Research Funding

NSERC Discovery Grant (2019-2025): "Development of germplasm cryopreservation and transplantation techniques for sturgeons."

Summary: Sturgeon are among the most valuable fish in the world. They are also the most endangered vertebrate group in the world. This is a direct result of human activities including pollution, damming, river fragmentation, climate change, and fisheries persecution, through directed fisheries, by-catch and illegal activities such as poaching. While efforts are being made to stop these activities, they are not fast enough or on a scale large enough to ensure sturgeon survival. Fortunately, advances in cryobiology have allowed us to expand the potential for preservation of wild and domestic stock variability through cryobanks. I propose to develop germplasm cryobanking protocols for 3 species of Canadian sturgeons that are of both aquaculture and conservation interest: shortnose (Acipenser brevirostrum), Lake (A. fulvescens), and White (A. transmontanus) sturgeons. First, we will develop sperm cryopreservation protocols for these species. Sperm cryopreservation procedures can be used to: synchronize gamete availability, conserve sperm volume, resolve space issues needed to meet genetic diversity targets by reducing number of broodstock held in hatcheries, reduce the risk of disease transfer, aid in spawning multiple males with several females throughout the spawning season, extend generation interval (gametes outlive the donor), provide insurance against extinction, and conserve genetic variability to reduce the risk of inbreeding in domestic and wild populations. Second, we will develop protocols for germplasm collection. Current germplasm collection protocols rely on sacrificing donors. This is not good when trying to generate rescue programs for endangered fish. Based on previous work in our lab, we will develop a preselection protocol based on sturgeon morphology and ultrasonography to select suitable candidates for non-lethal laparoscopic removal of small amounts of gonadal material for development of germplasm cryobanks. Third, we will develop cryopreservation procedures for oogonial cells (OC) from female sturgeon. In sturgeon, females are the heterogametic sex (ZW); in order to preserve genetic diversity we must cryopreserve OCs. Fourth, I propose to develop protocols to generate offspring directly from cryopreserved germplasm. We will develop procedures to transplant cryopreserved OCs into a sterile triploid surrogate, the blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus). Blue tilapia were chosen because of the ease in generating sterile triploids and their very short time to maturation. They mature in under six months, unlike sturgeons that take 6-25 years to mature. Donor OCs will develop as either male or female gonads based on the sex of the surrogate (blue tilapia). When the surrogates mature, they will produce eggs and sperm of the donor species (sturgeon). This program will provide a roadmap for development of germplasm cryobanks for sturgeons and other fishes in Canada. One PhD, 3 MSc and 10 Honours students will be trained during this research program. 

Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk (2016-2018) and the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund--Development of best practices for angling of shortnose sturgeon (2016-2017 reapply in 2017). Collaboration with Steven Cooke's Lab at Carleton University.

This multi-year Habitat Stewardship Program Species at Risk Stream project, will address the threat of recreational fishing on the SARA-listed shortnose sturgeon in the Saint John River, its only known population in Canada. It is being conducted near Quispamsis, NB, in the Kenebecasis and Hammond Rivers, tributaries of the Saint John River. The overwintering site, a 2-hectare area at the confluence of the Hammond and Kennebecasis Rivers in NB, is the home to over 4500 sub-adult and adult shortnose sturgeon. Shortnose sturgeon are found there in lower numbers throughout the year. However, there is a mass migration to this site in the late summer and early fall and fish remain there until they engage in a spring spawning migration to the Mactaquac dam just north of Fredericton on the Saint John River. The overwintering site has become a very popular angling location and angling for sturgeon has increased in popularity over the past 15 years. This site is critical to the shortnose sturgeon and the intense angling pressure is a real threat and may jeopardize its future in the Saint John River. We propose to determine the extent of the threat of angling pressure on shortnose sturgeon and to develop best angling practices to mitigate this threat.

Activities will include surveying anglers on current practices and assessment of current level of impact. This will be accomplished through evaluation of the physiological impact of current angling practices. We will then develop and test best angling practices for this species and provide this information to NB DNR and DFO for them to improve current fishing regulations. This research will assess the angling threat as recommend in DFO’s 2015 proposed management plan and COSEWIC’s 2015 status update on the shortnose sturgeon.

CFI, NBIF and MTA funds to develop a stable isotope laboratory for ecology, conservation and aquaculture research for the Campbell and Litvak labs at MTA

Description of infrastructure: Modified lab space for housing an CHNSO elemental analyzer coupled to an isotope-ratio mass spectrophometer detector.  The new instrument will support multiple interacting research programs on the compositional and trophic analyses of aquatic processes.

The detector quantifies the elemental abundances of C, H, N, O & S in samples, and the ratio of stable isotopes for each element: H1/H2; C12/C13; N14/N15; O16/O18; S32/S34.  The new instrument will open new analyses of nutrient uptake and resource allocations through labelling experiments with stable isotopes.  Measuring natural ratios of stable isotopes in samples reveals producer/consumer relations and sample origins. 

CFI, NBIF and MTA funds to develop a “mobile and lab-based fish reproduction laboratory for ecology, conservation and aquaculture research”

Description of infrastructure: Infrastructure will be acquired and developed to examine fish reproductive biology, to develop protocols for fish semen cryopreservation and ultimately the construction of a pilot-scale fish sperm bank.

Mobile lab: The truck, an F350 type crew cab, will be equipped with an all-weather truck camper. The camper will act both as a field camp and laboratory. The 16’ tandem trailer will have two large insulated tanks equipped with oxygen control, portable generator and chiller.  This temperature and oxygen controlled mobile tank system will allow us to hold fish captured during sperm collection. It will also allow us to transport fish to and from the field and hatcheries.

MTA lab: Two major modifications will be made to the lab facilities at MTA. First, new electrical systems will be put in the MACWI greenhouse and building to accommodate the increased power demand for the oxygen generator and heat pump that will be installed in our broodstock holding facility. The second modification will entail the construction of a room to hold the LN2 dewars for development of the sperm cryobank.

Lab equipment to be purchased includes: A semen analysis system  equipped with a high speed video camera and microscope; a controlled rate cryopreservation system which allows fine control of freezing rate; centrifuges and pH multimeter; an osmometer; a dissecting scope system with camera and fluorescent light source; temperature and oxygen control systems for holding broodstock with the mobile lab and at MTA.

Enabled research: This infrastructure will enable novel research on fish reproduction in the wild, development of semen cryopreservation protocols for conservation, aquaculture and basic ecological research. 

NSERC Collaborative and Development Grant: "Early maturation, detection of sex and promotion of growth in shortnose sturgeon."

Summary: The objectives of our project are to: 1) develop economically efficient  techniques (standard operating procedures: SOPs) and technology to  stimulate early maturation, detect gender early in development, and  determine physical and biological conditions to maximize growth for  production of shortnose sturgeon meat and caviar; 2) train highly  qualified personnel (HQP); and 3) transfer research results to Breviro  Caviar Inc. so they can develop economic production models/strategies  for further development of their sturgeon aquaculture initiative.  Specifically, the technical goals are to: 1) develop biochemical,  histological and ultrasonographic methods for identification of gender  and maturity for adult shortnose sturgeon; 2) use results from goal (1)  to develop a rapid and cost effective method to identify the gender at  an early age; 3) determine environmental cues that promote early puberty and early maturation; and 4) examine effects of hyperoxic conditions on growth and maturation.

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NSERC Strategic Project: "Historical and current uses of sturgeon: an elemental analytic approach  [Drs. Litvak (PI), Power (Waterloo) and Blair (UNB)]"

Summary: There are 25 species of sturgeons and all are among the most endangered fishes in the world. Although records suggest that sturgeon have been important to humans for 1000’s of years, we still know little of the history of their fisheries, importance and their basic ecology. Today, sturgeons are persecuted throughout most of their ranges. Production of sturgeon products through aquaculture may provide an opportunity to protect the remaining stocks, while providing economic growth in Canada and around the world. Currently, aquaculture production of caviar exceeds wild harvest. However, sale of illegally caught caviar that has been labeled as an aquaculture product not only damages wild stocks, but also the growth of the sturgeon aquaculture industry. There needs to be a set of tools developed which will allow enforcement groups within nation states to certify the origin of caviar and other sturgeon products. Here, we propose a series of experiments and activities using advanced stable isotope analysis to examine the historical and current uses of sturgeons. First, we plan to develop the isotopic signatures of sturgeon from aquaculture and those from the wild. We intend this information to be used by industry and government to develop a sturgeon product registry to provide certification of authenticity for aquaculture derived products for export and import. This will greatly increase the potential of accessing export markets and consumer confidence. The use of isotope analysis of wild fish is also of importance to managing the remaining stocks of sturgeon, as little information about their distribution, life history and habitat use is known. Remains of sturgeons have been found in a number of First Peoples’ archaeological sites in Canada. Using advanced isotopic elemental analysis will allow First Peoples to learn more about their diet and commerce 4000 BP. In addition, the isotope data gleaned from these sturgeon remains also provide us a rare opportunity to examine climate change over the last 4000 years.

Ocean Tracking Network Strategic Network Grant Application: “Atlantic Sturgeon on the east coast of Canada: migratory behavior and origin and the potential for tidal power impacts.” (Drs. Iverson [Dal] et al. Litvak [MTA, Co-PI], Stokesbury [Dal, Co-PI] and Dadswell [Acadia, Co-PI])

Summary: We will tag Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) from the stock present in the Saint John River, New Brunswick and from the mixed stock aggregation that migrates every summer through Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, with acoustic coded-pingers, business card tags (miniature acoustic receivers) and archival tags (for light based geolocation and measurement of physical variables of the water column).   Information from this project will allow us to answer fundamental questions regarding the migratory behavior and origin of these enigmatic and threatened fish, the migration patterns and habitat use of other marine organisms along the east coast of Canada and the United States, and the potential impact of tidal power development in Minas Channel, inner Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. 

NB Wildlife Trust Fund: Ecology Sturgeon in the Saint John River

Objectives: In this project, we will 1) tag 28 Atlantic sturgeon juveniles; 2) track their distribution throughout the year; 3) identify overwintering aggregations; and 4) attempt to determine number of juveniles at potential overwintering sites. This information will allow us to better understand the movement patterns of juveniles throughout the year and to estimate the population size at this stage. Our study will help us identify key habitats and timing of use. This information is important to delineation of critical habitats. 

Recent Equipment Grants: