[NatureNS] fish kill Port Williams skating pond

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Date: Fri, 1 May 2015 10:39:48 -0300
From: Nicholas Hill <fernhillns@gmail.com>
To: "naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
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Isn't it an odd time of year for a fish kill resulting from lack of O2
given it's so cold (O2 more soluble in  cold water and decomposition rates
low at low temp), unless there is a source of soluble organics getting into
the pond or the something else.

Nick

On Fri, May 1, 2015 at 10:09 AM, Hebda, Andrew J <Andrew.Hebda@novascotia.ca
> wrote:

>
> __Thanks George.
>
> If a poison had been applied, you would probably see other mortalities,
> including frogs, and potentially fish-eating birds.
>
> Are the fish all "gold" in colour?  In pods where Osprey forage, there is
> a selection agains gold, resulting in most of the fish resiorting to
> nartural (gree/brown colouration with little bright pigment.  If you have
> regular Osprey presence, it would suggest a relatively recent  introduction.
>
> A
>
> p.s.  if they are still fresh, can you grab a sample and freeze some for
> us.
>
>
>
> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] on
> behalf of George E. Forsyth [g4syth@nspes.ca]
> Sent: May-01-15 9:38 AM
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] fish kill Port Williams skating pond
>
> Hi Andrew,
>
> The pond is very shallow, if you really wanted to, you could walk
> across and keep your shoulders dry. The water enters through an
> underground pipe from a water body in a wet hollow above the skating
> pond. The water then flows out through a vertically placed pipe at the
> bottom end of the pond. The brook runs along about thirty feet beside
> the pond.
>
> See Google maps:  45.093621, -64.412400
>
> I had noticed goldfish last summer and they must have been here for
> awhile as some of the dead fish are eight inches long. Other species
> were not noted, but I didn't really study them and there are literally
> hundreds. I have lived here for almost thirty years and have never
> seen this many dead fish, and hadn't noticed goldfish here.
>
> To be honest I wasn't too concerned that goldfish had been killed, as
> the pond doesn't seem to host peepers and toads any more. They
> probably have eaten most of the eggs and tadpoles. But the kingfishers
> and herons have been coming to the pond regularly the past few years.
>
> If they have been intentionally poisoned would other species be killed
> as well?
>
> I'll try to get some pictures.
>
> Yours truly,
>
> George Forsyth
>
>
>
>
> Quoting "Hebda, Andrew J" <Andrew.Hebda@novascotia.ca>:
>
> > Hi George
> >
> > If there was a lot of organic matter in the bottom of the pond,
> > could have caused a stripping of the oxygen as decomposition
> > progressed.  Anyother species?
> >
> > As well, any idea how long the goldfish have been in that pond...
> > they are not native, so would have had to have been a
> > release/introduction.
> >
> > Andrew
> >
> > A Hebda
> > NSM Collections (Zoology)
> > ________________________________________
> > From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca]
> > on behalf of George E. Forsyth [g4syth@nspes.ca]
> > Sent: April-30-15 10:18 PM
> > To: naturens
> > Subject: [NatureNS] fish kill Port Williams skating pond
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > The other evening I was out for a walk and noticed hundreds of gold
> > fish floating on the edge of the Port Williams, Kings Co, skating pond
> > on Belcher St. I don't know if this is a result of accidental or
> > intentional poisoning, or were they killed by natural causes as a
> > result of the longer than usual ice and snow cover? There was a good
> > selection of small and large fish, I only noticed gold fish. It was
> > quite impressive how many there were!
> >
> >
> > George Forsyth
>
>
>
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Isn&#39;t it=C2=A0an odd time of year for a fish kill=
 resulting from lack of O2 given it&#39;s so cold (O2 more soluble in=C2=A0=
 cold water and decomposition rates low at low temp), unless there is a sou=
rce of soluble organics getting into the pond or the something else.</div><=
div><br></div><div>Nick</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div clas=
s=3D"gmail_quote">On Fri, May 1, 2015 at 10:09 AM, Hebda, Andrew J <span di=
r=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:Andrew.Hebda@novascotia.ca" target=3D"_blan=
k">Andrew.Hebda@novascotia.ca</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D=
"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding=
-left:1ex"><br>
__Thanks George.<br>
<br>
If a poison had been applied, you would probably see other mortalities, inc=
luding frogs, and potentially fish-eating birds.<br>
<br>
Are the fish all &quot;gold&quot; in colour?=C2=A0 In pods where Osprey for=
age, there is a selection agains gold, resulting in most of the fish resior=
ting to nartural (gree/brown colouration with little bright pigment.=C2=A0 =
If you have regular Osprey presence, it would suggest a relatively recent=
=C2=A0 introduction.<br>
<br>
A<br>
<br>
p.s.=C2=A0 if they are still fresh, can you grab a sample and freeze some f=
or us.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
From: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens-owner@chebu=
cto.ns.ca</a> [<a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens-ow=
ner@chebucto.ns.ca</a>] on behalf of George E. Forsyth [<a href=3D"mailto:g=
4syth@nspes.ca">g4syth@nspes.ca</a>]<br>
Sent: May-01-15 9:38 AM<br>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<=
br>
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] fish kill Port Williams skating pond<br>
<br>
Hi Andrew,<br>
<br>
The pond is very shallow, if you really wanted to, you could walk<br>
across and keep your shoulders dry. The water enters through an<br>
underground pipe from a water body in a wet hollow above the skating<br>
pond. The water then flows out through a vertically placed pipe at the<br>
bottom end of the pond. The brook runs along about thirty feet beside<br>
the pond.<br>
<br>
See Google maps:=C2=A0 45.093621, -64.412400<br>
<br>
I had noticed goldfish last summer and they must have been here for<br>
awhile as some of the dead fish are eight