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And Northern Pike (Esox Lucius) in Rivers of the Hudson Bay Lowlands

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And Northern Pike (Esox Lucius) in Rivers of the Hudson Bay Lowlands Life history characteristics of Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), Cisco (Coregonus artedi), and Northern Pike (Esox lucius) in rivers of the Hudson Bay Lowlands by Rachel Anne DeJong A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfilment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Biology Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2017 © Rachel Anne DeJong 2017 Author’s Declaration This thesis consists of material all of which I authored or co-authored: see Statement of Contributions included in the thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Statement of Contributions I participated in the collection of field samples from the Attawapiskat River in fall of 2015 with local community members. First Nations fishers, consultants, and researchers from Laurentian University collected all remaining fish and invertebrate samples. I prepared otoliths for otolith microchemical analysis, and analyzed the otoliths with the assistance of Dr. Heidi Swanson and Dr. Panseok Yang. I reduced all otolith microchemical data, took photos of each otolith, and generated otolith microchemical profile plots for each fish. Image overlays were completed by myself and members of the Swanson Lab (Alexandra Crichton and Amy Nguyen). The age of each fish was determined by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. I assessed age of first migration for each fish, and visually classified each fish as migratory or non-migratory. Water chemistry data were obtained from the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and fish data prior to 2014 were obtained from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Maps were created by Angela Graham. For fish collected in 2014-2016, I prepared and weighed samples for stable isotope analysis, with the assistance of lab volunteers and Shyann Hang. I completed all stable isotope mixing model analyses. iii Abstract Many northern fishes display plasticity in life history and trophic ecology that can influence productivity of fisheries and bioaccumulation of contaminants, such as mercury. Cisco (Coregonus artedi), Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), and Northern Pike (Esox lucius) are important subsistence food fishes to Aboriginal communities on the west coast of Hudson Bay, and our understanding of the life history of these fishes is incomplete. In this study, I investigated life history and trophic ecology of Cisco, Lake Whitefish, and Northern Pike from three rivers of the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Fish of each species were classified as either non- migratory or migratory using otolith microchemistry profiles, and results indicated clear use of marine habitats by Cisco and Lake Whitefish. Whereas use of brackish-water habitats is well- documented for Northern Pike in the Baltic Sea, I present the first data indicating possible use of brackish habitats by Northern Pike in North America. The majority of Cisco (99 %) and Lake Whitefish (92 %) were classified as migratory, whereas the majority of Northern Pike (70 %) were classified as non-migratory. A mixing model (MixSIAR) applied to stable isotope ratios of sulphur (δ34S) was used to determine proportional dietary contribution of prey from marine and freshwater-derived sources for each fish species in each river. The majority of the diet of migratory Cisco (76 to 85 %) and Lake Whitefish (59 to 75 %) was composed of marine-derived nutrients/prey. Both migratory and non-migratory Northern Pike were reliant on marine-derived nutrients/prey. I estimated that up to 40 % of non-migratory Northern Pike diets were derived from marine sources; this is evidence that non-migratory Northern Pike were feeding on marine- derived resources (possibly anadromous Cisco and Lake Whitefish). Results of this study will enable better predictions of changes in species-specific life history due to climate-induced shifts in temperature and/or productivity in northern rivers and oceans. In combination with iv contaminant data, my results can be used to better understand how fish life history influences contaminant bioaccumulation both now and in the future. v Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Heidi Swanson for the opportunity to work on a great project, and for her mentorship and support. Thank you for taking the time to show me how to use the laser to analyze my many otoliths for otolith microchemistry and for teaching me about the theory and interpretation of otolith microchemistry. I would also like to thank you for all of your time spent helping me to improve my writing. I would also like to thank my committee: Dr. Christian Zimmerman, Dr. Michael Power, and Dr. Brian Branfireun for their advice and input on ideas, analyses, and thesis drafts. Thanks to Dr. Bill Keller, Dr. Tom Johnston, and Dr. John Gunn for providing field logistical support, advice, and ideas. The coordination of field sampling trips and sample collections was done by Lee Haslam, Dr. Bill Keller, and Dr. Tom Johnston, and field collections were facilitated by Adrien Sutherland, Timothy Miles, and Albert Chookomolin for sample collection on the Attawapiskat, Severn, and Winisk rivers. DeBeers Victor Mine allowed us to work out of their facility to conduct field work, and allowed us to use data from monitoring programs. Thanks to Panseok Yang for helping me to troubleshoot and learn to use the laser for otolith microchemistry. In-kind support was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Water chemistry data were provided by the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Thanks to all of the members of the Swanson Lab for your support and help along the way, as well as all of the volunteers, lab employees, and field partners who helped with sample collection, preparation, and organization. I would also like to thank my friends and family for all of the support and encouragement along the way. Funding was generously provided by the NSERC Canadian Network for Aquatic Ecosystem Services, the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, the Northern Scientific Training Program, and a Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship in Science and Technology. vi Table of Contents Author’s Declaration ....................................................................................................................... ii Statement of Contributions ............................................................................................................ iii Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ ix List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. x List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... xi List of Symbols ............................................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION............................................................................................ 1 1.1 Organism Life History .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Fish migrations ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2.1 Anadromy ....................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Techniques for Studying Fish Migration .............................................................................. 5 1.3.1 Otolith Microchemistry .................................................................................................. 6 1.3.2 Stable Isotopes ................................................................................................................ 8 1.4 Study Area: The Hudson Bay – James Bay Region of Canada .......................................... 10 1.4.1 Geography of the Hudson Bay – James Bay Region.................................................... 10 1.4.2 Salinity of Hudson and James Bay ............................................................................... 12 1.4.3 Fish Life History in the Hudson Bay – James Bay Region .......................................... 12 1.4.3.1 Cisco .......................................................................................................................... 13 1.4.3.2 Lake Whitefish .......................................................................................................... 15 1.4.3.3 Northern Pike ............................................................................................................. 16 1.5 Study Rationale ................................................................................................................... 18 1.6 Study Objectives ................................................................................................................. 19 CHAPTER TWO - METHODS...................................................................................................
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