Study of developmental effects of Salmosan® WP50 on lobster larval stages I through IV

Description

The release of pesticide chemotherapeutants^{Footnote 1} from fish farms has raised concern about the potential impacts on non-target, indigenous species. Salmosan® 50WP is one of two pesticides currently permitted for use as a bath treatment to control sea lice in farmed Atlantic Salmon on the East Coast. Laboratory tests indicate that American Lobsters (Homarus americanus), a commercially important species that lives in near-shore waters where fish farms are located, could be sensitive to azamethiphos, the active ingredient in the Salmosan® WP50. In addition to identifying lethal doses, it is important to understand the sublethal effects on early larval stages of lobster to improve the ability to model, predict and better manage the impacts of using this product.

Previous research funded by NCAG, in collaboration with the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) and Huntsman Marine Science Centre (HMSC), examined the sub-lethal effects of Salmosan® WP50 on adult and larval stages of lobsters. Building on that research, this study will examine the effect of this product on the survival and development of all four lobster larval stages under short-term exposure at concentrations representative of a pesticide plume from an aquaculture site. The research will use exposure concentrations that are sub-lethal to larval lobster, as determined by previous research. The data generated by this study will inform ecological risk assessments related to the use of Salmosan® WP50 to control sea lice and the protection of non-target American Lobsters.

Program Name

National Contaminants Advisory Group (NCAG)

Year(s)

2017 – 2018

Ecoregion(s)

Atlantic: Northern Labrador, Northern Grand Banks, Labrador Sea, Southern Grand Banks, Western Scotian Shelf, Gulf of St. Lawrence

Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. Dounia Daoud
Scientific Director
Homarus Inc.