NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Dehcho Region

Tags: contaminants, water sampling, aquatic food web, Microplastics, Bull Trout

Objective(s): To quantify the spread of microplastics in freshwater aquatic food webs in the Yukon and Northwest Territory, and understand potential impacts to aquatic species, and to establish the current range of Bull Trout in northern Canada.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.5235. The proposed research aims to quantify the spread of microplastics in freshwater aquatic food webs in the Yukon and Northwest Territory, and understand potential impacts to aquatic species. The research team also are collecting eDNA to establish the current range of Bull Trout in northern Canada. The project aims to establish the north-western range of the Western Arctic bull trout population in the Yukon and the Northwest Territory. The goal is for the research team to conduct replicate sampling along the Liard, Mackenzie, and Hyland Rivers, and the associated tributaries. The research team expect there to be minimal, if any, disturbance to the community from this sampling. At each sampling location the team will collect up to 5 liters of water which will be filtered for DNA and returned to the local water system either immediately or at the end of each day. The team will enter the waterways via canoe access points, campgrounds, or when the waterway is accessible near a major road. The team expect to spend less than 45 minutes at a maximum of 15 sites in the territory. The team will collect environmental data (water temp, conductivity, turbidity, etc.), and record observations on obstacles that may inhibit fish movement (e.g., beaver activity, culverts). The team may also collect information on riparian vegetation as it relates to ecosystem health (e.g., plant inventories, shading, coverage for erosion prevention, etc.) and potentially collect small water/algae samples for analyses to be conducted back in Calgary, Alberta. In the environment the research team will collect up to 20 samples of sediment (e.g., ~500ml) and 20 filtered water samples (e.g., ~1 L of water filtered) from each of the rivers to test for microplastic presence. If the team receive additional funding, the team may be able to test for bacteria or other contaminants on the microplastics as well. The research team will send data summaries once the team have completed the analyses and a final report on the findings, as well as the 200-word overview required for the annual report. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 4, 2022 to June 10, 2022