Thermal limits to the cardiorespiratory performance of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in a rapidly warming north ...

• Main Author: Gilbert, Matthew James Henry
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2020
• Subjects: Arctic; Arctic Ocean; inuit; Salvelinus alpinus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0394066; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0394066

The Canadian Arctic is warming at nearly three times the global rate. Consequently, thermal regimes of native cold-adapted species like the Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) are being rapidly reshaped. The Arctic char is the most northerly-distributed freshwater fish on Earth and is essential to Inuit food security and culture. Anadromous Arctic char migrate between freshwater habitats and the Arctic Ocean many times throughout their lives, which can expose them to an already extreme range of temperatures (<0 to >21°C). My thesis examined the ability of Arctic char to cope with thermal variation, focusing specifically on cardiorespiratory performance. I used a novel, mobile laboratory in the central Canadian Arctic to assess how acute temperature changes impact cardiac function and aerobic metabolism in migrating Arctic char. Arctic char maintained aerobic performance over an impressive temperature range (4-16°C), but could not recover from exhaustive exercise above 16°C. Furthermore, maximum heart ...