The effects of environmental heat stress on heat-shock mRNA and protein expression in Miramichi Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr

• Main Authors: Susan G. Lund, Daniel Caissie, Richard A. Cunjak, Mathilakath M. Vijayan, Bruce L. Tufts, Ec B
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: Canada; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.600.169; http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/congress/2002/Stress/Lund.pdf

The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are one of Canada’s most important recreational fish, and are now classified as an endangered species in parts of Canada and the United States. Reasons for the observed population declines are believed to be many, and include variables such as overfishing, pollution, habitat degradation and temperature stress. Water temperature is known to be one of the most important environmental variables affecting fish. High stream temperatures between 23°C and 25°C have been observed to cause mortality in trout populations (Bjornn and Reiser 1991). Although Atlantic salmon can tolerate slightly higher temperatures, 27-28°C, depending on their life stage (Garside 1973), the sub-lethal impacts of temperature on molecular and physiological processes within the various life history stages of Atlantic salmon are less understood. Previous studies have shown that behavioural changes in Atlantic salmon start to occur at temperatures well below their lethal maximum, in the range of 22-24°C, when they start searching for refuge (Cunjak et al. 1993). While these behavioural changes are helpful in determining stressful