Ecotoxicology of wild yellow perch (Perca flavescens) populations chronically exposed to polymetallic gradient : A genetic approach

Patrice Couture (Supervisor); Louis Bernatchez (co-supervisor)

The regions of Sudbury, Ontario and Rouyn-Noranda, Québec are recognized for their important contributions to the Canadian mining industry. In these regions, mineral exploitation has been considerable for decades, producing equally considerable effects on the aquatic ecosystems. Numerous studies have demonstrated differences between non-contaminated and contaminated fish populations that could have a genetic basis due to selection for metal tolerance. Furthermore, other studies have demonstrated that in exposed populations, certain individuals manage to maintain in vivo metal concentrations at levels close to reference values, while others cannot. We propose a novel, genetic approach to resolve problems in ecotoxicology. By associating genetic distances with an index of environmental contamination, we will be able to test the general hypothesis of adaptive population structuring in yellow perch. This comparison will be made at three spatial scales: between regions, among populations within a given region, and among individuals of the same population. Thus, this study should allow us to examine the role of metal contamination as selective forces in a species that appears to demonstrate some degree of adaptation to environmental contamination. (Funded by NSERC).