
Xavier BordeleauFisheries and Oceans Canada | DFO · Maurice Lamontagne Institute (MLI)
Xavier Bordeleau
Ph.D.
About
13
Publications
2,653
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Introduction
Research Scientist at Maurice Lamontagne Institute (DFO) working on pinniped spatial and trophic ecology; Adjunct Professor at Université de Sherbrooke; PhD in fish ecophysiology with Dalhousie University and Ocean Tracking Network working on salmonid migration in Canada, Norway and sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Archipelago
Education
September 2014 - August 2019
Publications
Publications (13)
In 1954, brown trout were introduced to the Kerguelen archipelago (49°S, 70°E), a pristine, sub-Antarctic environment previously devoid of native freshwater fishes. Trout began spreading rapidly via coastal waters to colonize adjacent watersheds, however, recent and unexpectedly the spread has slowed. To better understand the ecology of the brown t...
Salmonids are some of the most widely studied species of fish worldwide. They span freshwater rivers and lakes to fjords and oceans; they include short‐ and long‐distance anadromous migrants, as well as partially migratory and non‐migratory populations; and exhibit both semelparous and iteroparous reproduction. Salmonid life‐history strategies repr...
The sea trout (anadromous brown trout Salmo trutta ) displays extensive among-individual variation in marine migration behaviour. We studied the migration behaviour of 286 sea trout (27-89 cm) tagged with acoustic transmitters in the spring, in 7 populations located in 2 distinct marine fjord systems in Norway. We examined whether individual nutrit...
Iteroparity is a bet-hedging strategy where individuals spread the risk of reproductive failure over time. The occurrence of iteroparity (i.e. proportion of repeat spawners in annual returns) varies among Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations, yet information on its ecological importance is limited. We compiled multi-decadal time series on the...
Despite the importance of iteroparity (i.e. repeated spawning) for the viability of Atlantic salmon populations, little is known about the factors influencing the migratory behaviour and survival prospect of post-spawned individuals (kelts). To test the hypothesis that post-spawning nutritional condition underlies differences in spatiotemporal aspe...
Despite that the study of individual repeatability is a common topic in behavioural ecology, virtually nothing is known about inter-annual variability in the marine migratory behaviour of iteroparous salmonids that can complete multiple feeding migrations in their lifespan. Behavioural data from 38 anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta), tracked by...
The overarching objective of my thesis is to shed light on a poorly understood life history stage of salmonid fish species, by quantifying spatio-temporal variation in the ecological importance of iteroparity (i.e. repeated breeding), as well as the factors influencing the movement ecology and survival of post-spawners, in freshwater, estuaries, an...
The marine migration and habitat use of 340 anadromous brown trout Salmo trutta (often termed sea trout, total length 135-730 mm) and 14 Arctic Charr Salvelinus alpinus (350-480 mm) from four watercourses drain-ing to the marine fjords Tosenfjorden and Bindalsfjorden were studied from 2015 – 2017. The fish were tagged with acoustic transmitters and...
The timing of the juvenile Atlantic salmon ocean-entry is considered a critical stage in the species’ life-history. Entry into the ocean at suboptimal times can have negative survival impacts on entire smolt cohorts. Previous studies have identified smolt residency time in the Bras d’Or Lakes as highly variable and correlated with body condition. T...
Broodstock collection and enhancement programs are a widely-used management practice within the Atlantic salmon’s (Salmo salar) native range. Wild-origin adult salmon captured as part of these programs experience multiple stressors during their time in hatcheries. However, no studies have assessed the potential consequences of hatchery practices on...
The brown trout (Salmo trutta) is an iteroparous, anadromous salmonid that exhibits a complex continuum of feeding migration tactics, ranging from freshwater residency, to potamodromy, to estuarine migration, as well as short-to-long distance coastal migrations. While anadromous migrants are believed to play an important role in the species’ popula...
Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora (ACPF) are a group of plants mostly inhabiting lakeshores along the Atlantic coast of the United States, with disjunct populations in Nova Scotia and Ontario. To better define their ecological requirements, the main objective of this study was to determine the factors (biotic and abiotic habitat components) influencing...
We investigated the physiology of two closely related albatross species relative to their breeding strategy: black-browed albatrosses ( Thalassarche melanophris ) breed annually, while grey-headed albatrosses ( T. chrysostoma ) breed biennially. From observations of breeding fate and blood samples collected at the end of breeding in one season and...
Projects
Projects (5)
Explorer migratory behavior, life history variation and ecology of anadromous brown trout Salmo trutta
The brown trout Salmo trutta is a dominant component of both the anadromous and stationary fish fauna in Norwegian watercourses, and of great cultural and socioeconomic importance for subsistence and recreational angling.However, during the last decades, the abundance of anadromous brown trout (often termed sea trout) has declined markedly in many regions.
As an example, the catches in Norwegian rivers have, except for the northernmost areas, declined by 23–66% during the last two decades. Recent findings from several other countries where the species occurs indicates similar decreases, and it is hypothesized that this results from decreased sea survival caused by changes in food supply or increasing infection by parasites. By contrast, there have not been declines in numbers of non-migratory brown trout in these same regions.
Consequently, the NTNU University Museum has seen 2011 studied migratory behaviour, habitat use, feeding ecology and growth in the marine environment. Such information is important in order to evaluate if dynamic environmental changes may confine the marine feeding migration.
By use of methods such as acoustic telemetry and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags individual fish are followed in the marine and freshwater environment for several years. Analyses of scales, stomach content, marine parasites and stable isotopic ratios are further used to bring information about marine growth rates and feeding.