POSTER PRESENTER: http://tinyurl.com/2024WSC-Grubisha CO-AUTHORS: Jennifer Boush and Amy Carrozzino-Lyon, UW-Green Bay TITLE: Wild rice conservation genetics in the bay of Green Bay ABSTRACT: Wild rice is native to North America and has been a seasonal staple food for Native Americans for centuries as well as an important species for Wisconsin wildlife. Wild rice consists of four species of grasses that, together, form the genus Zizania. Of the three species of wild rice native to North America, two species can be found in Wisconsin: Northern wild rice (Zizania palustris) and one of two varieties of Southern wild rice (Zizania aquatica var. aquatica). Wild rice restoration in northeast Wisconsin is gaining importance in public, private, and governmental sectors. Samples from native wild rice populations on the western shore of lower Green Bay were collected between 2017-2023. Previous student research at UW-Green Bay identified four populations of Z. palustris and one population of Z. aquatica. In this current study, we are using simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci to evaluate genetic diversity within populations and gene flow among populations. Population genetic analyses of the 105 plants from four populations and SSR loci identified from the genome sequence of Z. palustris are underway. Results from conservation genetics studies such as this one can be used to provide essential information for land managers to use for developing and refining wild rice restoration plans, including seed sourcing for restoration projects. The development of molecular markers that capture population-level variation are crucial for tracking gene flow among populations. Estimates of genomic variation can provide information on the potential of native wild rice populations to respond to environmental change. BIO: Lisa Grubisha is an associate professor of biology at UW-Green Bay. She conducts molecular ecology research on aquatic and terrestrial plants, fungi, and microbial communities.