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

麦克马斯特大学、里贾纳大学和布鲁斯·鲍尔合作研究了一次直通冷却水对春季(黄鱼)和秋季(圆形和湖泊白鱼)产卵鱼的生物学影响。湖白鱼(Coregonus Clupeaformis)和黄花鱼(Perca Figescens)是土著群体的重要商业和文化资源，包括原住民和梅蒂斯人；圆形白鱼(圆柱鱼)对温度敏感，五大湖的种群数量大幅下降。我们的研究将集中在温度对胚胎发生(Perch)和孵化后时期(Perch、白鱼)的影响，并了解这些物种在休伦湖的种群遗传学和栖息地利用。这项研究将为Bruce Power Inc.提供必要的信息，以评估白鱼和鲈鱼是否对布鲁斯核能开发项目(BNPD)的热排放敏感。BNPD拥有使用一次过冷却的CANDU核电反应堆；大量湖水冷却涡轮机大厅，温水排放。以往的研究表明，温度是白鱼发育过程中一次过冷却的主要压力，高温饲养会导致不同的孵化表型。我们将重点研究胚胎温度应激对鱼类孵化后的影响。此外，我们试图了解在BNPD附近近岸地区产卵的白鱼和鲈鱼的栖息地利用和种群基因组学。先前的研究表明，白鱼的产卵群体可能代表了来自主流域的高度混合的鱼类群体。基础研究和应用研究将在三个主题领域进行：(1)升高和变化的孵化温度对白鱼幼体和幼体的影响；(2)升高和变化的孵化温度对黄鳕胚胎发生、孵化和幼体的影响；以及(3)基因组和稳定同位素研究，以了解BNPD附近白鱼和鳕鱼物种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 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.******