Developing Indicators of Ecosystem Stress Using Long-term Data From Pristine and Physically-altered Experimental Lakes

Climate change and expansion of industrial development into the boreal zone are two, prominent stressors that Canadian boreal lakes face. This puts the quantity and quality of freshwater fish habitat at risk, and the subsequent productivity of fish populations in a given system. The objective if this work is to define the components of fish habitat (e.g. temperature, oxygen, nutrients, prey availability, structural features) that are most strongly linked to fish productivity. We will use a combination of (1) long-term fisheries and limnological monitoring data (~40 – 50 years) from pristine lakes at the IISD-Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) in northwestern Ontario, (2) fisheries and limnological data collected from lakes before and after they were manipulated to mimic impacts from hydroelectric developments (i.e. large reductions in water balance), and (3) multi-year, high-resolution data tracking the movement and habitat use of lake trout in several systems, in order to define the best ecosystem indicators of the productivity of fish populations. This work will help to identify climate and industrial development impacts on fish populations, and less-costly and more efficient ways to monitor fish productivity in stressed ecosystems.

Faculty Supervisor:

Paul Blanchfield

Student:

Partner:

IISD Experimental Lakes Area Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Queen's University

Program: