Effects of thermal, chemical, and radiological emissions on Whitefish

麦克马斯特大学、里贾纳大学和布鲁斯·鲍尔合作研究了热、辐射和常规应激源对湖泊白鱼(Coregonus Clupeaformis)和圆形白鱼(Prosopium Lindraceum)的生物学影响。这项研究将为Bruce Power Inc.提供必要的信息，以评估白鱼胚胎和幼鱼是否对布鲁斯核能开发(BNPD)产生的热和多应激源排放敏感。BNPD拥有使用一次过冷却的CANDU核电反应堆；大量湖水冷却涡轮大厅，温水被排放回休伦湖。热羽流可能含有微量的放射性和/或化学物质(吗啉或次氯酸盐)，以减轻入侵贻贝物种造成的生物污染。一次过冷一直是一个令人担忧的问题，因为热羽可能会影响具有生态、经济和文化重要性的物种。这项研究的总体目标将是确定热、辐射和常规排放的组合是否会显著影响白鱼胚胎(存活、发育)和幼鱼。此外，我们试图了解利用可能受BNPD影响的栖息地的产卵群体的重要性(遗传多样性和混合)。这项研究将确定潜在的影响，并有助于制定适当的缓解战略，并对使用一次过冷却的行业产生广泛影响。湖和圆形白鱼是包括原住民和梅蒂斯人在内的土著群体的重要商业和文化资源。白鱼是一种重要的生态鱼类，适应冷水，可能对高温敏感。将在三个主题领域进行基础和应用研究：(1)高温和热冲击对白鱼的影响；(2)多种应激源(化学、热和辐射)对白鱼的影响；(3)遗传和基于种群的研究，以了解白鱼在BNPD附近的潜在种群结构和栖息地利用。

McMaster University, the University of Regina and Bruce Power have partnered together to study the biological effects of thermal, radiological, and conventional stressors on lake (Coregonus clupeaformis) and round (Prosopium cylindraceum) whitefish. The research will provide Bruce Power Inc with necessary information to assess whether whitefish embryos and juveniles are sensitive to thermal and multi-stressor 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 back into Lake Huron. The thermal plume may contain trace amounts of radioactivity and/or chemicals (morpholine or hypochlorite) to mitigate biofouling from invasive mussel species. Once-through cooling has been a concern because the thermal plume may impact species of ecological, economic and cultural importance. The over-arching objective of this research will be to determine whether combinations of thermal, radiological and conventional emissions can significantly affect whitefish embryos (survival, development) and juveniles. In addition, we seek to understand the significance (genetic diversity and mixing) of spawning aggregations that use habitat potentially affected by the BNPD. The research will identify potential impacts and contribute to appropriate mitigation strategies and has broad impacts for industries that use once-through cooling. Lake and round whitefish represent an important commercial and cultural resource for aboriginal groups including First Nations and Metis. Whitefish are an ecologically important, cold-water adapted fish that could be sensitive to elevated temperatures. Fundamental and applied research will be performed in three theme areas: (1) the effects of elevated temperature and thermal shocks on whitefish, (2) the effects of multiple stressors (chemical, thermal and radiological) on whitefish, (3) genetic and population-based studies to understand the underlying population structure and habitat use of whitefish near the BNPD.