Assessment of spatio-temporal variation in larval abundance of lake sturgeon (<i>Acipenser fulvescens</i>
) in the Rupert River (Quebec, Canada), using drift nets

Verdon, Richard; Guay, Jean-Herman; Haye, M. La; Simoneau, Marc; Côté-Bherer, A.; Ouellet, Nelson; Gendron, Marc

doi:10.1111/jai.12088

Cited by 12 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Less understood is the significant variation in larval success that can exist between sites on a single river or at a single sight over several years (Benson et al 2006;Kempinger 1988;LaHaye et al 1992). Nilo et al (1997), Verdon et al (2013), Shaw et al 2012, and Caroffino et al (2010a, 2010b found that year class strength is determined in the first few months of life by climate, hydrological conditions, and predation and is highly variable between years and sites. Duong et al (2011a) found that some of this variation could be explained by environmental variables, maternal effects, and spawning time.…”

Section: Larvaementioning

confidence: 98%

Review of a species in peril: what we do not know about lake sturgeon may kill them

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lake sturgeon are arguably the largest and most unique freshwater fish in North America. Unfortunately their uniqueness includes many characteristics that make them especially vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts including overfishing, habitat fragmentation, and degradation. For approximately 100 years lake sturgeon populations across North America have either been in decline and (or) have experienced a sluggish recovery. While this is partly due to lake sturgeon life history, most researchers agree that habitat fragmentation and degradation are currently the highest risk to the species. Though most lake sturgeon populations are depressed, there are a few exceptions that offer a glimpse into what a stable population or recovery may look like. The following review highlights such instances as well as what is known and more importantly what is not known about this unique species. Specifically, we highlight the need for improved and organized sharing of raw data given the fact that many researchers do not have access to the plethora of information available to others (e.g., otoliths for aging). We examine the varying life history and diet choices of this plastic species offering hypotheses for differences in migration routes and distances as well the differing recovery rates found across their range. We highlight myths about the species providing evidence that they may not be as long lived and fecund as previously thought. We examine the lake sturgeon's current legal status across North America including the efforts of nonprofit groups that have had success in increasing population numbers. Most importantly, we highlight logistical problems faced by researchers and data gaps in the literature that must be filled to increase the odds of a successful recovery. Alongside the data gaps, the recovery of this species is fraught with political and industrial road blocks that are as varied as its current recovery. Subsequently, as is the case with many species, its survival will come down to solid scientific knowledge and the value placed on it by society.Résumé : L'esturgeon de lac constitue sans aucun doute l'unique et plus gros poisson d'eau douce en Amérique du Nord. Malheureusement, son unicité inclut plusieurs caractéristiques le rendant vulnérable aux impacts anthropogènes, incluant la surpêche ainsi que la fragmentation de l'habitat et sa dégradation. Pendant environ 100 ans, les populations d'esturgeon de lac sur l'ensemble de l'Amérique du Nord ont connu un déclin et/ou une lente récupération. Alors que ceci est dû en partie au cycle vital de l'esturgeon, la plupart des recherches s'accordent pour dire que la fragmentation de l'habitat et sa dégradation constituent présentement le plus fort risque pour cette espèce. Bien que la plupart des populations d'esturgeon de lac soient déprimées, il existe quelques exceptions offrant une idée de ce que représente une population stable ou en récupération. Cette revue souligne de tels cas ainsi que ce que l'on connaît au sujet de cette espèce unique. Spécifiquement, les auteu...

show abstract

Section: Larvaementioning

confidence: 98%

Review of a species in peril: what we do not know about lake sturgeon may kill them

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, the area of available spawning habitat may be substantially reduced relative to the extent of inaccessible upstream habitat (Raspopov et al., ; Ruban and Khodorevskaya, ). Remediation at non‐tailrace locations often shows limited long‐term success due to factors such as inconsistent use by spawning adults (Khoroshko & Vlasenko, ), or the deposition of fine substrates leading to decreased egg or yolk‐sac larvae survival (Table , case studies; Veshchev et al., ). Greater attention to reach scale hydraulic conditions and their effects on spawning location and substrate will hopefully lead to improved success for remediation in non‐tailrace habitats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

If you build it, will they come? Spawning habitat remediation for sturgeon

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Habitat loss is a widely recognized contributor to global declines in sturgeon populations yet habitat remediation has been limited for this highly endangered group of fish. In support of future sturgeon restoration efforts, this review examines habitat remediation needs and uncertainties. Consideration of the bio‐spatial scale of remediation identified needs ranging from local to the whole river scale. Additionally, the context of remediation ranges from reintroducing sturgeon to habitats where they have been extirpated to conservation of currently functional habitat. While multiple remediation scales and contexts are discussed, the focus on spawning and early rearing habitat and associated biological and physical monitoring reflects the range of current projects and the importance of early rearing habitats. Four case studies are presented that examine four distinct remediation contexts (mitigation, rejuvenation, re‐creation, repatriation) and three bio‐spatial scales (whole river, spawning reach, spawning location) under which remediation has been attempted. Evaluation of existing remediation works indicates that many show limited long‐term success, which is most often a response to substrate infilling in remediated habitats. Material presented in this review will help align sturgeon research and monitoring approaches in support of effective remediation. The limited number of remediation projects to‐date attests to the importance of learning from existing projects and cross‐species comparisons, to maximize the effectiveness of future restoration efforts.

show abstract

“…This may be a function of flow as the current downstream of a dam is not as dispersed as in a natural river, but turbulence flows with high velocity emanating from turbines or sluice gates. Drifting larvae are surface‐oriented (Caroffino, Daugherty, & Sutton, ; Caroffino et al., ; Verdon et al., ) and could be flushed out of turbulent flows and settle within the first pool (i.e., close to the dam). An alternate theory could be related to the timing of drift associated with the operation of the hydroelectric facility.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescensRafinesque, 1817) in a ‘pristine’ river

Haxton

Friday²,

Gillespie³

2017

J Appl Ichthyol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Lake Sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, was assessed in a large, pristine river in northern Canada using a standardized protocol. Gill netting (38‐127 mm and 204‐306 mm stretched mesh) was conducted at five sites averaging 37 rkm in the Attawapiskat River in Ontario. The objectives were to ascertain relative abundance of Lake Sturgeon within a northern river; determine if Lake Sturgeon are randomly distributed within a ‘pristine’ river; assess if there is evidence of spatial structuring; and determine if there is genetic structuring within the river. Over the two years (2015 and 2016), 176 Lake Sturgeon were sampled with a mean total length of 851.1 mm (323.4 SD) and mean age of 21 years (12.2 SD). There was a significant difference in the mean total length of the Lake Sturgeon caught, with larger sturgeon in the upstream sites and smaller sturgeon in the downstream sites, signifying a spatial segregation of life stages within the Attawapiskat River. One hundred and fifty‐four Lake Sturgeon were genotyped at 10 or more loci. There was no evidence of genetic divergence among sites or population structuring. In fact, parent‐offspring relationships were determined using COLONY between upstream and downstream sites, a minimum distance of approximately 190 rkm. This study represents the first to assess a Lake Sturgeon population systematically using a standardized index approach at multiple sites in a ‘pristine’ river. It demonstrated the importance of a holistic approach to the river at a larger scale and a better understanding of life history requirements for conservation. For example, if only one of the upper sites were assessed, it might have been interpreted as the idyllic ‘old growth’ population with limited or no recruitment. The corollary from sampling only lower sites would be identifying a lack of adults and potentially erroneously declaring an overexploitation concern. This stresses the importance of a larger scale approach for assessing ‘pristine’ rivers and not using a small scale approach to make large scale inferences.

show abstract

Assessment of spatio-temporal variation in larval abundance of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens ) in the Rupert River (Quebec, Canada), using drift nets

Cited by 12 publications

References 17 publications

Review of a species in peril: what we do not know about lake sturgeon may kill them

Review of a species in peril: what we do not know about lake sturgeon may kill them

If you build it, will they come? Spawning habitat remediation for sturgeon

Dynamics of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescensRafinesque, 1817) in a ‘pristine’ river

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About