Effects of bituminous contaminants on fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) of the Lower Athabasca River Basin

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dc.contributor.authorChow, Sylvia S.T.
dc.contributor.authorUniversity of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
dc.contributor.supervisorPyle, Gregory
dc.date.accessioned2017-02-10T18:22:08Z
dc.date.available2017-02-10T18:22:08Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.degree.levelMastersen_US
dc.description.abstractThe lower Athabasca River basin of northern Alberta, Canada is situated within bitumen-rich deposits, where oil sands development is a common occurrence. A transplant and chronic exposure experiment between sites containing natural bitumen (NB) and natural bitumen-oil sands area of industry (NB-OSA) was conducted using fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). Reference fish chemosensation and respiration was impaired and lowered, respectively, to levels observed in the fish NB-OSA of industry after having been transplanted to either contaminated sites. Fish previously exposed to contaminants had lower olfactory acuity and respiration rates than reference fish, remaining unchanged after exposure at either site. Fish pre-exposed to contaminats exhibit limited ability to deal with additional stressors compared to reference fish, as observed by the lower survival rates in these bituminous fish populations. This limited stress coping capabilities demonstrate native fish populations do not possess an advantage within the aquatic systems in the basin.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipForest Watershed and Riparian Disturbance (FORWARD) III Project, NSERC, Suncor Energy, Syncrude Canada Ltd., Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Total E & P, the Oil Sands Research and Information Network, Alberta Pacific, Alberta Newsprint Company, Millar Western, Hinton Pulp, Slave Lake Pulp, West Fraser and Tervita.en_US
dc.embargoNoen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/handle/10133/4776
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.proquest.subject0383en_US
dc.proquest.subject0719en_US
dc.proquest.subject0765en_US
dc.proquestyesYesen_US
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciencesen_US
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Scienceen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science)en_US
dc.subjectadaptive phenotypic plasticityen_US
dc.subjectanthropogenic bitumen sourcesen_US
dc.subjectbitumen-related toxicantsen_US
dc.subjectfish populationsen_US
dc.subjectnatural bitumen sourcesen_US
dc.subjectreciprocal cross-transplanten_US
dc.titleEffects of bituminous contaminants on fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) of the Lower Athabasca River Basinen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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