The impacts of once through cooling on fall and spring spawning fish

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McMaster University, the University of Regina, and Bruce Power have partnered together to study the biological effects of once through cooling water on spring (yellow perch) and fall (round and lake whitefish) spawning fish. Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) are commercially and culturally important resources to Indigenous groups including First Nations and Metis; round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum) are thermally sensitive and populations have faced significant declines in the Great Lakes. Our research will focus on the impacts of temperature on embryogenesis (perch) and the post-hatching period (perch, whitefish) and in understanding the population genetics and habitat use by these species in Lake Huron. This research will provide Bruce Power Inc with necessary information to assess whether whitefish and perch are sensitive to thermal emissions from the Bruce Nuclear Power Development (BNPD). BNPD has CANDU nuclear power reactors that use once-through cooling; large volumes of lake water cool the turbine hall and warm water is discharged. Prior research showed that temperature was the major stress from once-through cooling for whitefish development and rearing with elevated temperature caused distinct hatching phenotypes. We will focus on whether embryonic temperature stress impacts the fish post-hatch. In addition, we seek to understand the habitat use and population genomics of whitefish and perch that spawn in the nearshore area around BNPD. Prior research suggests that spawning aggregates of whitefish may represent a highly mixed group of fish from the main basin. Fundamental and applied research will be performed in three theme areas: (1) the effects of elevated and variable incubation temperature on whitefish hatchlings and juveniles; (2) the effects of elevated and variable incubation temperature on yellow perch embryogenesis, hatchlings, and juveniles; and (3) genomic and stable isotope studies to understand underlying populations structure and habitat use of whitefish and perch species near the BNPD.