LE3 .A278 2020

2020

Stokesbury, Michael

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Biology

Biology

Gaspereau River in Kings County, Nova Scotia, supports a commercially valuable stock of anadromous alewives. Little is known about oceanic movement of this species. In addition to natural mortalities, the population faces potential threat from the development of in-stream tidal energy in the Bay of Fundy. This study offers the first glimpse at post-spawning migration in Atlantic Canada using novel High Residency acoustic tracking technology. The first chapter identified the physiological and behavioural response of alewife to internal tagging based on reflex impairment and post-mortem examinations. The results showed the procedure is viable for the remote tracking of a species known to be sensitive to handling.The second chapter applied acoustic tracking methods to investigate post-spawning migration of Gaspereau River alewife within Minas Basin and through Minas Passage. Minas Passage is a region slated for instream tidal turbine infrastructure so overlap in this region was assessed. Results showed 77% of tagged individuals were detected by receiver arrays in Minas Basin, including a considerable portion within the Passage. Alewife movement appeared to be primarily dictated by tidal transport. These data will provide baseline information for future assessments of the stock.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3483