Simulation of the effects of time and size at stocking on PCB accumulation in Lake Trout
- National Fisheries Research Center-Great Lakes, Sandusky Biological Station, Sandusky, OH (United States)
Manipulations of size at stocking and timing of stocking have already been used to improve survival of stocked salmonines in the Great Lakes. It should be possible to stock salmonines into the Great Lakes in a way that reduces the rate of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) accumulation in these fishes. An individual-based model (IBM) was used to investigate the effects of size at stocking and timing of stocking on PCB accumulation by lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Michigan. The individual-based feature of the model allowed lake trout individuals to encounter prey fish individuals and then consume sufficiently small prey fish. The IBM accurately accounted for the variation in PCB concentrations observed within the Lake Michigan lake trout population. Results of the IBM simulations revealed that increasing the average size at stocking from 110 to 160 mm total length led to an increase in the average PCB concentration in the stocked cohort at age 5, after the fish had spent 4 years in the lake, from 2.33 to 2.65 mg/kg; the percentage of lake trout in the cohort at the end of the simulated time period with PCB concentration of 2 mg/kg or more increased from 62% to 79%. Thus, PCB contamination was reduced when the simulated size at stocking was smallest. An overall stocking strategy for lake trout into Lake Michigan should weight this advantage regarding PCB contamination against the poor survival of lake trout that may occur if the trout are stocked at too small a size. 28 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 5728715
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Fisheries Society; (United States), Vol. 122:3; ISSN 0002-8487
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
TROUT
LIFE CYCLE
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
BIOLOGICAL MODELS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
GREAT LAKES
SURVIVAL CURVES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
FISHES
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
LAKES
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
VERTEBRATES
560162* - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)