Trophic ecology of salmonine predators in northern Lake Huron with emphasis on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Abstract

Abstract Pacific salmon were introduced to the Great Lakes in the 1960s and now support major recreational fishery. Population declines resulting from invasive species have prompted agencies to consider diversifying sport fisheries through stocking. Atlantic salmon are native to Lake Ontario, but a small fishery has developed in northern Lake Huron since the 1990s that appears suited to the Lake Huron food web leading to requests for increased stocking by anglers and consideration by agencies. However, no study has evaluated the trophic ecology of Atlantic salmon in relation to other salmonine predators in northern Lake Huron. In this study, we used stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N), along with mercury (Hg) concentrations to assess resource use, niche overlap, and contaminant accumulation in Atlantic salmon compared to select Lake Huron predators. Atlantic salmon exhibited considerable niche overlap with Chinook and coho salmon but were strongly differentiated from lake trout. In addition, we observed that Atlantic salmon had similar Hg concentrations as coho but were lower than both Chinook salmon and lake trout. Based upon the relationship between fish size, δ15N, and Hg, Atlantic salmon bioaccumulate Hg similarly to Pacific salmon but likely have lower consumptive demands than Chinook salmon. Continued attention should be placed on understanding how Atlantic salmon fit into the current Lake Huron food web in order to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the Atlantic salmon stocking program.