Project
Defining oxythermal performance metrics for use in physiologically guided abundance models of diverse coregonid ecotypes
In this project, we will quantify the performance of multiple coregonid species/populations as it relates to temperature and oxygen, and examine whether populations from different environments exhibit habitat-relevant differences in physiology. We hypothesize that coregonids exhibit local adaptation specific to their shallow- or deepwater ecotypes. We will investigate these hypotheses among early life stages, and quantify the relationship between oxythermal conditions and growth and survival. We will integrate the lab information into statistical models of coregonid recruitment using physiologically guided abundance (PGA) models. These models enable prediction of population persistence and abundance that take into account both the fundamental and realized niche, and thus enable prediction of recruitment success under novel oxythermal Our objectives are to: 1) Compile existing data on oxythermal tolerances of Laurentian Cisco species and their close relatives. 2) Determine temperature-dependent embryo mortality, size-at-hatch, and estimate temperature thresholds for hatching success for four populations of coregonids. 3) Quantify larval development and growth under normoxic and hypoxic conditions to identify population-specific physiological niches. 4) Determine acute thermal tolerances for coregonids reared at multiple temperatures to identify population-specific acclimation capacities. 5) Integrate oxythermal performance curves with occurrence and abundance data to develop PGA models for predicting abundance of coregonid species or populations throughout their current range and under warming conditions.\\r\\n