The Effect of Thermal Stress on the Physiology of Juvenile Bull Trout

In the lab, Dr. Analisa Lazaro-Côté’s team swabbed the mucus of fish subjected to different temperature treatments to quantify stress based on concentrations of specific metabolites in the mucus. Next, they are putting this method to the test on wild fish captured in the Kakwa River watershed.

Previous research from the United States gave 15 degrees as an upper limit of optimal temperatures for bull trout; this project will determine if that is accurate for Alberta populations. This information will help stream temperature models being developed in other Water and Fish projects to be more predictive of bull trout habitat and will specifically help inform the Kakwa re-assessment of how fish are responding to over 20 years of changing climates and landscapes.