AEROBIC SCOPE OF SALMONIDS IN THE SARUFUTSU RIVER: SAKHALIN TAIMEN AND THEIR ABILITY TO ADAPT IN A WARMING WORLD

Sakhalin taimen are an endangered species of anadromous fish in northern Japan and eastern Russia. They can take over six years to reach sexual maturity and require cold oxygenated water to survive and reproduce. This requirement makes taimen vulnerable to warming temperatures in their native ecosystem. To understand this vulnerability better, we will be conducting respirometry trials on this and other salmonids in the Sarufutsu river to establish a basal and maximum metabolic rate for these fishes across a range of temperatures. With these measurements we can calculate aerobic scope of this species and find their ideal temperature range. We will then compare it to other salmonids that live in the river system, namely white-spotted char and masu salmon.  By overlaying the aerobic scope of the different species, it is possible to understand the different temperatures that these fish are most competitive, as well as which species are going to be affected first by increasing water temperatures. We have the potential to establish the critical temperature limit of Sakhalin taimen during this project, to understand at what temperature these fish are no longer able to facilitate respiration. As water temperatures across the world increase, it is crucial to understand the range of temperatures this fish can tolerate and thrive in. Sakhalin taimen are a culturally significant fish in Hokkaido, and this research would help to provide scientific evidence of ways to conserve these fish for the future.

Primary Presenter: Lucas Fischer, University of Wisconsin - Madison (ljfischer2@wisc.edu)

Authors:

Lucas Fischer, University of Wisconsin - Madison  (ljfischer2@wisc.edu)

Olaf Jensen, University of Wisconsin - Madison  (ojensen@wisc.edu)

Michio Fukushima, National Institute for Environmental Studies  (michio@nies.go.jp)

Shin-Ichiro Matsuzaki, National Institute for Environmental Studies  (matsuzakiss@nies.go.jp)

Matthew Sloat, Wild Salmon Center  (msloat@wildsalmoncenter.org)