Proposed development of a mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) early life-stage bioassay as a surrogate to wild fish surveys

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The Federal Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program mandates that pulp and paper mills operating in Canada assess the impacts of their effluents on aquatic receiving environments. They must undertake monitoring activities as part of regulated three-year cycles. One area of monitoring focus downstream of mills is the assessment of fish health, that is a wild fish survey that includes endpoints related to reproduction (gonad size), energy metabolism (liver size), and growth (size at age). However, current EEM fish survey methods are of limited use for assessing estuarine receiving environments. Direct environmental assessment of their impact on fish health is, therefore, not possible for estuarine mills such as partners Irving Paper Ltd. (IPL) and AV Group-Atholville Pulp Mill (AV). These mills and the EEM program recognize that alternate approaches are needed to evaluate effects of their effluents. This proposal describes development of an early life-stage bioassay (ELSB) that provides assessments of growth and development of mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), an estuarine fish present in receiving environments of these mills. The goal is to develop the ELSB as a government-approved wild fish survey alternative to test mill effluents in future EEM cycles. The proposal also sets out to expand use of the ELSB to explore fundamental pathways involved in growth and sexual differentiation of mummichog through studying organ development and gene expression pathways. This will provide novel insight into the mechanisms by which contaminants that act via hormone-mediated impacts (endocrine disruptors) and pulp and paper mill effluents elicit their effects. These studies will aid in the identification of sources and types of contaminants from industries that cause effects in fish exposed downstream. Students will be trained in an applied and collaborative research area important for protection of coastal environments. Environmental stewardship of the mills will be improved through better understanding of effects of effluents across different life stages because improvements can potentially be implemented by linking wastestream sources and biological effects.