Extrinsic Factors Influencing Somatic Growth of Lake Sturgeon

McDougall, C. A.; Nelson, Patrick A.; Barth, C. C.

doi:10.1002/tafs.10050

Cited by 12 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 86 publications

(285 reference statements)

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“…Several studies (Fortin et al 1996;Power and McKinley 1997;Vélez-Espino and Koops 2009) attributed declines in condition and growth of Lake Sturgeon to lower mean annual air temperature, higher latitudes, and lower alkaline and conductive waters. McDougall et al (2018) suggested that temperature may be less important, but instead Lake Sturgeon density, habitat, and conductivity were more important. Although Lake Superior is not at the northern extent of Figure 5.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population status and demographics of Lake Sturgeon in the Bad and White rivers, Wisconsin

Schloesser

Quinlan

2019

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens rehabilitation efforts in Lake Superior are guided by a rehabilitation plan that sets goals and criteria for a self-sustaining population, including a minimum of 1,500 mature adults, roughly equal sex ratio, and annual exploitation rates < 5%. The Bad and White rivers, Wisconsin host a genetically unique Lake Sturgeon population that is utilized by state-licensed recreational anglers and tribal subsistence fishers. Our objectives were to 1) determine if the Bad River population meets rehabilitation plan targets for a self-sustaining population, 2) assess harvest of Lake Sturgeon by recreational anglers and tribal subsistence fishers for compatibility with rehabilitation goals, 3) determine population trajectory from annual spawning runs, and 4) describe population demographics given the unique physical features of Lake Superior. We sampled Lake Sturgeon in the Bad and White rivers with gill nets over a 17-y period (2001 to 2017). The observed sex ratio in spawning runs was 2.2:1 (male : female), but calculated at 1.6:1 for the entire adult population on the basis of abundance estimates. Weight–length relationships converted to a standardized modified form factor indicated lower condition and possibly lower female fecundity compared with other large North American populations. Annual spawning run size estimates over time indicated that the population trajectory was stable to slightly increasing, and during 2016 was 739 and 241 individuals in the Bad and White rivers, respectively. Total population size (including nonspawners) exceeded 1,500 individuals, which met Lake Superior rehabilitation criteria for a self-sustaining population. Estimates of 1,426 males and 882 females were considered conservative because 472 unknown-sex fish could not be accounted for in return time and abundance models. Spawning return times were 2 or 3 y for males and 4 to 6 y for females, longer than many other populations. Exploitation by recreational anglers and tribal subsistence fishers was 1.3% or lower and met the rehabilitation plan target of < 5%, but we recommend exploitation not exceed 3.1% to maintain a self-sustaining population. These findings help gauge rehabilitation progress in Lake Superior and better describe the demographics of a remnant self-sustaining Lake Sturgeon population in Lake Superior.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population status and demographics of Lake Sturgeon in the Bad and White rivers, Wisconsin

Schloesser

Quinlan

2019

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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“…The suite of mesh sizes used (25.4, 50.8, 76.2, 120.0 and 152.4 mm stretched measure) targets lake sturgeon measuring from 200 to 800 mm in approximate proportion to their abundance. McDougall et al () prescribes sampling deepwater habitat, wherever it exists, along the flow axis downstream of potential spawning areas, recognizing that reaches may differ in terms of juvenile lake sturgeon abundance, density, and growth (Barth & Anderson, ; McDougall, Nelson, & Barth, ). In the lower Seine River, field crews targeted areas where water depth exceeded 6 m, expected to harbour the majority of juvenile lake sturgeon within the system.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A power curve was fit to length‐at‐age data using the combined 2015 and 2016 data. Given that sampling was conducted in fall, seasonal growth potential was accounted for by assigning decimal ages based on capture dates (see McDougall et al, ). From the resulting power curve, length‐at‐age 3, 6, and 9 was extracted.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) recruitment in a regulated spawning tributary of Rainy Lake, Ontario

Barth¹,

Burnett²,

McDougall³

et al. 2019

J Appl Ichthyol

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Continued study of the relationship between lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) recruitment and hydroelectric dams and operations, in a variety of river systems and habitat types is needed to improve the ability to predict and monitor impacts of the hydroelectric industry on this species. Herein, we present results of a juvenile lake sturgeon study aimed at addressing concerns over an inferred lack of recruitment resulting from spawning downstream of a hydroelectric generating station (HGS). Two years of sampling (2015 and 2016) were conducted in five sections of a 41 km long reach of the Seine River, Ontario, a lake sturgeon spawning tributary of Rainy Lake.Using an established gillnetting method, deepwater habitat was targeted to capture juvenile lake sturgeon to assess relative abundance, recruitment (cohort strength), and growth. Deepwater habitat, defined as water depths >6 m in this system, comprised only 2.1% of the wetted area in this study area. Within these habitats, a total of 331 lake sturgeon capture events were observed over the 2-years study period. The majority of the lake sturgeon catch (85%) was comprised of age-0 to age-5 individuals (both sampling years combined). Although inter-annual variation in cohort strength was apparent, each cohort between 2006 and 2016 was represented. The spatial distribution of cohorts varied among river reaches with younger individuals (age-0 and age-1) occupying reaches proximal to the Sturgeon Falls HGS, and larger, older individuals (age-2 to age-5) occupying reaches further downstream. The rarity of age-6+ individuals can likely be explained by ongoing downstream redistribution of juveniles over time, out of the Seine River and into Rainy Lake. Growth of juvenile lake sturgeon captured in the Seine River was above average relative to conspecifics from other rivers in the Hudson Bay drainage. Unfortunately, baseline data sets required to facilitate comparisons of contemporary (post-construction Sturgeon Falls HGS) versus historical (i.e. pre-Sturgeon Falls HGS) lake sturgeon recruitment, or to evaluate the influence of the Seine River Water Management Plan (2004) on lake sturgeon recruitment, are lacking. However, juvenile Lake Sturgeon are more abundant in this system than what had been surmised based on recent studies which implemented random sampling. Results indicate that juvenile lake sturgeon may reside in spawning tributaries for several years (age-0 to age-5) prior to seeking alternate habitats and highlights the value of targeted sampling (i.e. by depth) along the flow axis of rivers downstream of spawning areas when assessing lake sturgeon recruitment patterns.

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“…2009; McDougall et al. ; Steffensen and Hamel ) as well as to ascertain information on habitat use and movement (Veinott and Evans ; Arai et al. ; Allen et al.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Unlike otoliths, fin rays can be removed nonlethally, making them attractive for assessing at-risk populations (Collins and Smith 1996;Bruch et al 2009;Wolff et al 2013). As such, fin rays are commonly removed from sturgeon species to assess age and growth (Cuerrier 1951;Rien and Beamesderfer 1994;Bruch 1999;Parsons et al 2003;Koch et al 2008;Bruch et al 2009;McDougall et al 2018;Steffensen and Hamel 2018) as well as to ascertain information on habitat use and movement (Veinott and Evans 1999;Arai et al 2002;Allen et al 2009Allen et al , 2018bPhelps et al 2012Phelps et al , 2017Pracheil et al 2014Pracheil et al , 2019. Fin rays are the structural components of fish fins and are primarily composed of calcium phosphate (Ca 3 [PO 4 ] 2 ) mineralized as hydroxyapatite (Tzadik et al 2017a).…”

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confidence: 99%

Identification of Hatchery‐Reared Lake Sturgeon Using Natural Elemental Signatures and Elemental Marking of Fin Rays

Loeppky

McDougall²,

Anderson

2020

N American J Fish Manag

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Stock enhancement programs often involve the introduction of hatchery‐reared fish into wild environments, with the goal of increasing the abundance of a particular stock. To measure the success of stocking efforts for depressed populations, hatchery‐reared individuals must be distinguishable from naturally spawned fish, potentially many years after release. Biological tags are attractive due to their ability to batch‐mark whole cohorts in a cost‐effective manner, with minimal disruption to hatchery procedures and reduced handling stress inflicted on individuals during the marking process. Elemental marking may occur naturally or via deliberate manipulation of the concentration of specific elements to create recognizable elemental signatures in the hard structures of fish (e.g., fin rays and otoliths). In this study, elemental signatures in the fin rays of known hatchery‐released Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens (ages 1–7) were quantified via laser ablation (LA) inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) to assess whether the ambient water chemistry in a groundwater‐fed hatchery would create an elemental signature that facilitated discrimination of hatchery‐reared individuals from those naturally spawned in the wild. The concentrations of divalent trace elements, particularly Mn, within the first growth band of hatchery‐reared fish were significantly different from those of wild conspecifics, allowing us to accurately classify hatchery‐ versus wild‐spawned individuals with 99% success. In addition, we conducted a preliminary experiment to test the validity of two separate 24‐h immersions in 86Sr and 137Ba (immersions were conducted 30 d apart) to induce multiple combination marks in the fin rays of juvenile Lake Sturgeon. Fin rays collected 60 d after the second immersion were analyzed for isotopic ratios via LA ICP‐MS, and results indicated that elemental marking at both time points was achieved with 100% success. Induction of a combination of isotopic signatures could enable hatcheries to track the success of families or stocking groups within a single year‐class or across multiple year‐classes.

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Extrinsic Factors Influencing Somatic Growth of Lake Sturgeon

Cited by 12 publications

References 86 publications

Population status and demographics of Lake Sturgeon in the Bad and White rivers, Wisconsin

Population status and demographics of Lake Sturgeon in the Bad and White rivers, Wisconsin

Assessment of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) recruitment in a regulated spawning tributary of Rainy Lake, Ontario

Identification of Hatchery‐Reared Lake Sturgeon Using Natural Elemental Signatures and Elemental Marking of Fin Rays

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