Lake trout are on life support in Lake Michigan. They rely on intense breeding and stocking by federal fisheries. There was a breakthrough last summer, though, that could help bolster the lake trout’s recovery. A geneticist successfully mapped the lake trout genome: an outline of the fish’s genetic makeup. The genome will help biologists understand why some “strains” of trout have a higher survival rate. 

But could it also be used to create a sort of super-trout? And is that a good thing? Or is conservation-based gene editing a step too far? 

Featuring: Mark Walton, Roger Gordon, Chuck Madenjian, Seth Smith, Marty Kardos and Kim Scribner.

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LINKS

Check out more episodes of Points North, and their special series: [Un]Natural Selection 

Listen to our previous episode “The Particular Sadness of Trout Fishing in America”

CREDITS

This episode of Points North was written and produced by Patrick Shea

Hosts: Dan wanschura and Morgan Springer

Editor: Morgan Springer 

Consulting editor: Peter Payette 

Music for this episode by Max Dragoo, Marlin Ledin, Santah, and Blue Dot Sessions 

Outside/In is produced by Nate Hegyi, Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, Jessica Hunt, and Felix Poon