Project Title: Understanding Central Lake Erie Yellow Perch Recruitment Dynamics

Project Overview: My project is investigating the mechanisms underlying Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) recruitment in the central basin of Lake Erie. Specifically, I am interested in determining what mechanisms are driving the decadal long decline of Yellow Perch recruitment in the central basin. Additionally, I hope to understand why asynchrony is present between recruitment in the west and central basins. This work will further our knowledge of environmental drivers that affect fish during a critical stage of their life history and highlight the need to readdress recruitment mechanisms in a world with varying climatic cycles.