Thesis (M. Sc.)--York University, 1997. Graduate Programme in Biology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 295-307). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL:http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ27344.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on May 6, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Many populations of burbot (Lota lota)around the world have been extirpated, are endangered or are in serious decline both regarding numbers but also in size. The aim of this study was to investigate if growth and overall condition in populations of anadromous burbot in the Gulf of Bothnia has changed over time and if so, discuss potential causes behind. This was done by comparing size at age and individual level condition indices of the two populations of anadromous burbot in Sävarån and Rickleån to previous studies from the same rivers. The results showed thatgrowth of young burbot has increased between the time period 2001-2014 to 2019in Sävarånand also a change towards a higher frequency of young individuals and a lack of older ones. Furthermore, an increase over time in condition was observed in Sävarån. In Rickleån the growth at the age of 3 had increased from both 1969-1971 and 2001-2014 to 2019. At the age of 4 to 9 a decrease in growth was shown from the time period 1969-1971 to 2001-2014 in Rickleån. A shift towards warmer water temperatures due to climate change might be an explanation in the observed change in both growth and condition in the population of burbots in Sävarån and Rickleån. Furthermore, the observed change in age frequency in Sävarån could also be a result of an increase in water temperature but could also be an effect of restoration and the control of pH in Sävarån.

Mercury (Hg) is a known neurotoxin that is often found in concentrations exceeding safe consumption guidelines in aquatic biota. This is evident in northern Canada, where northerners consume significant amounts of animals such as beluga, seals and burbot. In the Mackenzie River Basin, recent increases in Hg concentration in many of these animals over the past 25 years have been observed. The warming climate, and with it, the changing carbon cycle, are hypothesised in this thesis to play a role in the increases. Within the context of the two major zones (mountainous and peatland), with distinct geomorphology, hydrology and geology, traditional fossil fuel exploration methods (Rock-Eval pyrolysis, organic petrography) have been employed in a novel manner on recent sediments to qualify and quantify the OM and several geochemical analyses have been used to determine the geochemical sources of Hg. The mountainous zone is composed mostly of refractory OM, from forest fire char and heavily reworked OM. It also contains, and fluxes, most of the Hg, which derives from oxidative weathering and erosion of widespread sulfide minerals. However, Hg from this zone is in chemical forms of limited bioavailability. The peatland zone has a greater proportion of labile OM, with higher concentrations of DOC and algal-derived OM. Lake-fed tributaries in this zone contain even higher proportions of labile OM. At one of these sites, the sediment core record shows that Hg has been increasingly associated with labile OM over time, due to increasing primary productivity accelerated by climate change, and is resulting in an increase in scavenged Hg. The temporal trend in algal-bound Hg in the sediment record matches very well with the temporal trend of Hg in burbot sampled from the area, providing one of the first and strongest lines of evidence for the climatic impact on Hg bioaccumulation in Arctic ecosystems.

Mercury (Hg) is a known neurotoxin that is often found in concentrations exceeding safe consumption guidelines in aquatic biota. This is evident in northern Canada, where northerners consume significant amounts of animals such as beluga, seals and burbot. In the Mackenzie River Basin, recent increases in Hg concentration in many of these animals over the past 25 years have been observed. The warming climate, and with it, the changing carbon cycle, are hypothesised in this thesis to play a role in the increases. Within the context of the two major zones (mountainous and peatland), with distinct geomorphology, hydrology and geology, traditional fossil fuel exploration methods (Rock-Eval pyrolysis, organic petrography) have been employed in a novel manner on recent sediments to qualify and quantify the OM and several geochemical analyses have been used to determine the geochemical sources of Hg. The mountainous zone is composed mostly of refractory OM, from forest fire char and heavily reworked OM. It also contains, and fluxes, most of the Hg, which derives from oxidative weathering and erosion of widespread sulfide minerals. However, Hg from this zone is in chemical forms of limited bioavailability. The peatland zone has a greater proportion of labile OM, with higher concentrations of DOC and algal-derived OM. Lake-fed tributaries in this zone contain even higher proportions of labile OM. At one of these sites, the sediment core record shows that Hg has been increasingly associated with labile OM over time, due to increasing primary productivity accelerated by climate change, and is resulting in an increase in scavenged Hg. The temporal trend in algal-bound Hg in the sediment record matches very well with the temporal trend of Hg in burbot sampled from the area, providing one of the first and strongest lines of evidence for the climatic impact on Hg bioaccumulation in Arctic ecosystems.

To assess potential impacts of effluents from Key Lake and McClean Lake uranium operations on freshwater systems, morphometric (weight, length, condition factor) and biochemical (total body lipids and triglycerides, liver triglycerides, muscle protein, muscle RNA/DNA ratio) measures of growth and bioenergetics were determined in young-of-the-year (YOY) fishes collected in fall and spring. It was predicted that fishes exposed to mining and milling effluents would be in poorer condition relative to fishes from reference sites and that fishes would be depleted in lipids and triglycerides in the spring compared to the previous fall following a northern winter. Various total body lipid and triglyceride measurement methods were initially compared and validated. <p>Lakes receiving effluent at Key Lake (in operation > 20 years) were higher in metals, ions and ammonia compared to exposure sites at McClean Lake (in operation < 10 years). At Key Lake, there were site and season differences in total body lipids and triglycerides in YOY northern pike (<i>Esox lucius</i>) and burbot (Lota lota), with fishes being fattier at exposure sites compared to fishes at the reference site, and fish being fattier in spring relative to fall. A local prey item, spottail shiners (<i>Notropis hudsonius</i>), from an exposure lake were higher in triglycerides compared to shiners from a reference site, suggesting an indirect effect of uranium operation effluent on pike and burbot bioenergetics via food web enrichment. At McClean Lake, there were site and season increases in lipids and triglycerides in burbot from the exposure site, however there were no site differences in any morphometric or biochemical endpoint for northern pike. Slimy sculpin (<i>Cottus cognatus</i>) were the only species with lower triglyceride content in the spring following winter. <p>Overall, biochemical measures of growth (muscle protein, muscle RNA/DNA ratio) did not vary with effluent exposure at either uranium operation. Lipids and triglycerides were useful biochemical endpoints that frequently detected site and season differences in fish condition that were not noted with morphometric measures. Site and season differences in fish lipids and triglycerides at sites receiving mining and milling effluents revealed an impact of the uranium operations on indigenous YOY fish condition.

To assess potential impacts of effluents from Key Lake and McClean Lake uranium operations on freshwater systems, morphometric (weight, length, condition factor) and biochemical (total body lipids and triglycerides, liver triglycerides, muscle protein, muscle RNA/DNA ratio) measures of growth and bioenergetics were determined in young-of-the-year (YOY) fishes collected in fall and spring. It was predicted that fishes exposed to mining and milling effluents would be in poorer condition relative to fishes from reference sites and that fishes would be depleted in lipids and triglycerides in the spring compared to the previous fall following a northern winter. Various total body lipid and triglyceride measurement methods were initially compared and validated. <p>Lakes receiving effluent at Key Lake (in operation > 20 years) were higher in metals, ions and ammonia compared to exposure sites at McClean Lake (in operation < 10 years). At Key Lake, there were site and season differences in total body lipids and triglycerides in YOY northern pike (<i>Esox lucius</i>) and burbot (Lota lota), with fishes being fattier at exposure sites compared to fishes at the reference site, and fish being fattier in spring relative to fall. A local prey item, spottail shiners (<i>Notropis hudsonius</i>), from an exposure lake were higher in triglycerides compared to shiners from a reference site, suggesting an indirect effect of uranium operation effluent on pike and burbot bioenergetics via food web enrichment. At McClean Lake, there were site and season increases in lipids and triglycerides in burbot from the exposure site, however there were no site differences in any morphometric or biochemical endpoint for northern pike. Slimy sculpin (<i>Cottus cognatus</i>) were the only species with lower triglyceride content in the spring following winter. <p>Overall, biochemical measures of growth (muscle protein, muscle RNA/DNA ratio) did not vary with effluent exposure at either uranium operation. Lipids and triglycerides were useful biochemical endpoints that frequently detected site and season differences in fish condition that were not noted with morphometric measures. Site and season differences in fish lipids and triglycerides at sites receiving mining and milling effluents revealed an impact of the uranium operations on indigenous YOY fish condition.

The aim of this work was to realize the first intensive rearing of juvenile fish of burbot in the Czech Republic (TL = 165.79 +- 18.87, W = 32.91 +- 10.27 g) in recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) at different water temperatures. A total of 9 tanks were used in the three separate RAS systems. For a period of 12 weeks survival (S), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and the condition of the fish (FC) was observed at 3 week intervals. The best values of survival (98 +- 0.4%) were achieved in burbots kept at a water temperature of 15 ° C. Survival in the group of fish kept at a water temperature of 18 °C did not statistically differ from the group of fish reared at 15 °C and 21 °C. The SGR value for the fish at a water temperature of 15 °C was (0.7 +- 0.09%.d-1) at 18 °C the SGR value was (0.45 +- 0.1%.d-1) and fish kept at a water temperature of 21 °C reached SGR values of 0.33 +- 0.04%.d-1. The best FCR values (1.27 +- 0.35) were reached also in the group of fish kept at 15 °C. For burbot kept at a water temperature of 21 °C, the FCR value was 2.78 +- 1.17. Based on our results we can conclude that the most appropriate water temperature for rearing juvenile burbot was 15 °C.