Sarah Beech, MSc Candidate
Environment Physiology and Freshwater Ecosystem Lab Spatial ecology of two Lake Whitefish spawning aggregations in Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in the Laurentian Great Lakes have experienced overexploitation by commercial fisheries and major ecological changes throughout the past century. In Lake Ontario, the Lake Whitefish population was severely reduced and has shown minimal reproductive success since the 1990’s. In Canadian waters, two major spawning aggregations persisted in the eastern basin and currently support a commercial fishery. The declined state as well as the socio-economic and ecological importance of this species has emphasized the need for current research and knowledge. Using acoustic telemetry, this project analyzed the spatial distribution and movement patterns of two spawning groups of Lake Whitefish in Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte. Spatial analysis revealed clear differences in space use between the spawning groups. The spatial discreetness observed between the spawning groups suggests differences may exist in commercial exploitation and factors related to bioenergetics such as diet and energy expenditure. Understanding the current behaviour and ecology of Lake Whitefish will also be important for management of the commercial fishery and future conservation efforts. Comments are closed.
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April 2024
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