THE SITE FIDELITY OF MUMMICHOGS (FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS) IN AN ATLANTIC CANADIAN ESTUARY: IMPLICATIONS FOR USE AS A SENTINEL SPECIES IN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING by Marc Anthony Skinner Bachelor of Science, University College of Cape Breton 2001 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Science In the Graduate Academic Unit of Biology Supervisors: R. A. Curry, Ph.D., Canadian Rivers Institute, UNB Fredericton S.C. Courtenay, Ph.D., Canadian Rivers Institute Fisheries, UNB Fredericton and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Moncton Examining Board: A.W. Diamond, Ph.D., Department of Biology, UNB Fredericton, Chair D. MacLatchy, Ph.D., Canadian Rivers Institute, UNB Saint John B. Hudgins, Ph.D., Institute of Biomedical Engineering, UNB Fredericton This thesis is accepted by the Dean of Graduate Studies THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK April, 2005 © Marc A. Skinner, 2005 ABSTRACT Small-bodied fish were proposed for use as a sentinel species in environmental monitoring because they are usually more abundant and generally less mobile than large bodied fish, therefore increasing catch rate while also increasing their ability to reflect local conditions. The primary objective of this thesis was to describe the spatial and temporal movement patterns of mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) in a large river estuary and assess their usefulness as a sentinel species in environmental programs such as Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) for the Canadian pulp and paper industry. Experiments identified Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE) as the most suitable marking technique for mummichogs due to its high mark retention and lack of negative effects on growth and survival. Next, a two year mark- recapture study conducted along a ~10 km span of the Miramichi River estuary concluded mummichogs in this region display distinct site-fidelity with the vast majority (96.6%) of specimens marked up to 16 months previously consistently found within 200 m of point of initial release from April-November. Subsequent stable isotope analyses (SIA) of samples from sites located upstream and downstream of multiple anthropogenic inputs into the same span of estuary confirmed the results of low mummichog mobility from the mark-recapture study. Simultaneously, these results demonstrated SIA was a useful method to determine the site-specificity of organisms along relatively small spatial scales (< 10 km) in areas receiving multiple anthropogenic inputs. With regards to mobility, these results add to the growing body of literature supporting the ii usefulness of mummichogs as a sentinel species in environmental monitoring programs for point source impacts in Canadian Atlantic estuaries. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to begin by thanking my supervisors, mentors and friends Drs. Allen Curry and Simon Courtenay for their patience, counsel, support and most of all their patience for the past two and a half years. Thank you both for always letting me try things my way first and then being there afterwards to help me sort out the mess. I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Kelly Munkittrick and Mr. Roy Parker for their constructive criticism, encouragement and for asking the tough questions when they were needed most. I would also like to thank Mr. Phil Riebel and UPM-Kymmene for access to mill resources and information and for sponsoring my NSERC scholarship. Thanks also to the Atlantic and National EEM offices of Environment Canada for funding my research. I would have been impossible to do this alone, so I’d like to thank the many friends, fellow grad students, technicians, summer students and faculty who helped me along the way with field help, input, and advice. Thanks to Kirk Roach for the long hours and pep talks; Remi Gionet, Richard Francis, Jon Freedman, and Venitia Joseph for field help; Mary Murdoch and Dr. Malcolm Stephenson of Jacques Whitford Environmental Ltd. for their input and for exposing me to the consulting world; Harry Collins and MREAC for logistical help and teaching me just about all I know about the Miramichi; Drs. Myriam Barbeau and Eric Marchand for study design and statistical input; Tim Jardine for his sage-like isotope advice and putting a roof over my head; Chad Doherty for great discussions and advice; and Rachel Keeler for being a true friend and iv helping me keep my sanity. Special thanks also to David Robertson. Without his help, advice and constant friendship this project would never have gotten off the ground. I would like to finish by thanking my family for their love and support. Carol, thank you being the big sister I never had and for giving me the gifts that exposed me to science at a young age. Sarah, thank you for your patience sifting through sediment all hours of the night, listening all about mummichogs over and over again, your understanding of my odd habits, your genuine interest in my work and your caring determination to curb my excessive procrastination. Finally, I would like to thank my parents for teaching me the value of a hard day’s work, always supporting my decisions in life, and constantly encouraging me to learn. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT..........................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .....................................................................................iv LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................xi 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION.................................................... 1 1.1 Environmental Effects Monitoring in Atlantic Canada............... 1 1.2 Mummichog Biology and Environmental Effects Monitoring .... 2 1.3 Objectives and Outline of Thesis.............................................. 4 1.4 Literature Cited......................................................................... 5 2 EVALUATION OF TECHNIQUES FOR THE MARKING OF MUMMICHOGS (FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS) WITH EMPHASIS ON VISIBLE IMPLANT ELASTOMER (VIE) ........................................................ 10 2.1 Abstract.................................................................................. 10 2.2 Introduction ............................................................................ 11 2.3 Methods ................................................................................. 13 2.3.1 Marking and Tagging Trial (2001-2002)................................... 13 2.3.2 VIE Marking Experiment (2002-2003)...................................... 15 2.3.3 Statistical Analyses .................................................................. 17 2.4 Results ................................................................................... 18 2.4.1 Marking and Tagging Trial (2001-2002)................................... 18 2.4.2 VIE Marking Experiment (2002-2003)...................................... 19 2.5 Discussion.............................................................................. 20 2.6 Acknowledgements ................................................................ 25 vi 2.7 Literature Cited....................................................................... 26 3 SITE FIDELITY OF MUMMICHOGS (FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS) IN AN ATLANTIC CANADIAN ESTUARY ....................... 36 3.1 Abstract.................................................................................. 36 3.2 Introduction ............................................................................ 37 3.3 Materials and Methods........................................................... 40 3.3.1 Study area ............................................................................... 40 3.3.2 Fish collection and marking ..................................................... 41 3.4 Results ................................................................................... 44 3.4.1 Marking and recapturing by site............................................... 44 3.4.2 Movements of marked individuals............................................ 44 3.5 Discussion.............................................................................. 45 3.6 Acknowledgements ................................................................ 52 3.7 Literature Cited....................................................................... 53 4 USE OF STABLE ISOTOPES TO EXAMINE THE SITE FIDELITY OF MUMMICHOGS (FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS) IN AN ATLANTIC CANADIAN ESTUARY RECEIVING MULTIPLE ANTHROPOGENIC INFLUENCES ............................................................... 73 4.1 Abstract.................................................................................. 73 4.2 Introduction ............................................................................ 74 4.3 Materials and Methods........................................................... 77 4.3.1 Sampling sites.......................................................................... 77 4.3.2 Sample collections, processing and isotopic analyses............. 78 vii 4.3.3 Data Analysis........................................................................... 80 4.4 Results ................................................................................... 82 4.5 Discussion.............................................................................. 83 4.6 Acknowledgements ................................................................ 91 4.7 Literature Cited....................................................................... 92 5 GENERAL DISCUSSION....................................................