Summer 2006 Field Projects

    

Tim Arciszewski's Project

Tim - My sampling in 2006 will build upon the work that we completed last summer.  Last year we found that sewage was having a much larger effect on fish and invertebrate populations than pulp mill effluent.  This year we are going to expand the invertebrate population measurements to include fecundity and developmental stage to match fish endpoints of growth (condition), survival (mean age) and reproduction (fecundity).  We are also expanding food web reconstruction upstream and downstream of the sewage and pulp mill inputs to attempt to better understand the relationships we are finding in our different sentinel species. 

Saint John River

Rodrigo and Tim B

     

 Rodrigo and Tim A (Electrofishing)

        

Saint John River (In Edmundston)

  

Kennebecasis River

Kennebecasis River (Near Portage Vale)

      

 Male and Female Sculpin (Prespawn)

          

  

Brianna Wyn's Project

Brianna - I am sampling fish and invertebrates in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia to assess mercury accumulation in acidified food webs and to determine the current concentrations of mercury in the wildlife of the area.  For the first part of my study I am intensively examining 4 lakes in the park by sampling invertebrates in May, July, and August, plus fish in August.  All of these animals will be sampled for stable isotopes (to determine their food web position) and mercury.  In addition, in August my team and I will be sampling 7 other lakes for yellow perch, golden shiner, and a long-lived invertebrate to understand the broader patterns of mercury concentrations in animals around the park.

   

Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia

Michelle, Andrea, Brianna, Tim B, Karen

   

Brianna dredging from a canoe

  

Mill Falls

  

Brianna and Andrea picking bugs

  

Bug Sorting

  

  

Tim Jardine's Project

Tim - My sampling this summer will begin with index sites and end with electrofishing.  I have chosen four streams from which to sample water striders bi-weekly (starting in May) to assess seasonal changes in body size and abundance of different life stages, and mercury concentrations.  Beginning in July, I will be sampling adult water striders from sites at increasing distances from a coal-fired power plant to try and “map” mercury deposition in the surrounding environment.  Later in the summer, I will be sampling food webs using stable isotope analysis (primary producers, insects, fish) in streams near the power plant and at reference locations to assess bioaccumulation of mercury and potential health implications for fish consumers  

Renous River Area (North Eastern New Brunswick)

Tim J hunting for water striders

  

Corbett Brook

  

English Brook

  

McKenzie Brook

   

Parks Brook