Brown Trout vs. Brook Trout

A recently published U.S. Geological Survey study examined how native brook trout interact with non-native brown trout under rising stream temperatures.

During the study, which is one of the first experimental studies linking climate change and invasive species biology, researchers found that non-native brown trout limited the ability of native brook trout to utilize warmer stream temperatures.

In contrast, removal of brown trout resulted in the expansion of brook trout into warmer waters.

The brook trout is a freshwater fish species native to eastern North America and threatened by climate change because of its requirement for cold stream temperatures.

Brown trout are native to Europe and have been introduced throughout much of the territory of native Brook Trout.

The research indicates that native brook trout were less resilient to climate change compared to the invasive brown trout because the native fish has less tolerance to higher water temperatures.

The study was published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.

source: U.S. Geological Survey