Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Biofilm Response to Antimycin during Brook Trout Restoration
Blackburn AJ. 2020. Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Biofilm Response to Antimycin during Brook Trout Restoration. Tennessee Technological University
ABSTRACT: The piscicide antimycin has been used as an effective alternative to rotenone to eradicate nuisance fish in small streams. In many cases antimycin is a better piscicide than rotenone because it is not as detectable by fish and is highly effective in eradicating coldwater fishes such as trout. The objective of this study is to identify negative effects of antimycin, as well as effects of potassium permanganate, used to detoxify antimycin, on benthic macroinvertebrates, periphyton, and water quality in coldwater streams. The study was done during a brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) restoration project in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the fall of 2017. Nine sites within adjacent treated and untreated streams were sampled five times bracketing an antimycin treatment to remove nonnative rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). At each site, macroinvertebrate composition, periphyton chlorophyll and ash-free dry mass, and water quality were collected. Results suggest minimal long-term negative effects on periphyton for both antimycin and potassium permanganate treatments. Although the treatment had significant effects on macroinvertebrate communities initially, negative effects were not long lasting. This reinforces the idea that antimycin can be used effectively to reduce nonnative fish species numbers in sensitive coldwater streams with minimal effects on native fish food resources.
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Blackburn, Aden
- Date of Issue
- 2020-12
- Publisher
- Tennessee Technological University
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- antimycin, Appalachian Highlands Network, benthic macroinvertebrates, brook trout, Cataloochee, fish, fisheries management, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM-02362, Insects, Oncorhynchus mykiss, rainbow trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, species restoration, thesis, water quality