Atlantic Whitefish conservation
Ongoing Atlantic Whitefish conservation projects
Atlantic Whitefish and eDNA
The monitoring and conservation of aquatic species relies on knowledge of their biology and life history characteristics. Little is known of Atlantic Whitefish biology in the wild, including spawning location and timing. The ability to meet the DFO recovery goals requires monitoring of Atlantic Whitefish in the wild, which has typically been hindered by their low numbers. Further complicating the issue is that habitat use and preference may differ among life stages. This research will assess the ability of eDNA analysis to detect and monitor Atlantic Whitefish within the Petite Rivière system along with their AIS predators in accordance with the DFO recovery plan. Targeted eDNA sampling will occur across various seasons and locations in the lakes to approximate Atlantic Whitefish spawning timing as well as assess the community composition of the lakes and the outcome of electrofishing mitigation efforts.
This work will be undertaken by Samantha Beal, a MSc candidate.
Written by Samantha Beal and Paul Bentzen, August 2022
Atlantic Whitefish and salinity
Past work has shown that juvenile and adult Atlantic Whitefish are fully tolerant to, and have a preference for, salt water. However, after being isolated in a freshwater system for many decades, it is not known how they perform metabolically under increasingly saline conditions. This work will focus on the metabolic capabilities and health of Atlantic Whitefish acclimated to different salinity levels, with the aim of revealing important information regarding the potential to restore anadromy as part of their species recovery plan.
This work will be undertaken by Emily Yeung, a MSc student.
Written by Emily Yeung and Samantha Beal, August 2022