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| Title: | Movements & Habitat Use of Juvenile Lake Sturgeon in the North Channel of the St. Clai River |
| Authors: | Lord, Katherine |
| Keywords: | Juvenile sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens
north channel of st. clair river |
| Issue Date: | 30-Apr-2007 |
| Abstract: | Abstract: Juvenile sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens between the ages of 3-7 years were
studied to determine movement patterns and habitat usage in the North Channel of the St.
Clair River. Nine juveniles were implanted with ultrasonic transmitters and tracked in
the summer seasons of 2005 and 2006. Telemetry data and Geographic Information
Software were used to determine habitat preferences. All fish tracked showed a large
degree of site fidelity, with an overall home range area between 0.8km² and 10.8km².
Juvenile lake sturgeon habitat selection was strongly related to depth, and they were
found over 95% of the time in depths that exceeded 9m. Sturgeon appeared to occupy
deeper habitats compared to what was available; sturgeon were most commonly found in
depths between 12 and 18m (44% of occupied locations), however the most frequently
available habitat was between 9-12m (32% of all available locations). Many sturgeon
had a high degree of home range overlap, and overlap was significantly higher in areas
that contained gravel bottom substrate without zebra mussels. Juvenile home range was
also smaller in areas that contained gravel substrate than in areas with appreciable zebra
mussel coverage, indicating that more food might be available in areas that contain gravel
substrate. A significant negative correlation was found between the amount of zebra
mussel cover and depth, meaning greater depths had lower zebra mussel coverage. These
data suggest that sturgeon chose deeper sections of the North Channel because of a lack
of zebra mussels and greater amounts of other types of invertebrates that served as food. |
| Appears in Collections: | Dissertations and Theses (Ph.D. and Master's)
Natural Resources and Environment, School of (SNRE)
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Files in This Item:
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Description |
Size | Format | |
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| THESIS_Final_Draft_4_16_2007.pdf | | 1558Kb | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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