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Dr. Ed McGinley and Dr. Kyle Hartman
A first attempt to measure the respiration rates of Mongolian salmonids in July 2012 proved unsuccessful because of a faulty dissolved oxygen (DO) meter. However, a second attempt, in September 2012 was able to gather useful baseline data for several salmon species. The pool pictured at right was used as a secondary tank to keep water temperature stable. Some of the experiments were also run with containers placed directly in the river.
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Fish were acclimated to Tupperware containers or fiberglass tanks before experiments were conducted. Preliminary results indicate that for all three species (lenok, taimen, and grayling) the respiration rates increase as water temperature increases, as would be expected. For grayling and lenok, the respiration rates decrease as the fish get larger, again as expected. These values will prove to be important baseline measurements for salmonids because as temperatures increase, respiration and consumption will need to increase to keep pace. These estimates can be used to estimate prey abundances necessary for the population to remain healthy, and can then be compared to research being conducted by other members of this group to determine the effects of temperature increase on the food web.
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