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DR. COOKE HOLDS WORKSHOP ABOUT ANIMAL CARE

On Saturday June 14th, Steven Cooke and a few members of the FECPL lab (Jon Midwood, Graham Raby, Taylor Ward, and Maja Cvetkovic) spent the morning running a workshop at Dow’s Lake in Ottawa, ON.

The purpose of the workshop was to provide a live demonstration of fish-practices to members of the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science (CALAS), who were attending a conference that week.

The attendees included representatives from all over Canada who have an interest in Animal Care.  Universities have to ensure that proper care is given to animals, which makes it essential for researchers and animal care professionals to understand best practices. Dr. Cooke therefore took this opportunity to demonstrate the “field work” aspect of fish research, which is quite different from laboratory-based fish research.

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Dr. Cooke first provided some background information about the types of research questions fisheries ecologists and conservation physiologists might be asking.

He continued the discussion with a focus on the realities of fieldwork, such as weather, makeshift workstations on boats or along the shoreline, the time of day (working at night has very different circumstances!) and differences among fish species (e.g., response to anesthesia, best capture methods, handling techinques).

Throughout the workshop, the lab members used the electrofishing boat to collect fish and bring them back to shore. Dr. Cooke demonstrated a surgical procedure to insert radio-tags using Largemouth Bass as an example species. He then showed the participants how to collect blood samples from different species, including White Sucker and Brown Bullhead.

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Many of the workshop attendees also took the opportunity to try electrofishing. They saw firsthand how the fish react to the electric current (generally float to the surface) and how quickly they recover once they’re caught in a net and put into a cooler of fresh water.

Some species caught in Dow’s Lake included: Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Golden Shiners, White Suckers, Largemouth Bass, Brown Bullhead, and one very large Common Carp! Overall it was a successful workshop and great morning spent outside.

 

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Thank you to all of the attendees for taking the time to come out and learn about the work that FECPL and many other labs across the country routinely undertake.