Range Extension, Present and Potential Distribution, and Possible Effects of Rainbow Smelt in Hudson Bay Drainage Waters of Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, and Minnesota

Abstract

Rainbow smelt Osmerus morda\. introduced into the Great Lakes watershed (Crystal Lake, Michigan) in about 1912, began coloni/ing the Great Lakes in the 1920s. The species now is found throughout much of the Great Lakes watershed of Ontario and in the Mississippi-Missouri drainage as a result of inadvertent or intentional introductions. Gill-net and trawling surveys in 1989 and 1990 of 79 lakes (92 separate times or sites) in the Winnipeg River svstem of the Hudson Bay drainage in northwestern Ontario, southeastern Manitoba, and northeastern Minnesota revealed or confirmed the presence of rainbow smelt in 19 lakes and extended the species* known range in the Rainy, English, and Wabigoon river systems. Rainbow smelt also were discovered in Lake Winnipeg late in 1990 and in Lake of the Woods in early 1991. Elsewhere, the establishment of rainbow smelt in new water bodies often has been associated with changes in native fish populations. The potential now exists for further spread of rainbow smelt in this watershed as far as Hudson Bay.

Variation in Ringed Seal Density and Abundance in Western Hudson Bay Estimated from Aerial Surveys, 1995 to 2013

“…(Gaston et al, 2012;Chambellant et al, 2013). Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), a temperate species that is expected to thrive in Hudson Bay (Franzin et al, 1994), has also begun to appear in the diet of ringed seals harvested from Arviat (Chambellant et al, 2013). Although the effects that such changes could have on ringed seals are unclear, it has been suggested that climate-related shifts in marine mammal prey communities could lead to nutritional stress caused by limited access to high-quality prey (Bluhm and Gradinger, 2008).…”

Impacts of Alien Invasive Species on Freshwater Fauna at Risk in Canada

“…Rainbow smelt colonized all five Great Lakes by the 1930s through natural invasive movements. They have since colonized hundreds of inland lakes, including lakes in the WinnipegNelson watershed in the Arctic drainage, through human-mediated spread related to dip netting activities and their use as bait (Evans and Loftus 1987; Franzin et al 1994;Wright 2002). Introduced rainbow smelt are now considered a threat factor for four Threatened species and were a contributing factor in the extinction of the blue pike (Sander vitreus glaucus).…”

Investigating the invasion of the nonindigenous zooplankter, Eubosmina coregoni, in Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

“…As a result, future studies should investigate the response of E. coregoni and other cladocerans to planktivory by fish by examining changes in morphological features within a given species. Similarly, the appearance of E. coregoni in Lake Winnipeg coincides with the first appearance of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) in 1990 (Franzin et al, 1994), although it is possible that smelt appeared as early as 1975 (Campbell et al, 1991). An examination of smelt gut contents could indicate whether or not predation by smelt is a vector for transporting E. coregoni into Lake Winnipeg.…”