MFFP - UQTR - Lampsilis – Data Information
Methodology
Twenty-two stations along the freshwater portion of the St. Lawrence River have been sampled using a trawl. Stations located between the eastern section of the lac Saint-François and Trois-Rivières going towards the lac des Deux-Montagnes, have been sampled for a first time in May 2009 and for a second time in September of the same year. At each station, individuals of seven fish species (Northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, white sucker, pumpkinseed, Brown bullhead and lake sturgeon) have been collected then euthanized. Various analysis (isotopes, contaminants, RNA/DNA ratio, growth rate, oxidative stress) have been carried out at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières laboratories.
A master’s thesis (Isabelle Villemure) has been submitted (Fall 2014) focussing on nitrogen isotopic ratio relationship, in relation to fish trophic links with particles emitted by the City of Montreal treatment plant effluent, and physiological stress biomarkers in walleye and sauger. This project has been carried out in cooperation with Environment Canada (Centre Saint-Laurent). A publication is in preparation. Isotope data (carbon) collected on the Lampsilis are analysed (winter 2015) in cooperation with the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs as part of a post-doctoral project (Katie Roach). Results will help determine large fish species movement patterns (such as sturgeon) as well as the role of lac Saint-Pierre and lac Saint-Louis floodplains in the St. Lawrence ecosystem functioning.
