Restoring biodiversity and a valuable fishery: Atlantic salmon reintroduction into Lake Ontario

恢复生物多样性和宝贵的渔业：大西洋鲑鱼重新引入安大略湖

• 批准号: 494220-2016
• 负责人: Neff, Bryan
• 金额: $ 15.11万
• 依托单位: University of Western Ontario
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Strategic Projects - Group
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=642126
• 关键词: Restoring; biodiversity; valuable; fishery; Atlantic

Atlantic salmon were once abundant in Lake Ontario and supported one of its most valuable fisheries, but thesefish were extirpated from the lake a century ago. The successful reintroduction of Atlantic salmon into LakeOntario has become a top priority for management agencies and conservation groups, as it has been estimatedthat it could provide up to $15 million in new revenue over 10 years to local economies through fisheries, andwould be a substantial step towards the recovery of lost biodiversity. A self-sustaining population of Atlanticsalmon would also provide ecosystem services through their role as a top predator, increasing the resiliency offood webs and fisheries. In 2010, we partnered with multiple organizations on an NSERC Strategic PartnershipGrant that identified high in-stream mortality as a major hurdle to successful Atlantic salmon rehabilitation inLake Ontario. We will now build on this past research by using an integrated approach to detail the causes ofin-stream mortality and provide best approaches for mitigation. These analyses will include environmentalDNA and next-generation, real-time monitoring of movement, performance, survival, and causes of mortalityof Atlantic salmon. Food web analyses using stable isotopes and gut content DNA will examine theconsequences of competition and predation on Atlantic salmon. Finally, transcriptional profiling followingimmune and exercise challenges will detail the mechanisms underlying differences in survival across strainsand rearing treatments. The project will thus provide a comprehensive scientific evaluation of the factorsaffecting reintroduction outcome in a species of considerable ecological and economic value, and willcontribute to the development of best practices for hatchery rearing, release timing, and strain and site selectionto support the restoration of Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario and throughout Canada.

安大略湖曾经盛产大西洋鲑鱼，养活了安大略湖最有价值的渔业之一，但这些鱼在一个世纪前就从湖里灭绝了。成功地将大西洋鲑鱼重新引入安大略湖已成为管理机构和保护团体的首要优先事项，因为据估计，这将在10年内通过渔业为当地经济带来高达1500万美元的新收入，并将是恢复丧失的生物多样性的重要一步。自给自足的大西洋鲑鱼种群还将通过它们作为顶级捕食者的角色提供生态系统服务，增加食物网和渔业的弹性。2010年，我们与多个组织合作进行了一项NSERC战略合作伙伴关系赠款，该赠款将河流中的高死亡率确定为安大略湖大西洋鲑鱼成功康复的主要障碍。我们现在将在过去研究的基础上，使用综合方法详细说明河流中死亡率的原因，并提供最佳缓解方法。这些分析将包括环境DNA和对大西洋鲑鱼的移动、性能、生存和死亡原因的下一代实时监测。使用稳定同位素和肠道内容物DNA的食物网分析将检查大西洋鲑鱼的竞争和捕食序列。最后，在免疫和运动挑战之后的转录图谱将详细说明跨品系和饲养处理的存活率差异的潜在机制。因此，该项目将对影响一个具有相当生态和经济价值的物种的重新引入结果的因素进行全面的科学评估，并将有助于制定孵化场饲养、放生时机以及品系和地点选择的最佳做法，以支持安大略湖和整个加拿大大西洋鲑鱼的恢复。