Lambton Shores Endangered Fish Adventure

Lambton Shores Endangered Fish Adventure Hi there! We're students from UofT and McGill conducting research on endangered fish.

Watch our webinar: The Old Ausable Channel - Canada's Freshwater Ark, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p737bfCVQSk&t=2s

Our work in 2023 focuses on studying the threatened Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus) and the endangered Lake Chubsucker (Erymizon sucetta) in L-Lake near Port Franks and the Old Ausable Channel near Grand Bend. Our project has the following goals:
-To better understand th

e microhabitat requirements of all life stages of both species
-Better understand the overwintering habitat requirements of Lake Chubsucker
-Determine the ability of the two species to adapt to warmer, more anoxic (low oxygen) environments brought about by climate change
-To assess whether the sunfish in the channel are acting as predators on the Pugnose Shiner and whether the predators affect the Pugnose Shiner's ability to respond to the effects of climate change

We will do this by collecting detailed habitat information (plant species and abundance, sediments, depth, water quality and temperature, etc.), conducting fish population size and distribution studies, and doing lake-side physiological studies to understand the effects of temperature, low oxygen, and predator presence on the fishes' ability to survive. As we will be working with species-at-risk, we will take extra care during the project to minimize the impact we have on the fishes as well as to their habitat as we don't want to make their plight worse while we are trying to help them. If all goes well, we hope to be able to use this information to better protect these species and hopefully identify areas where new populations might be found or areas that would be suitable for restoration and reintroduction. About the Researchers

Jennifer Powell (MSc Conservation Biology) is a PhD student at UofT Scarborough studying the ecology of Lake Chubsucker and the fish's potential resilience to increased temperatures due to climate change. Having worked as a fisheries biologist in environmental consulting for almost 10 years, she has returned to academia to focus on the conservation side of freshwater fish work. Madeline Morrison (BSc Conservation Biology) is a Masters student at UofT Scarborough and recent graduate of Trent University studying the habitat requirements of the threatened Pugnose Shiner in the Old Ausable Channel. As a lifelong resident of Southwestern Ontario, I am excited to apply the concepts I studied in undergrad on a more local level and look into what conditions create the best habitats for these threatened fish. Madeline Boys (BSc Biology) is a recent BSc graduate from McGill University studying the effects of predation risk on the thermal tolerance of Pugnose Shiner and Blackchin Shiner, to help identify factors that may be driving the decline of the threatened Pugnose Shiner. Madeline is passionate about protecting aquatic environments and the organisms that depend on them to help preserve healthy aquatic ecosystems. Katie Moffat (BSc Biology) is also a recent BSc graduate from McGill University and is studying the Lake Chubsucker's tolerance to low oxygen to help determine what habitats are critical to protect and restore to better help the species cope with climate change. Katie hopes to help preserve aquatic environments to ensure the ecosystems stays as healthy as possible. Jessica Reemeyer (MSc Biology) is a PhD student at McGill studying the effects of multiple environmental stressors on endangered Canadian fishes, focusing on Pugnose Shiner and Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus). Jessica fell in love with fish during her undergrad and has been working on understanding how things like climate change and hypoxia affect fish them ever since.

06/11/2025

How do you plant aquatic vegetation? By dropping them of course!

In our last post, we talked about making burlap wraps of native vegetation to plant on some of the invasive milfoil control mats. You can see that post here. This planting technique was chosen for several reasons, a big one being how easy the wraps are to plant, just drop the wrap from the surface and you’re done!

Each wrap consists of a plant, its roots, and a handful of sediment all wrapped in kraft paper and burlap. The sediment provides both weight to help the wrap sink, and nutrients for the plant to use until it gets established. They’re wrapped in burlap because, as a natural fiber, it will degrade naturally over time and the gaps between the fibers allow the plant roots to grow through the burlap and root in the sediment underneath.

As an added bonus, the sediment in the wraps also contains seeds of other native vegetation which will hopefully sprout and help with the native plant regeneration on the mats.

At each of our four test locations we have added native plant wraps to one of the two burlap mats. We will monitor how well they grow over the course of the summer and then compare them to the mats where we didn’t add plants. This is done to see if the planting makes a difference in getting native vegetation to reestablish and therefore if the extra effort to transplant the vegetation is worth the cost.

Ever gift-wrapped a plant? We have!Last week a great team of folks from Southcott Pines, Ausable Bayfield Conservation A...
06/10/2025

Ever gift-wrapped a plant? We have!

Last week a great team of folks from Southcott Pines, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, Pinery Provincial Park, and University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) collected native aquatic vegetation from the Old Ausable Channel (OAC) in the Pinery so we could replant them on our invasive milfoil control mats in the northern part of the OAC.

One issue with invasive Eurasian milfoil is that it forms dense monocultures that kills off native species, reducing biodiversity and the habitat available for fishes and other aquatic life. While the burlap mats will hopefully kill off the milfoil present under the mats, if there are no native plants in the area to colonize the mats, the Eurasian milfoil will eventually regrow, leaving us back where we started.

As part of our study, we are testing 1) if native plants would regenerate on their own once the Eurasian milfoil was killed off by leaving some of the mats bare, 2) if we could jump-start native plant regeneration by planting native species on top of some of the mats, and 3) if there was enough of a difference between the two techniques to justify the time and expense of planting the mats.

To transfer the plants, we used a technique called ‘burlap wraps’. First, we used shovels to pull up a plant along with their roots and some sediment from the bottom. Then, keeping the plant’s roots in a blob of sediment, we would wrap the plant in a layer of kraft paper and a layer of burlap. The whole bundle is tied with twine leaving the plant sticking out of the top. The kraft paper keeps the sediment from leaking out of the burlap as well as helping to keep the sediment moist. The wraps are then placed in a bin and covered with water to keep the plants moist and can then be transferred to the planting site.

To plant the wraps, they can just be dropped from the surface over the desired planting area. Stay tuned for a future post with more details on the planting process!

06/06/2025

Invasive Milfoil Control Study: Installing an invasive milfoil control mat.

As many have requested, I've put together a short information video on how we installed the burlap mats we're using in our invasive milfoil control study in the Old Ausable Channel (OAC). Each mat was made by sewing two large rolls of burlap together to create a single 30 m (~100 ft) x 4 m (12 ft) mat. Two mats were then installed at 4 locations in the OAC as described in the video.

All 4 locations are in the Southcott Pines section of the OAC and are marked with an information sign. Why not take a walk down the channel and take a look for yourself!

For anyone looking to clean up dead fish on their shoreline, I received the following guidance from the MNR:Do not handl...
05/21/2025

For anyone looking to clean up dead fish on their shoreline, I received the following guidance from the MNR:

Do not handle dead fish with bare hands. Wear gloves and use shovels or rakes to move the fish.

Dispose of the gloves and bags in the garbage.

Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling the carcasses.

Wash and disinfect the shovel or any other tool that came into contact with the animal with mild 10% household bleach/water solution (i.e. 100 ml of household bleach to 1 litre of water). Rinse well after disinfection and discard away from fish-bearing waters. Chlorine is toxic to fish.

Bury the dead fish or double-bag for disposal in landfills. If burying, they should be buried at least 1 m deep to prevent them being dug up by dogs or wild animals.

Residents are urged to check with their municipality to see what arrangements have been made for collection or transport of the dead fish to waste disposal sites.

Municipalities and community organizations are urged to follow similar practices, with use of public waste disposal sites.

Landowners are responsible for clean up of dead fishes on private shorelines while municipalities are responsible for clean up on public beaches they own.

Update on Lake Huron Fish Die-Off: 14 May.I have heard from the MNR (see below for full email) and they have confirmed t...
05/14/2025

Update on Lake Huron Fish Die-Off: 14 May.

I have heard from the MNR (see below for full email) and they have confirmed that some fish samples were collected from Kincardine, Goderich, and Lambton Shores and submitted for analysis yesterday. Part of the analysis will be screening for viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). Results from testing of those samples can take between 5-6 weeks so we won't know for a while if VHS is involved in the ongoing die-off in Lake Huron.

While we wait for results, I encourage everyone to treat this as a potential outbreak of VHS until we know otherwise. If VHS turns out to not be involved, preventative measures won't hurt, but if VHS is involved and we do nothing until we are sure, a lot of damage could be done to vulnerable fish populations like those in the Old Ausable Channel.

One of those preventative measures is to clean up the potentially diseased carcasses from the beaches. MNR have indicated that clean up on public beaches is the responsibility of the municipality while clean up on private beaches is the responsibility of the landowner. So if you live near a public beach, please contact your municipality to ask them to clean up the carcasses. I will be making a separate post on what I've found out able safe disposal practices.

Ways to control the spread:
1. Ask your municipality to clean up dead fishes from public beaches.
2. Do not move fishes, including baitfish, between waterbodies.
3. Don't move boats or other aquatic equipment between waterbodies.
4. If you must move equipment from one waterbody to another:
a. Drain all water from the boat and bilges, prior to leaving the shore of the waterbody.
b. Clean boats and equipment (particularly boots) of all mud, plants, and other debris as these can hold the virus.
c. Disinfect all surfaces and gear that has come into contact with lake water or fish with a 10% bleach solution (100 mL bleach per 900 mL of water). Soak items for 10 minutes where possible.
d. Let all boats and equipment fully dry in the sun prior to use in a different waterbody.
5. Continue to report newly dead fishes to the MNR fish die-off line (1-800-387-7011), particularly those that show signs of possible VHS (red blotches on skin, around eyes, mouth, and bases of fins).
6. Spread the word! The more people who are aware, the better.

May 13, 2025. Email from Upper Great Lakes Management Unit:

Our team, situated in Owen Sound, is responsible for the reporting and investigation of Fish Die-off events within the Canadian waters of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay (Zone 13 and 14). We work alongside the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) to monitor large wild fish die-offs related to disease, particularly emerging diseases.

We have received reports of dead fish over the last week and we have pursued sample collections today and yesterday. Given the public interest in this matter and the challenges with collecting moribund or fresh specimens, we also encourage concerned public members to notify the fish die-off hotline at 1-800-387-7011 as soon as possible after a new mortality event occurs. However, it is important note that testing may not provide all the answers. In some cases, the cause of death may never be clearly identified by a laboratory. Especially following atypical seasons, such as this past winter, wherein a multitude of factors may be at play.

A recent update we can provide is that [we were] successfully able to collect samples at 2 locations. 5 moribund and 1 dead Gizzard shad were collected in Kincardine and Goderich, respectively, and have been successfully received by the CWHC laboratory for testing. In general, the lab asks for an allowance of 5-6 weeks for virology results. They were made aware to specifically test for viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). Additionally, we are aware of several more samples of alewife and largemouth bass incoming to the CWHC which were provided by Pinery Provincial Park staff.

As you are likely aware, Lake Huron and Georgian Bay are considered positive waterbodies for VHS in Ontario, with the Great Lakes strain known to affect both game fish and baitfish species. Although VHS has not been confirmed in this particular die-off event, it is important to note that it does not pose a risk to human health. The virus does not affect humans and fish carrying VHS are safe to eat and handle. However, people should not consume or handle fish that look sick, are dying, or are already dead and found washed up along the shoreline. Members of the public should always make sure that any fish they are going to consume should be cooked thoroughly. As with any dead or dying fish or wildlife, pets should not be allowed to eat or come into contact with dead or dying fish.

With respect to VHS, our management efforts to slow the spread of VHS include education and awareness efforts for members of the general public and restrictions on the movement of baitfish as a potential vector for this virus. More information on Ontario’s approach to VHS can be found at https://www.ontario.ca/page/viral-hemorrhagic-septicemia-vhs.

In terms of cleanup, Municipalities are responsible for removing fish from public beaches that they own, while MECP is responsible for removing fish from swimming beaches in Provincial Parks. Individual landowners are responsible for the cleanup of fish from their shorelines. Attempts to sample fish by Ministry staff are often unsuccessful due to the state of the carcasses found after reports are made.
However, we are willing and able to sample appropriately fresh fish given notice.

If possible, we would like to encourage future public inquires or reports be made to the MNR reporting website (https://www.ontario.ca/.../dead-animals-or-fish-found...) or the MNR fish Die-off hotline. Our team is committed to addressing the concerns brought forth and will share any results with the public as soon as possible. Please feel free to share the informational links we provided below and contact us if you have any additional questions.

Dead animals or fish found on your property: https://www.ontario.ca/.../dead-animals-or-fish-found...

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) https://www.ontario.ca/page/viral-hemorrhagic-septicemia-vhs

Sustainable bait management: https://www.ontario.ca/.../sustainable-bait-management...

Update on the fish die-off in Lake HuronWhile the cause of the ongoing fish die-off in Lake Huron has not yet been confi...
05/06/2025

Update on the fish die-off in Lake Huron

While the cause of the ongoing fish die-off in Lake Huron has not yet been confirmed, after seeing some new photos over the weekend, I came to suspect that the die-off may be due to an outbreak of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). VHS poses no danger to humans, dogs, or other mammals but can be devastating to fishes and some other aquatic life.

There are several reasons I suspect VHS.

1. Someone found 6 dead mudpuppies, a type of aquatic salamander, on north beach in Grand Bend. Mudpuppies aren’t known for spring die-offs due to weather conditions, however, they are susceptible to septicemia.

2. Many of the photos of dead fish that I’ve seen have bright red spots on their sides, which are present in some (but not all) fishes infected with VHS.

3. Although the bulk of the fishes washing up dead are Gizzard Shad, multiple species of fishes are dying. Gizzard Shad are known for large die-offs in the spring due to sudden changes in weather conditions. As such, many have shrugged off this event as a ‘normal’ spring die-off. However, I have seen photos of or heard reports of dead Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Muskellunge, Rainbow Smelt, Yellow Perch, Longnose Gar, and Channel Catfish. I have found reports of most of these fishes being susceptible to VHS.

4. My supervisor, Dr. Nicholas Mandrak, has heard from colleagues on the US side Lake Huron that they are seeing an outbreak of VHS this spring.

While the OMNR has yet to collect specimens for testing, biologists in the Pinery Provincial Park along with some community members have collected specimens and have sent them to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative in Guelph for testing. Testing to confirm disease can take time, so it may be a little while before there are definitive results on whether or not this is a VHS outbreak.

As an endangered fish researcher, I am particularly concerned that the virus might be accidentally spread to critical endangered fish habitat areas like the Old Ausable Channel in Grand Bend, and L Lake and Old Mouth Lake in Port Franks.

While we wait for results, there are things you can do to help control its spread.

1. Do not move fishes, including baitfish, between waterbodies.

2. If you do move boats or aquatic equipment from one waterbody to another:

a. Drain all water from the boat and bilges, prior to leaving the shore of the waterbody.

b. Clean boats and equipment (particularly boots) of all mud, plants, and other debris as these can hold the virus.

c. Disinfect all surfaces and gear that has come into contact with lake water or fish with a 10% bleach solution (100 mL bleach per 900 mL of water). Soak items for 10 minutes where possible.

d. Let all boats and equipment fully dry in the sun prior to use in a different waterbody.

e. Spread the word! The more people who are aware, the better.

Thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in this die-off, sent me photos and information, and helped to collect samples. You are all rockstars!

I will keep you posted when I hear more.

Information on VHS:

https://inspection.canada.ca/en/animal-health/aquatic-animals/diseases/reportable-diseases/vhs/fact-sheet

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/vhs

And the mats are in! Tuesday and Wednesday this week a great team of folk from Southcott Pines Park Association, Ausable...
05/02/2025

And the mats are in! Tuesday and Wednesday this week a great team of folk from Southcott Pines Park Association, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, and University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) installed 8 Eurasian Milfoil control mats at 4 locations along the Old Ausable Channel. Thank you for everyone who came out to help and to Duncan and Heather Croft for feeding our hungry mob and keeping us warm. Over the next year we will be monitoring these mats to see if they are effective at smothering and killing off Eurasian Milfoil in the channel.

Each burlap mat is marked with 4 small orange buoys around the edge. An additional buoy in the center of the mats and a nearby control site are for temperature, light, and dissolved oxygen loggers. We use the loggers to monitor water quality changes between the mat and control areas. These buoys pose no danger to boaters and you can pass between them or even over them without issue. There is also an information sign on shore at each of the four sites.

Please do not fish between the orange floats as fishing hooks can easily snag the burlap, pulling them out of place, and you’ll likely lose your lure in the process!

Many people have asked for details on the process of installing the mats and I’ll be making another post soon to explain the full process.

The next stage of the project will be to collect native aquatic vegetation in the Pinery for planting on half of the mats. This will likely happen in early June and will be combined with the first monitoring event, so stay tuned!

Do you have an aquarium? Then please consider filling out: The Great Canadian Aquarium Survey Returns: https://www.surve...
04/26/2025

Do you have an aquarium? Then please consider filling out:

The Great Canadian Aquarium Survey Returns: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LP8KSTS

One of my colleagues from the Mandrak lab, Kate Fredericks (herself an aquarium hobbyist turned ichthyology grad student), is studying the biology of common aquarium fishes. She is conducting a brief survey to identify the species in the average Canadian freshwater aquarium and understand how trends in freshwater aquaria have changed.

If you have a moment to help her out, we'd really appreciate it! And please feel free to share the link with anyone you know who has an aquarium.

If anyone wants to submit samples of the dead fish and birds around Lambton Shores for testing, if you submit samples to...
04/25/2025

If anyone wants to submit samples of the dead fish and birds around Lambton Shores for testing, if you submit samples to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, as the submitter you will receive a report on the results.

From an email I received from CWHC:

"Thank you for reaching out! We are always interested in bringing samples in for testing provided they are relatively fresh and completely intact with no obvious trauma/ predation. We have received many reports regarding these dead fish and, unfortunately, I don't believe we have been successful in obtaining samples as of yet.

When members of the public submit samples directly to us, we always share our results with the submitter. We have them fill out a submission form and any emails that are included on it will receive the results. We will send them both our preliminary and final reports. Generally, the preliminary report is sent out within a week or two of receiving the specimen(s). The final report, depending on the testing that needs to be done, could take up to two months to receive.

To summarize the process for submitting – we would contact a local veterinary clinic and ask if they would be willing to store and ship the carcass to us. If we are able to find a nearby clinic willing to help us out, we would provide the member of the public with proper handling instructions and ask them to transport the carcass to the clinic. The clinic would then ship the carcass to us for testing. We would then follow up with the member of the public at a later date to let them know the results of our tests."

To report dead animals or arrange to collect/ship a sample: https://www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/report_and_submit.php

Please read these additional handling and shipping instructions to both keep you safe from potential diseases and preserve the specimen well for analysis.https://www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/docs/CWHC%20Shipping%20and%20Handling%20Instructions.pdf

Today is not a happy morning as I woke up to reports of dead fish and birds on the beaches in Grand Bend and Ipperwash. ...
04/25/2025

Today is not a happy morning as I woke up to reports of dead fish and birds on the beaches in Grand Bend and Ipperwash.

If you see dead fish or birds, please take photos and record the location as precisely as possible (the compass app on iPhones has GPS coordinates and you can take a screenshot), then report them to the appropriate agency.

For fish, MNRF's Fish Die-off line: 1-800-387-7011
This line doesn't operate on evenings and weekends so please call during the day. It can have long hold times, but please persevere for the fishes!

For birds and fish, report to the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre
Tel: 1-866-673-4781 or
online: https://cwhc.wildlifesubmissions.org/ #/
The CWHC is associated with the University of Guelph and you can send them samples of dead fish and birds that you collect. EDIT: I spoke with someone from CWHC anyone who submits samples directly to them will receive a report on the results.

The photos I've seen are mostly of Gizzard Shad, but I've heard reports of other species as well. If you have photos, please post them in the comments and I'll see if I can identify them.

Millions of Gizzard Shad died at Bruce Power and along the coast north and south of Kincardine earlier this year (see article links in the comments) and there were also reports of bird deaths in the same area. So far, there's no conclusive information on what is happening. It's very concerning that this is continuing and is progressing further south, so please report what you see so that the investigators can know the extent of the problem.

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Grand Bend, ON

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