The Impact of Road Salt on Pacific Salmon Success

太平洋鲑鱼数量急剧下降，污染物对产卵栖息地的退化已被确定为一个重要原因。加拿大的道路盐使用量正以每年约2.5%的速度增长，而且监管非常薄弱。对鲑鱼早期生命阶段及其食物供应的盐毒性可能是一个重要因素，特别是在太平洋西海岸非常柔软的水域。温哥华下大陆的都市化地区有许多鲑鱼产卵溪流，我们最近测量到的冬季盐脉数比水质标准高出7-28倍。本项目将从科学和社会政治两方面解决这一问题，并由公民科学提供支持--13个地方河流保管员组织正在捐赠广泛的河流监测工作(以确定问题的严重程度)和外联活动(以提高公众认识)。此外，DFO太平洋鲑鱼企业中心还提供了大量网络协调和数据管理专业知识的实物捐赠。我们没有私营部门的支持。我们将：(1)建立一个连续的全年电导率记录仪网络，以监测30多条本地产卵溪流的盐脉冲和慢性本底水平；(2)监测受影响和未受影响溪流中鱼类和底栖无脊椎动物的丰度；(3)对不同类型和温度的冬季/春季盐脉冲的影响以及长期盐分水平的影响进行实验室实验研究。还将进行流中发展分析。其目标是检测可能的病理影响并了解其机制；(4)对主要的底栖无脊椎动物进行平行的实验研究，以了解对饲料基地的影响；以及(5)发起一项公众宣传计划，以教育公众、地方政府和监管当局道路盐污染问题的严重程度及其对鲑鱼成功的影响。该项目涉及来自当地3所大学的教师，将培养2名博士，2名硕士，3名环境硕士。Toxicol.，5位环境大师。修复，以及3个最先进的生态毒理学和环境生理学的本科生。

Pacific salmon populations are in precipitous decline, and degradation of spawning habitat by contaminants has been identified as a significant cause. Road salt use in Canada is increasing at about 2.5% per year, and is very poorly regulated. Salt toxicity both to salmon early life stages and their food supply of benthic invertebrates may be a significant factor, especially in the very soft waters of the Pacific West Coast. The urbanized area of the Vancouver Lower Mainland contains many salmon spawning streams, and we have recently measured winter salt pulses that exceed water quality guidelines by 7- to 28-fold. The present project will address this issue, both scientifically and socio-politically, and is powered by Citizen Science - 13 local Streamkeeper organizations are donating extensive stream-monitoring effort (to establish the extent of the problem) and outreach activities (to increase public awareness). Additionally, there is significant in-kind donation of network co-ordination and data management expertise by the Pacific Salmon Enterprise Centre of DFO. We have no private-sector support. We will: (1) establish a network of continuous year-round conductivity loggers to monitor salt pulses and chronic background levels in 30+ local spawning streams; (2) monitor the abundance of fish and benthic invertebrates in both impacted and non-impacted streams; (3) perform experimental lab studies on coho and chum salmon hatching, development, and physiology of the effects of winter/spring salt pulses of different types and temperatures, as well as chronically elevated salt levels. In-stream development assays will also be performed. The goal is to detect possible pathological effects and to understand their mechanisms; (4) perform parallel experimental studies on key benthic invertebrates to understand impacts on the forage base; and (5) mount a public outreach program to educate the general public, local governments, and regulatory authorities on the extent of the road salt pollution problem and its impacts on salmon success. This project involves faculty from 3 local universities and will train 2 PhD, 2 MSc, 3 Masters of Env. Toxicol., 5 Masters of Env. Restoration, and 3 undergrads in state-of-the art ecotoxicology and environmental physiology.