Acidification of the La Cloche Mountain Lakes, Ontario, and Resulting Fish Mortalities

1972 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 1131-1143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Beamish ◽  
Harold H. Harvey

The loss of populations of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), lake herring (Coregonus artedii), white suckers (Catostomus commersoni), and other fishes in Lumsden Lake was attributed to increasing levels of acidity within the lake. An absence of fishes was also observed in nearby lakes. In some lakes, acid levels have increased more than one hundredfold in the last decade. The increases in acidity appear to result from acid fallout in rain and snow. The largest single source of this acid was considered to be the sulfur dioxide emitted by the metal smelters of Sudbury, Ont.In 1971, pH measurements were taken from 150 lakes in the general study area 65 km southwest of Sudbury. Some 33 of these lakes showed a pH of less than 4.5 and were described as "critically acidic." An additional 37 lakes had a pH in the range of 4.5–5.5 and were termed "endangered" lakes.

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 1860-1877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Claude DesLandes ◽  
Sylvie Guénette ◽  
Yves Prairie ◽  
Réjean Fortin ◽  
Dominique Roy ◽  
...  

Catches per unit of effort (CPUE) with experimental gill nets, recruitment, growth, and condition were monitored between 1977 and 1992 to evaluate the impact of impoundment on the main fish species of La Grande 2, Opinaca, and Caniapiscau reservoirs and the Boyd–Sakami diversion. CPUE and recruitment of northern pike (Esox lucius) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) increased markedly at most stations after impoundment and decreased at the end of the series. The lake whitefish and cisco (Coregonus artedii) showed their most striking rise in CPUE at two bay stations of La Grande 2 and Opinaca reservoirs. CPUE and recruitment of the longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus), white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) (Caniapiscau) showed a general decrease following impoundment. CPUE for the walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) also decreased at several stations; however, the two most southerly stations in La Grande 2 reservoir and the Boyd–Sakami station showed high CPUE during the series. Concentration–redistribution phenomena explain part of the observed variations in CPUE. Correlation analyses showed that walleyes and white suckers were attracted to the warmer, more turbid stations, and that the high primary and secondary productivity of bay stations attracted the coregonines. Growth and condition of the main species increased during variable time intervals after impoundment and decreased at the end of the series.


1970 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. V. Martin

From 1936 to 1965 food content was examined in 17,171 Lake Opeongo lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). The diet is analysed from the point of view of frequency of occurrence of foods, their weight, feeding activity of trout, size of trout and size of food, and seasonal and annual changes in food habits.In the late 1940's and early 1950's perch, Perca flavescens, largely disappeared from the diet. The lake trout initially turned to lake whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis, and then to the cisco, Coregonus artedii, introduced into Lake Opeongo in 1948.As a result of these dietary changes lake trout are now heavier and rate of growth has improved. Age and size at maturity is later and there are fewer infertile fish. Egg counts, egg size, and ovary weights are now greater, particularly in the medium-sized lake trout.In the fishery the average weight of individual trout taken has almost doubled. About 25% more of the immature stock is exploited by the recent fishery. The harvest and catchability of lake trout has remained generally constant on a numerical basis but show an improvement on a poundage basis in the more recent years. The possible effects of these changes on the character of the fishery are discussed.


1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1531-1538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward A. Trippel ◽  
F. William H. Beamish

Trophic dynamics between lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and cisco (Coregonus artedii) were examined in a set of 10 northwestern Ontario lakes that ranged in conductivity by nearly an order of magnitude. Diets revealed the possibility of interspecific competition for invertebrate prey prior to initiation of piscivory by lake trout at approximately 200 mm fork length (FL). Von Bertalanffy growth equations (based on otolith ages) were used to estimate time to attain this length (1.4–3.0 yr). Contrary to anticipated results, lake trout reached this size more rapidly in lakes with high cisco abundance. Presumably, this relationship was caused by improved food conditions for young trout in some of the more productive waterbodies. However, after removing the collinearity between lake conductivity and nonpiscivorous growth by regression analysis, there was no relationship between the time for lake trout to reach 200 mm and cisco abundance. Piscivorous growth varied (L∞ = 508 to 740 mm) extensively among the 10 populations and was likely a function of growth efficiency from different food sources. Using stepwise multiple regression, 81% of the L∞ variation among lakes was explained by cisco abundance and mean size. Linear regression between L∞ and mean size of trout (but not trout abundance) on conductivity generated significant positive relationships.


2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1210-1218 ◽  
Author(s):  
S W Milne ◽  
B J Shuter ◽  
W G Sprules

We used a combination of suspended gill nets and hydroacoustics to investigate the schooling behaviour of lake herring (Coregonus artedi) in Lake Opeongo, Ontario, Canada. Lake herring form schools during the day but are dispersed at night and this change occurs at a light threshold of roughly 0.04 lx. Schools range in maximum linear dimension from 100 to 2300 cm with the majority under 1000 cm. The light threshold for school formation is well below that at which their principal predator, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), are able to detect prey. This suggests that schooling may provide advantages in addition to predator avoidance. We observed that lake herring stomachs were fuller during the day than at night, indicating that schooling herring forage more efficiently during the day than individual herring do at night. Furthermore, herring stomach fullness increased with school size, suggesting that schooling enhances foraging opportunities for individual members. We speculate that this is due either to social facilitation of feeding when herring are in the presence of conspecifics, or to corporate vigilance, or "many eyes", which allows individual fish to spend less time being alert to predators and more time feeding.


1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1273-1284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doran M Mason ◽  
Timothy B Johnson ◽  
James F Kitchell

We used a size-structured model, indexed by age, that combines bioenergetics and foraging theory to evaluate the effects of prey fish community structure (species dominance, size structure, and density) on the diet and net foraging efficiency of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Superior. Prey size structure was important for young lake trout but decreased in importance for older lake trout, especially with increasing prey density. The model predicted that rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) should dominate the diet of young lake trout due to the size-dependent capture limitations of larger prey. In contrast, lake herring (Coregonus artedi) should dominate the diet of oldest lake trout owing to a higher net energy return than rainbow smelt. Model results are consistent with age-specific diet and size-at-age of lake trout during the last 40 years. Diets of intermediate-sized lake trout do not reflect the recent resurgence of lake herring populations. Absence of a dietary switch is probably due to higher capture probability for rainbow smelt. Lake trout growth and production will likely be highest with a mixed prey species assemblage of young rainbow smelt and older lake herring.


Author(s):  
Alexander Gatch ◽  
Dimitry Gorsky ◽  
Zy Biesinger ◽  
Eric Bruestle ◽  
Kelley Lee ◽  
...  

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1031-1038
Author(s):  
C A Stow ◽  
L J Jackson ◽  
J F Amrhein

We examined data from 1984 to 1994 for five species of Lake Michigan salmonids to explore the relationship between total PCB concentration and percent lipid. When we compared mean species lipid and PCB values, we found a strong linear correlation. When we compared values among individuals, we found modest positive PCB:lipid associations in brown trout (Salmo trutta), chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) collected during spawning, but positive associations were not apparent among nonspawning individuals. Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) exhibited no discernible PCB:lipid relationship. Our results are not incompatible with previous observations that contaminants are differentially partitioned into lipids within a fish, but these results do suggest that lipids are not a major factor influencing contaminant uptake.


1980 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 1989-2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Everett Louis King Jr.

Criteria for the classification of marks inflicted by sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) into nine categories were developed from laboratory studies in an attempt to refine the classification system used in field assessment work. These criteria were based on characteristics of the attachment site that could be identified under field conditions by unaided visual means and by touching the attachment site. Healing of these marks was somewhat variable and was influenced by the size of lamprey, duration of attachment, severity of the wound at lamprey detachment, season and water temperature, and by other less obvious factors. Even under laboratory conditions staging of some wounds was difficult, especially at low water temperatures. If these criteria are to be used effectively and with precision in the field, close examination of individual fish may be required. If the feeding and density of specific year-classes of sea lampreys are to be accurately assessed on an annual basis, close attention to the wound size (as it reflects the size of the lamprey's oral disc) and character of wounds on fish will be required as well as consideration of the season of the year in which they are observed.Key words: sea lamprey, attack marks, lake trout, Great Lakes


1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. W. H. Beamish ◽  
J. C. Howlett ◽  
T. E. Medland

Juvenile lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, of similar size were fed one of three isocaloric diets, each differing in protein and lipid content. Oxygen consumption and swimming performance were measured in a recirculating water flume at intervals throughout the 70-d feeding trials (10 °C). Swimming speed was increased by stepwise velocity increments (5 cm∙s−1) and oxygen consumption was measured at each velocity between 20 and 45 cm∙s−1. Oxygen consumption for a given speed did not differ significantly throughout the feeding trial nor among the diets implying a similarity in the quality and quantity of substrate catabolized for energy. Basal metabolism (0 cm∙s−1) was also independent of diet and feeding interval. Critical swimming speed increased with dietary and carcass protein content to suggest a direct association with muscle mass and number of myofilaments.


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