RESEARCH BRANCH 



Research Branch activities are reported under the headings 

 of the three research sections — Fisheries, Forestry and 

 Wildlife. The professional and technical support provided 

 by an administration group is reported under Technical 

 Services. 



FISHERIES SECTION 



In general, this program reflects management needs as 

 expressed by Sports Fisheries Branch and Commercial Fish 

 and Fur Branch. The Section contributed considerably to a 

 symposium on the Salmonid Communities in Oligotrophic 

 Lakes during which an international group of fisheries 

 scientists convened at Geneva Park, July 12-24, in an 

 attempt to identify and describe the effects of the three 

 major stresses — eutrophication, exploitation, and introduc- 

 tions — on fish communities. 



LAKE ONTARIO UNIT 



Much of the Unit's effort went into planning for a 

 co-ordinated biology and chemistry research program as 

 part of the International Field Year for the Great Lakes. 

 This is a massive study directed towards water movement, 

 heat budget and lake meteorology in Lake Ontario in 1972. 

 Because it is anticipated that there will be extensive 

 reduction in the amount of phosphorous in the Bay of 

 Quinte after 1974, as many physical, chemical and 

 biological features as possible are being monitored to 

 measure biological response. 



LAKE ERIE UNIT 



Monitoring of fish stocks in Lake Erie was continued, using 

 the techniques of Index Fishing and net-run sampling. 

 Additional stations were used in Index Fishing in an 

 attempt to improve the technique. Studies of walleye 

 ecology in Lake St. Clair and western Lake Erie were 

 continued, and a supporting program of limnological 

 research was intensified. Accumulated data on yellow 

 perch, walleye and blue pickerel are being summarized. 

 Environmental studies to establish baseline limnological 

 information, against which progressive changes may be 

 measured, were intensified. 



LAKE HURON UNIT 



The program consists of three major areas of activity: 

 species oriented projects, system investigations, and 

 methodological research. Species programs presently centre 

 on Ufe history descriptions of whitefish, Kokanee salmon 

 and splake. System investigations include studies of 

 inter-specific relationships, environmental influences on 

 year-class production, and the effects of exploitation. 



Three experimental fisheries (pond, trap, and gill nets) 

 are operated in South Bay to provide a base for detection 

 of long-term trends in relative abundance of certain species 

 and to supplement individual species programs. Methodo- 

 logical research deals with the development of fry traps, 

 tagging techniques, whitefish pond culture, and studies of 

 fishing characteristics of gill nets. 



LAKE SUPERIOR UNIT 



Studies of the sea lamprey-lake trout problem continues. 

 Emphasis is being placed on analysis of existing data. 

 Studies of the environmental physiology of rainbow trout 

 were broadened to include investigation of the effects of 

 light and temperature on the viability of eggs and fry. An 

 extensive reconnaissance of tributary rivers on the 

 northwest shore, to monitor pink salmon spawning runs, 

 was initiated. 



HARKNESS LABORATORY UNIT 



The major responsibility has been to provide facilities, 

 equipment and services to (a) other research units within 

 the branch and (b) co-operating research agencies and 

 individuals whose projects are pertinent to resource 

 management. , 



LAKE TROUT UNIT 



Work is continuing on the preparation of a lake trout 

 monograph which will assemble in one volume all the 

 information on this species, and on a detailed distribution 

 map of the species in Ontario. 



BROOK TROUT UNIT 



This program consists of studies on two natural lake 

 populations, and an assessment of the survival of hatchery 

 reared fish in 18 lakes which lack natural brook trout 

 reproduction. 



SMALLMOUTH BASS UNIT 



Studies of spawning and first-year growth to determine 

 factors affecting year-class success continue in Lake 

 Opeongo and Greenleaf lakes. Much of the spawning 

 behaviour was documented on 16 mm movie film. The 

 Sublimnos program continued under the aegis of the unit 

 with monitoring populations of organisms and water 

 chemistry. The Unit leader is on the contingency force 

 concerned with the effects of potential oil spill in the Great 

 Lakes and is involved in examination of problems 

 associated with nuclear powered, electric generating 

 stations. 



WALLEYE UNIT 



A compendium on the species, covering all available 

 information pertaining to the various facets of its life 

 history, taxonomy, distribution and propagation, is in 

 preparation and will be published in the United Nations 

 Food and Agricultural Organization in their Fisheries 

 Synopsis Series. 



LIMNOLOGY UNIT 



The pond study program was expanded to include 

 investigations of the part played by rooted aquatic plants as 

 cover and as a substrate for food organisms. 



SELECTIVE BREEDING UNIT 



The broad objective of the program is to explore the 

 potential of selective breeding, hybridization and genetic 

 manipulation as a means of improving the quality of fish 

 stocks or of modifying species characteristics to accom- 



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