Proceedings - Teaching and Learning Centre - Simon Fraser ...

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Fraser River Action Plan 3rd Research Workshop General Conclusions • Work that has been completed: Session 5: Biological Indicators Chair: T. Tuominen – compiled data on various resident fish species of Fraser Basin; good source of background data on fish populations that were not previously available. – survey of the status of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem components within Salmon and Nicola rivers, relative to different riparian vegetation characteristics and products are known: 1. Fish database available electronically; and, 2. Aquatic and riparian ecosystem information can be used to develop indicators for ecosystem objectives. • Ongoing studies: A. Objective of studies is to investigate resident fish as indicators of contaminant exposure and effects. Findings thus far: – differences in tissue contaminant levels in peamouth chub and mountain whitefish. – differences in contaminant levels among different areas within the basin. – differences between liver and muscle levels in whitefish and chub. – in general, contaminant levels very low. ∗ HAI (Health Assessment Index), indicated differences in fish condition throughout the basin. ∗ Factors other than contaminants appear to account for the variability in HAI. – whitefish is one fish considered as an indicator species, but some potential confounding factors exist including its variable range of movement, and potentially different genetic populations in tributaries. – other resident fish (redside shiner, squawfish) may have less movement and thus may be good indicator species. B. Toxaphene levels in burbot liver are being measured in six lakes in the Fraser system - levels of toxaphene in burbot liver are higher than current consumption guideline, for five Fraser Basin lakes (same lakes as those in Rob MacDonald’s work on sediment cores). – predictive capabilities of benthic macroinvertebrate community structure program utilising reference condition approach still going through testing period. End products of projects include: – status report of resident fish condition and contaminants assessment. – management software package or model utilising benthic macroinvertebrate reference condition concept which will flag disturbances to the aquatic ecosystem. – database and knowledge of current status of benthic community in relation to the various physical, geographical and chemical factors. Page 321
Fraser River Action Plan 3rd Research Workshop Discussion Elner: Where will studies on fish indicators lead? Tuominen: I expect in the future we will use a collection of indicators. Fish give good exposure indications; this helps understand both ecosystem and human health. Elner: Vadas’ work suggests we don’t have the ecology-work background we need before setting up indicators. Tuominen: We don’t understand all the causes of the stress, but it does indicate stress and gives us a baseline. It is a tool! It’s not something (this indicator monitoring) that you have to use every year. In the monitoring, we are looking at undisturbed areas to provide a reference for comparing with disturbed areas. Data Gaps/Recommendations • Use resident fish condition and contaminants assessment data in Environmental Effects Monitoring Program for pulp and paper mills on Fraser R. • Identify contaminant sources, non-toxic levels in fish for guidelines information, and migratory patterns/life histories of fish. • Expand contaminant classes to include non-ionic surfactants. • Elucidate relationships between HAI and other stressors. • Confirmation and QA work on histology and HAI components required. • Suggest further exploration of burbot study findings: reasons for north-south distribution of levels (i.e., north has higher levels); and the role of the food-chain in the differences in contaminant levels. • Analyse for other contaminants in burbot that were collected from the basin lakes. • Assessment of human impacts on aquatic and riparian ecosystems through further examinations of several biological parameters. • Establishment of biological indicators may be improved by increasing spatio-temporal replication. • Further refinement of benthic macroinvertebrate reference condition model; inclusion of data collection along impairment gradients such as logging, mining and agriculture. • Adoption of model by province and other agencies for test period with relevant practitioners. • Investigate the geographic relevance of model, i.e., how applicable is it to other areas in province with similar geographic and ecological attributes. Page 322
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PROCEEDINGS 3rd RESEARCH WORKSHOP F
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Participants ....
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Development of a Citizen’s Monito
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Fraser River Action Plan 3rd Resear
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SESSION 1 PULP MILL EFFLUENT ISSUES
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SESSION 4 AGRICULTURAL ISSUES
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SESSION 5 BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
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