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Garnets from Shelburne: A case study of the value of geoheritage
No full textA report of curatorial work recognizing of the value of geoheritage in museum collections. Tracing the history of a garnet specimen donated to the Nova Scotia Museum in 1905 provides opportunity to learn about the life and contributions of Thomas Vardy Hill. While the market value of natural history collections is difficult (or impossible) to estimate, the role of collections for representing citizens who contributed to the history of science has geoheritage value
Mapping and civil service: Samuel Gaskin’s contributions to Nova Scotia geology, 1950-1977
No full textTracing the historical contributions of African Nova Scotians to geoscience provides an opportunity to reflect on their personal challenges, determination, and achievements. Samuel Gaskin worked in the mapping unit of the Nova Scotia Department of Mines (now Department of Natural Resources) from 1950 to 1977 and was (per- haps) the first African Nova Scotian to work in the provincial geo- science department. Due to the impact of the maps he contributed to, Samuel’s knowledge and technical expertise in mapping provided a foundational contribution that positively impacted Nova Scotians through advances in geoscience but also resulted in the production of maps used for tourism and natural sciences
Multiplex PCR for species-level discrimination of Yellow Lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa (Say, 1817)) and Tidewater Mucket (Atlanticoncha ochracea (Say, 1817))
No full textEffective management of imperiled freshwater mussel populations (Order Unionida) is dependent on accurate field identifications. Standard methods of identifying living mussels utilizing external shell characteristics, however, can be unreliable for some species given high levels of phenotypic plasticity and morphological overlap with other taxa. In Canada, Yellow Lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa (Say, 1817)), a species of Special Concern, is limited in distribution to isolated populations within Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Efforts to monitor this species can be complicated by difficulties in distinguishing Yellow Lampmussel from the Tidewater Mucket (Atlanticoncha ochracea (Say, 1817)). Both species are known from the Saint John River and its tributaries in New Brunswick and are also sympatric within the Sydney River watershed in Nova Scotia. In our survey of biology students and faculty at Cape Breton University, participants correctly identified these two species based on photographs of external shells only 61.7% of the time, with even the most experienced individuals achieving a success rate of just 68.8%. To facilitate species-level identification, here we have developed a simple genetic-based tool to differentiate between live Yellow Lampmussel and Tidewater Mucket. Using custom-designed primers and a single multiplex PCR reaction, the identity of these two species can be determined based on amplification product size. This tool should be of enormous value to freshwater mussel ecologists working to monitor Yellow Lampmussel populations and to explore other aspects of their biology and ecology
History and distribution of Lake Whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill, 1818), in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada, with supplementary notes on regional Coregonids
No full textLake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) occur in the Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and were first described regionally in the 1850s in the Saint John River. However, no early observations of the species were known in Nova Scotia prompting extensive Lake Whitefish stocking through Canada’s earliest federally run hatcheries. From 1878-1901, nearly 80 million Lake Whitefish fry were introduced to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but all attempted introductions were thought to have failed. From 1964 onward, Lake Whitefish discoveries were reported in Nova Scotia, but not until 1990 were these populations demonstrated to be native. Due to the distinct genetic lineage and eastern distribution of maritime Lake Whitefish populations, we argue that they originated from a distinct glacial refugium. The goal of this review is to provide baseline data on origin, distribution, and history of Lake Whitefish throughout the Maritimes that will facilitate continued research, help identify undocumented populations, and support the conservation of those so far known.As invasive species spread, climates warm, and new recreational fisheries develop, the resilience of Lake Whitefish populations should become a management consideration among the region’s small yet distinct eastern assemblage of native cold-water fishes.
Keywords: Hatchery stocking, zoogeography, native species, continental shelf refugia, post-glacial dispersa
