Thyroid function, pituitary structure and serum lipids in Great Lakes coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch Walbaum, 'jacks' compared with sexually immature spring salmon

Whereas spring salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch , from Lake Ontario had no overt thyroid goiters, comparable Lake Erie spring salmon had a 44% goitre incidence. Goitre incidence in sexually precocious 'jacks' from Lakes Ontario and Michigan was 43–45% and 100% in 'jacks' from Lake Erie.
All fish displayed thyroid hyperplasia. The degree of hyperplasia (as indicated by thyroid follicle colloid content, thyroid follicle size and shape and thyroid follicle epithelial cell size) in Lake Ontario fish tended to be greater in the 'jacks' than in the spring fish; the reverse was true in Lake Erie fish. Serum total L-thyroxine (T4) concentrations in Lake Ontario spring fish were higher than in any other group. There were no differences in serum T, levels between the groups of 'jacks', nor were serum T, levels in 'jacks' and spring salmon from Lake Ontario significantly different. Serum total triiodo-thyronine (T) concentrations in Lake Ontario spring salmon were significantly higher than in all other groups and that in Lake Erie spring salmon greater than in all groups of 'jacks'. Serum T, levels in Lake Ontario 'jacks' were higher than in Lake Erie 'jacks'. Serum free fatty acid (FFA) and cholesterol levels showed significant interlake differences with lower levels present in Lake Erie salmon. Lake Erie 'jacks' appeared to have fewer and less well vacuolated pituitary gonadotropic basophils than 'jacks' from Lakes Michigan and Ontario. Putative thyrotrop cells appeared to be more numerous and more active in the Lake Erie spring salmon compared with Lake Ontario spring salmon. Prolactin, corticotrop and melanotrop cells appeared less active in spring salmon than in the 'jacks'.     

Inter lake comparison of liver morphology and in vitro hepatic monodeiodination of L-thyroxine in sexually mature coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch Walbaum, from Lakes Erie, Ontario, Michigan and Superior

The hepatosomatic index (HS1) of female sexually mature coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch , from Lake Superior was significantly higher (P<0.01) than in males, whereas that of females from Lake Erie was significantly lower (P<0.05) than in males; there was no significant sex differences in coho salmon from Lakes Ontario or Michigan. Hepatic nuclear areas (HNA) were significantly higher ( P <0.01) in males compared with females in fish collected from Lakes Ontario and Erie, but there was no sex differences in HNA of coho salmon from Lakes Superior or Michigan. In all four lakes, hepatocyte cytoplasmic volume was significantly higher ( P <0.01) in males than in females from the same lake, and the cytoplasmic volume: nuclear volume ratio of males was corresponding significantly higher ( P < 0.05) than in females from the same lake.
Two hepatocytic cell types were evident, termed' light and dark cells, based on the electron density of their cytoplasmic matrix. There were considerable intersex and interlake differences in the relative populations of light 'and dark' cells in coho salmon from Lakes Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior, and also in the hepatocytic content of lipid, glycogen, mitochondria and ribosomal and smooth endoplasmic reticulum.
There were no sex differences with regard to in vitro hepatic monodeiodination of L-thyroxine (T4) to triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) in salmon from any of the lakes. However, T4 to T3 conversion was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in liver homogenates prepared from Lake Ontario coho salmon than in comparable preparations of liver from Lake Superior, Lake Erie, or Lake Michigan salmon.     

Bioaccumulation of organochlorines by yearling coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch walbaum) fed diets containing Great Lakes' coho salmon, and the pathophysiological responses of the recipients

1. Yearling coho salmon were fed diets containing the flesh of sexually mature adult coho salmon from Lakes Ontario, Erie and Michigan; Pacific Ocean coho salmon and a commercial trout chow were used to prepare control diets. The fish were fed the experimental diets for 27 weeks. Samples were taken of fed fish and fish fed for 27 weeks and then food deprived for 4 weeks. 2. Total accumulated organochlorine in the recipient was directly proportional to dietary total organochlorine levels, although there were considerable interlake differences in the degree of clearance of specific organochlorine compounds. 3. There was evidence of changes in thyroid physiology, hematocrit, liver structure and inter-renal gland activity in recipients fed the Great Lakes' coho salmon, apparently correlated with organochlorine bioaccumulation.     

Plasma cortisol and sex steroid levels in Great Lakes coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch Walbaum) in relation to fecundity and egg survival

Plasma 11-ketotestosterone and cortisol levels in spawning male and female coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch Walbaum) collected from a Lake Erie (Pennsylvania) stock were significantly lower (P less than 0.01) than in stocks of coho salmon at a comparable stage of sexual development collected from Lakes Ontario (two stocks) or Michigan. Plasma testosterone levels in female coho salmon from Lake Erie were significantly lower (P less than 0.01) than in females from Lake Ontario or Lake Michigan stocks. There were no significant differences in plasma testosterone levels in the males, or 17 beta-estradiol levels in male or female salmon of the four stocks sampled from the three study lakes. This apparent dysfunction in androgen and cortisol secretion in the Lake Erie stock is correlated with and may account for the low fecundity and poor expression of secondary sexual characteristics in that stock.     

Clostridium botulinum type E in fish from the Great Lakes

Bott, Thomas L. (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Janet S. Deffner, Elizabeth McCoy, and E. M. Foster. Clostridium botulinum type E in fish from the Great Lakes. J. Bacteriol. 91:919-924. 1966.-The intestinal contents of more than 3,000 fish from Lakes Erie, Superior, Huron, and Michigan were examined for Clostridium botulinum type E. Demonstration of the organism was accomplished by identifying its toxin in liquid cultures inoculated with material from the alimentary tract. Incidence figures, expressed as per cent of the fish tested, were: Lake Erie, 1%; Lake Superior, 1%; Lake Huron, 4%; the main body of Lake Michigan, 9%; and Green Bay (on Lake Michigan), 57%. Thus, C. botulinum type E appears to be widely but unevenly distributed in the Great Lakes, and fish from all areas are potential carriers of it.     

Differential expression of Atlantic salmon thyrotropin β subunit mRNA and its cDNA sequence

To study the regulation of the thyroid system, an Atlantic salmon Salmo salar cDNA clone was isolated for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) β subunit gene. A cDNA (866 bp) was isolated from an adult Atlantic salmon pituitary cDNA library, this clone was sequenced and shown to be highly conserved when compared to other teleost β TSH subunit sequences. The cDNA was used as a probe for Northern blot analysis of total pituitary RNA from the different life cycle stages of Atlantic salmon. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that β TSH mRNA is expressed at all life cycle stages studied, including parr, smolt, immature fish at sea and sexually mature male fish. Densitometry of Northern blots showed that sexually mature male salmon had low levels of salmon β TSH mRNA compared to non-mature fish. Stunts, fish performing poorly in salt water, were shown to have elevated levels of β TSH mRNA when compared to healthy fish.     

Biogenic silica as an estimate of siliceous microfossil abundance in Great Lakes sediments

Biogenic silica concentration (BSi) in sediment cores from the Great Lakes is evaluated as an estimate of siliceous microfossil abundance. A significant linear relationship was found between measured BSi and diatom valve abundance for sediment cores from the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior and between measured BSi and diatom biovolume for Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior but not for Lake Ontario. Diatom silica predicted from diatom species abundance and an estimated silica content per cell in the Lake Erie cores accounted for 117% and 103% of measured BSi, respectively. By contrast, predicted diatom silica could only account for 28% of measured BSi in the Lake Michigan core and only 25% in the Lake Superior core. A few large diatoms with a large silica content per cell comprised a major portion of predicted diatom silica in all cores. The discrepancy between chemically measured BSi and the silica predicted from diatoms in the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior cores was partially due to the inability of the regression model, used to estimate diatom silica content, to account for different degrees of silicification in the diatom asemblages from the more dissolved silica rich Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.     

Use of ecological indicators to assess the quality of Great Lakes coastal wetlands

Over 2000 coastal wetland complexes have been identified in the Laurentian Great Lakes watershed, each providing critical habitat for numerous aquatic and terrestrial species. Research has shown there is a direct link between anthropogenic activities (urbanization and agricultural development) and deterioration in wetland health in terms of water quality and biotic integrity. In this study, we evaluate coastal marshes throughout the Great Lakes basin using a suite of published ecological indices developed specifically for coastal wetlands of the Great Lakes (Water Quality Index (WQI), Wetland Macrophyte Index (WMI), and the Wetland Fish Index (WFI_Basin)). We surveyed 181 wetlands, including 19 in Lake Superior (11%), 11 in Lake Michigan (6%), 13 in Lake Huron (7%), 92 in Georgian Bay and the North Channel (51%), 18 in Lake Erie (10%), and 28 in Lake Ontario (15%), over a 13 year period (1995–2008). Water quality parameters were measured at every site, while paired fyke nets were used to assess the fish community (132 sites) and macrophytes were surveyed and identified to species (174 sites); all of this information was used to calculate the associated index scores. One-way ANOVA results showed that there were significant differences in wetland quality among lakes. According to the WQI, we found that over 50% of marshes in Lakes Michigan, Erie, and Ontario were in degraded condition, while over 70% of marshes in Lakes Superior, Huron, and Georgian Bay were minimally impacted. Georgian Bay had the highest proportion of wetlands in very good and excellent condition and least number of wetlands in a degraded state. The WMI and WFI showed similar results. This is the largest bi-national database of coastal wetlands and the first study to provide a snapshot of the quality of coastal habitats within the Great Lakes basin. We recommend this information be used to guide conservation and restoration efforts within the Laurentian Great Lakes.     

Pelagic zonation of water quality and phytoplankton in the Great Lakes

Analysis of aquatic ecosystem data collected from large water bodies must consider spatial variations. A suite of pelagic survey stations exists for the Laurentian Great Lakes, but little is known about their redundancy. We present a strategy to delineate the lakes into zones based on water quality and phytoplankton biovolume. Water samples were collected from 72 sites in two seasons (spring and summer) from 2007 to 2010 in all five lakes. Integrated samples were analyzed for phytoplankton biovolume and nine water quality parameters. We conducted cluster analysis, principal components analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling methods for water quality and phytoplankton taxon-specific biovolume for the Great Lakes basin and for each lake separately. There were significant lake-to-lake differences, and based on lake-specific analyses, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Erie were each divided into three zones; Lake Huron and Lake Ontario were each grouped into two zones. The zones identified by water quality and phytoplankton provide an understanding of spatial distributions for evaluating monitoring data.     

The use of chemical cues in the upstream migration of coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch Walbaum

The migratory behaviour of coho salmon was studied in the field. Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch , exposed to synthetic odours in a hatchery and released into Lake Michigan as juveniles, were recaptured as migrating adults 18 months later. The movements of 43 individuals were followed in experiments examining the role of imprinted chemical cues in the homing migration. Movements in relation to controlled distributions of the imprinting odours revealed that chemical cues are used by the salmon in their upstream migration. Acting with the rheotactic response, fish were guided upstream by imprinting odours simulating their home stream. Coho salmon, in the absence of their imprinting odour, respond negatively to the current. Differential responses to current appear to serve in segregating fish imprinted to odours of different home streams.     

The diet of Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) during winter and early spring on the lower Great Lakes

In the Great Lakes, the Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) is a prominent member of the aquatic bird community, and has been used to monitor spatial and temporal trends in contaminant levels. To understand more fully contaminant loading outside the breeding season, we analysed the contents of 1298 freshly regurgitated pellets and 179 fresh faeces, collected in March and early April 1978–83, and between late December and late February 1990–91, from the vicinity of breeding colonies in Lakes Ontario and Erie, the Niagara River, Detroit River, and south-eastern parts of Lake Huron. Most adult Herring Gulls from the Great Lakes population winter in these areas, but there is no published account of their food habits other than during the breeding season. Most pellets from colonies close to large urban centres contained remains of garbage, as well as various fish species. Small mammals, notably Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) dominated the early spring diet at Lake Huron colonies near agricultural areas. At all other sites fish predominated in pellets and faeces, but garbage items were also recorded regularly. The species of fish consumed varied regionally, probably reflecting local availability. In Lake Ontario, Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) and Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) occurred most frequently in samples, whereas Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) was the main fish prey in Lake Erie and the Detroit River. Dietary differences were apparent between years, within seasons, and amongst areas. While these may have reflected some real differences in food availability, interpretation of these results was confounded by various biases inherent in the sampling of pellets and faeces to determine diet in such an opportunistic species. Therefore, it would be unwise to draw rigid conclusions as to regional or seasonal differences in the diets of piscivorous birds, based upon analyses of diet from only a small sample of sites or years. Herring Gulls appear to feed mainly on fish and garbage in winter and early spring on the lower Great Lakes (much as during the breeding season), but any locally abundant food source is probably exploited opportunistically.     

The relationship between fecundity and adult body weight in Homeotherms

Summary Bythotrephes cederstroemii Schoedler, a predatory freshwater zooplankter (Crustacea: Cladocera), was first found in the Laurentian Great Lakes in December 1984. The first individuals were from Lake Huron, followed in 1985 with records from Lakes Erie and Ontario. By late August, 1986 the species had spread to southern Lake Michigan (43°N). Bythotrephes has not previously been reported from North America, but has been restricted to a northern and central Palearctic distribution. Its dramatic and widespread rise in abundance in Lake Michigan was greatest in offshore regions. Bythotrephes appears to be invading aggressively, but avoiding habitats presently occupied by glacio-marine relict species that became established in deep oligotrophic North American lakes after the Wisconsin glaciation. Because it is a voracious predator its invasion may lead to alterations in the native zooplankton fauna of the Great Lakes. It offers the chance to study how invading plankton species join an existing community. Judging from its persistence and success in deep European lakes, Bythotrephes may now become a permanent member of zooplankton communities in the Nearctic.     

The status and distribution of lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec: a genetic perspective

Genetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence variation indicates that most of a sample of 396 lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, from the northern part of their range belonged to either one of two haplotypes. The vast majority of fish from the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence and Mississippi drainages were of a single haplotype while those from the Hudson/James Bay were composed of both haplotypes. This haplotypic distribution suggests that fish from one refugium (possibly Missourian) recolonized the Hudson-James Bay drainage while those from a second (possibly Mississippian) recolonized the Laurentian Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. Lake sturgeon still inhabit much of their native postglacial distribution in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. However, the stresses of commercial overexploitation and habitat alteration, usually through hydroelectric dam construction and operation, have either singly or in tandem brought about the reduction, if not extirpation, of some populations within the range. The largest zone of extirpation and population reduction has occurred in the Lake Winnipeg drainage area, which covers more than one-third of Manitoba. Other areas where populations have been reduced to remnant levels, if not extirpated, include the lower Laurentian Great Lakes of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. In northern Ontario, lake sturgeon populations whose riverine habitats have been fragmented by two or more dams are substantially reduced from their former levels. In Quebec, more attention has been paid to limiting the exploitive stresses on lake sturgeon populations. Combination of the genetic and status data suggests that both northern and southern populations of lake sturgeon (possibly from two glacial refugia) have been impacted severely from anthropogenic influences.     

Genetic analysis across different spatial scales reveals multiple dispersal mechanisms for the invasive hydrozoan Cordylophora in the Great Lakes

Discerning patterns of post‐establishment spread by invasive species is critically important for the design of effective management strategies and the development of appropriate theoretical models predicting spatial expansion of introduced populations. The globally invasive colonial hydrozoan Cordylophora produces propagules both sexually and vegetatively and is associated with multiple potential dispersal mechanisms, making it a promising system to investigate complex patterns of population structure generated throughout the course of rapid range expansion. Here, we explore genetic patterns associated with the spread of this taxon within the North American Great Lakes basin. We collected intensively from eight harbours in the Chicago area in order to conduct detailed investigation of local population expansion. In addition, we collected from Lakes Michigan, Erie, and Ontario, as well as Lake Cayuga in the Finger Lakes of upstate New York in order to assess genetic structure on a regional scale. Based on data from eight highly polymorphic microsatellite loci we examined the spatial extent of clonal genotypes, assessed levels of neutral genetic diversity, and explored patterns of migration and dispersal at multiple spatial scales through assessment of population level genetic differentiation (pairwise F_ST and factorial correspondence analysis), Bayesian inference of population structure, and assignment tests on individual genotypes. Results of these analyses indicate that Cordylophora populations in this region spread predominantly through sexually produced propagules, and that while limited natural larval dispersal can drive expansion locally, regional expansion likely relies on anthropogenic dispersal vectors.     

Diet,feeding patterns,and prey selection of subyearling Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and subyearling chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in a tributary of Lake Ontario

Since juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) occupy a similar habitat in Lake Ontario tributaries, we sought to determine the degree of diet similarity between these species in order to assess the potential for interspecific competition. Atlantic salmon, an historically important but currently extirpated component of the Lake Ontario fish community, are the focus of a bi‐national restoration effort. Presently this effort includes the release of hatchery produced juvenile Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario tributaries. These same tributaries support substantial numbers of naturally reproduced juvenile Pacific salmonids including Chinook salmon. Subyearling Atlantic salmon and subyearling Chinook salmon had significantly different diets during each of the three time periods examined. Atlantic salmon fed slightly more from the benthos than from the drift and consumed mainly chirononmids (47.0%) and ephemeropterans (21.1%). The diet of subyearling Chinook salmon was more closely associated with the drift and consisted mainly of chironomids (60.2%) and terrestrial invertebrates (16.0%). Low diet similarity between subyearling Atlantic salmon and subyearling Chinook salmon likely minimizes competitive interactions for food between these species in Lake Ontario tributaries. However, the availability of small prey such as chironomids which comprise over 50% of the diet of each species, soon after emergence, could constitute a short term resource limitation. To our knowledge this is the first study of interspecific diet associations between these two important salmonid species.     

Variation in smoltification age and its determinants in sockeye salmon of Lake Azabach’e

In this paper, we analyze scale samples of sexually mature sockeye salmon from Lake Azabach'e collected over many years and data on the abundance of zooplankton in this lake. For native juvenile sockeye salmon, the major limiting factor of growth and smoltification is food availability. During the observation period from 1977 to 1993, two-year-olds were the most numerous group among the downstream-migrating sockeye salmon. Short-term fluctuations in the proportion of one-year-old smolts during downstream migration are attributed to outbreaks of plankton due to the natural fertilization of the lake.     

Disease resistance, stress response and effects of triploidy in growth hormone transgenic coho salmon

Diploid and triploid coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch transgenic for growth hormone (GH) and control coho salmon were compared for differences in disease resistance and stress response. Resistance to the bacterial pathogen Vibrio anguillarum was not affected in transgenic fish relative to their non‐transgenic counterparts when they were infected at the fry stage, but was lower in transgenic fish when infected near smolting. Vaccination against vibriosis provided equal protection to both transgenic and non‐transgenic fish. Triploid fish showed a lower resistance to vibriosis than their diploid counterparts. Diploid transgenic fish and non‐transgenic fish appeared to show similar physiological and cellular stress responses to a heat shock. These studies provide information useful for both performance and ecological risk assessments of growth‐accelerated coho salmon.     

Oxygen uptake of growth hormone transgenic coho salmon during starvation and feeding

Oxygen uptake of growth hormone transgenic coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch was measured in individual fish with a closed-system respirometer and was compared with that of similar-sized non-transgenic control coho salmon during starvation and when fed a fixed ration or to satiation. Transgenic and control fish did not differ in their standard oxygen uptake after 4 days of starvation, although control fish had a higher routine oxygen uptake, scope for spontaneous activity and initial acclimation oxygen uptake. During feeding, transgenic fish ate significantly more than control fish, and had an overall oxygen uptake that was 1·7 times greater than control fish. When fish that had eaten the same per cent body mass were compared, transgenic fish had an oxygen uptake that was 1·4 times greater than control fish. Differences in oxygen uptake in growth hormone transgenic coho salmon and non-transgenic fish appear to be due to the effects of feeding, acclimation and activity level, and not to a difference in basal metabolism.     

Patterns of genetic diversity in Great Lakes bloaters (Coregonus hoyi) with a view to future reintroduction in Lake Ontario

The originally diverse ciscoe fish fauna of the Laurentian Great Lakes has suffered many extinctions and local extirpations. Bloaters (Coregonus hoyi) are presumed extirpated from Lake Ontario and the reintroduction of this deepwater fish is under consideration. Given the demographic fluctuations of this species in the other Great Lakes and its recent intralacustrine origin, we sought to identify a genetically diverse and similar source of C. hoyi via an analysis of genetic diversity and population structure using 10 microsatellite loci. Despite well-documented demographic declines, we found no genetic evidence of bottlenecks in 12 C. hoyi samples from the four potential donor lakes (Huron, Michigan, Superior and Nipigon). By contrast, evidence of bottlenecks in historical samples of C. artedi from Lake Ontario suggested that standard genetic methods frequently used to identify population bottlenecks can only detect very severe and long-lasting demographic declines in naturally large populations. Patterns of genetic differentiation and assignment tests indicated that C. hoyi from Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, which are not differentiated, are genetically most similar to Lake Ontario ciscoes. The small available sample of deepwater ciscoes recently caught in Lake Ontario did not allow determining if these represent a small undetected C. hoyi population or a recent invasion of the deep section by C. artedi. On the basis of genetic criteria, we conclude that C. hoyi from any location within Lake Huron or Lake Michigan would be judicious sources of breeders for reintroducing C. hoyi in Lake Ontario.     

Disease resistance and health parameters of growth-hormone transgenic and wild-type coho salmon,Oncorhynchus kisutch

To extend previous findings regarding fish health and disease susceptibility of growth-enhanced fish, hematological and immunological parameters have been compared between growth hormone (GH) transgenic and wild-type non-transgenic coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Compared to non-transgenic coho salmon, transgenic fish had significantly higher hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), mean cellular hemoglobin (MCH), mean cellular volume (MCV), and erythrocyte numbers, and lower white cell numbers. In addition, resistance to the bacterial pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida (causal agent of furunculosis) has been assessed between the strains. Higher susceptibility of transgenic fish to this disease challenge was observed in two separate year classes of fish. The present findings provide fundamental knowledge of the disease resistance on GH enhanced transgenic coho salmon, which is of importance for assessing the fitness of transgenic strains for environmental risk assessments, and for improving our understanding effects of growth modification on basic immune functions.