Ottawa – Through Canada’s renewed Oceans Protection Plan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has previously funded three University of Guelph projects focused on studying the impacts of diluted bitumen exposure on Pacific salmon. This research is important to help prepare for and respond to potential oil spills in areas where salmon live.
Predicting the biological consequences of diluted bitumen exposure on Pacific salmon: a life-cycle perspective (2024-2027)
Research objective: to study how oil exposure may affect adult salmon returning to freshwater systems to spawn. The goal is to understand the potential impacts of an oil spill on adult salmon and to improve methods for assessing damage after a spill. The project strives to involve Indigenous communities, who have a deep connection to and knowledge of salmon and the watershed.
Funding amount: $1,456,654 (over 2.5 years)
Predicting the impact of a diluted bitumen spill on sockeye salmon populations
Research objective: to study the potential biological effects of oil exposure on early life stages of sockeye salmon. The goal is to understand the potential impacts of diluted bitumen exposure during early development and survival to better understand potential population-level impacts of a spill event.
Funding amount: $374,791 (over 1.5 years (Jan 2022 – Mar 2024))
Evaluating the impact of diluted bitumen exposure on early life stages of sockeye and coho salmon (2020-2022)
Research objective: to advance previous studies and study how an diluted bitumen oil spills might affect the health of sockeye and coho salmon in Canada. By building on past research, this project was undertaken to better understand how oil exposure can affect Pacific salmon health, especially the more vulnerable juvenile life stages.
Funding amount: $ 349,948 (over 2 years)
Effects and biomarkers of diluted bitumen exposure relevant to seawater transition in Atlantic salmon (2017-2020)
Research objective: to study how a diluted bitumen oil spill might affect the health of freshwater fish, and particularly species of salmon. The study examined Atlantic salmon smolts, the young salmon stage when it migrates from fresh water to the sea, to understand how exposure to this oil harms juvenile salmon’s ability to swim long distances and adapt to seawater. The researchers also looked at ways to identify signs that can help identify whether a fish has been exposed and possible impacts to fish populations.
Funding amount: Funding amount: $ 225,121 (over 3 years)