to navigation channels. Lake Sturgeon selection for navigation channels as migratory pathways also was significantly higher in the more-channelized lower Detroit River than in the less-channelized lower St. Clair River. We speculated that use of navigation channels over alternative pathways would increase the spatial overlap of commercial vessels and migrating Lake Sturgeon, potentially enhancing their vulnerability to ship strikes. Results of our study thus demonstrated an association between channelization and the path use of migrating Lake Sturgeon that could prove important for predicting sturgeon-vessel interactions in navigable rivers as well as for understanding how fish interact with their habitat in landscapes altered by human activity.

1. Population structure, distribution, abundance and dispersal arguably underpin the entire field of animal ecology, with consequences for regional species persistence, and provision of ecosystem services. Divergent migration behaviours among individuals or among populations are an important aspect of the ecology of highly mobile animals, allowing populations to exploit spatially or temporally distributed food and space resources. 2. This study investigated the spatial ecology of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) within the barrier free Huron-Erie Corridor (HEC), which connects Lake Huron and Lake Erie of the North American Laurentian Great Lakes. 3. Over 6 years (2011-2016), movements of 268 lake sturgeon in the HEC were continuously monitored across the Great Lakes using acoustic telemetry (10 years battery life acoustic transmitters). Five distinct migration behaviours were identified with hierarchical cluster analysis, based on the phenology and duration of river and lake use. 4. Lake sturgeon in the HEC were found to contain a high level of intraspecific divergent migration, including partial migration with the existence of residents. Specific behaviours included year-round river residency and multiple lake-migrant behaviours that involved movements between lakes and rivers. Over 85% of individuals were assigned to migration behaviours as movements were consistently repeated over the study, which suggested migration behaviours were consistent and persistent in lake sturgeon. Differential use of specific rivers or lakes by acoustic-tagged lake sturgeon further subdivided individuals into 14 \"contingents\" (spatiotemporally segregated subgroups). 5. Contingents associated with one river (Detroit or St. Clair) were rarely detected in the other river, which confirmed that lake sturgeon in the Detroit and St. Clair represent two semi-independent populations that could require separate management consideration for their conservation. The distribution of migration behaviours did not vary between populations, sexes, body size or among release locations, which indicated that intrapopulation variability in migratory behaviour is a general feature of the spatial ecology of lake sturgeon in unfragmented landscapes.

Markliam and Knight (2017) identified four major emerging issues from the 2009 State of Lake Erie Conference - increases in dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) that have precipitated harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, fish health (in particular viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHSv)). and wind-power development. Clearly, ongoing increases in DRP and the resulting harmful algal blooms dining 2009-2015 warrant further attention. The Lake Erie Committee (LEC) of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission has prepared and published a position statement on wind-power projects that recommends more emphasis and consideration be placed on the effects of such projects on the Lake Erie fish community and its associated habitat. Lamprey, like the SCDRS. Strategies for Sea Lamprey control in this large, lotic system should be considered even though control may be challenging, not only by the sheer size of the SCDRS but also by the presence of species of special concern like Lake Sturgeon and Northern Madtom.

Marklevitz et al present a report which responds to a commitment by fishery agencies on the Great Lakes to report progress on meeting fish community objectives (FCOs) established for each Great Lake (GLFC 2007). These objectives for Lake Erie do not specify targets for individual species, although they do specify broad ecological principles for achieving sustainability. The issue addressed here is if populations of highly valued fish like Walleye and Yellow Perch are trending in a direction consistent with the overall objective. Results of the cooperative movement study showed that 75% of Yellow Perch PIT tagged in the western basin were recaptured in the western basin. The remaining 25% of recaptured fish came from the west-central sub-basin (21%) and the east-central sub-basin (4%). Yellow Perch that were PIT tagged in the west-central sub-basin and the east-central sub-basin were recaptured almost wholly within the central basin.

A key driver of patients’ well-being and clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the course that the disease takes over time (progression and prognosis). To assess how genetic variation influences the progression of PD over time to dementia, a major determinant for quality of life, we performed a longitudinal genome-wide survival study of 11.2 million variants in 3,821 patients with PD over 31,053 visits. We discover RIMS2 as a progression locus and confirm this in a replicate population (hazard ratio (HR) = 4.77, P  = 2.78 × 10 −11 ), identify suggestive evidence for TMEM108 (HR = 2.86, P  = 2.09 × 10 −8 ) and WWOX (HR = 2.12, P  = 2.37 × 10 −8 ) as progression loci, and confirm associations for GBA (HR = 1.93, P  = 0.0002) and APOE (HR = 1.48, P  = 0.001). Polygenic progression scores exhibit a substantial aggregate association with dementia risk, while polygenic susceptibility scores are not predictive. This study identifies a novel synaptic locus and polygenic score for cognitive disease progression in PD and proposes diverging genetic architectures of progression and susceptibility. A genome-wide survival study identifies variants at RIMS2 associated with progression of Parkinson’s disease to dementia and highlights divergence in the genetic architecture of disease onset and progression.

In cystic fibrosis, dysregulated neutrophilic inflammation and chronic infection lead to progressive destruction of the airways. The underlying mechanisms have remained unclear. Lipoxins are anti-inflammatory lipid mediators that modulate neutrophilic inflammation. We report here that lipoxin concentrations in airway fluid were significantly suppressed in patients with cystic fibrosis compared to patients with other inflammatory lung conditions. We also show that administration of a metabolically stable lipoxin analog in a mouse model of the chronic airway inflammation and infection associated with cystic fibrosis suppressed neutrophilic inflammation, decreased pulmonary bacterial burden and attenuated disease severity. These findings suggest that there is a pathophysiologically important defect in lipoxin-mediated anti-inflammatory activity in the cystic fibrosis lung and that lipoxins have therapeutic potential in this lethal autosomal disease.