Lake Champlain has seen significant changes to its coldwater fish community, including increased natural reproduction of lake trout and the invasion of alewife.
A research team at the University of Vermont developed a new coldwater forage fish bottom trawling survey to help track long-term changes in prey fish populations. A standardized operating procedure, data analysis scripts, and database have been established to enable resource managers and researchers to identify and analyze trends in the forage base and make informed stocking decisions in the future.