Jackson, Leland J.Whelan, Colby2020-09-252020-09-252020-09-22Whelan, C. (2020). Distribution and habitat characteristics of Tubifex tubifex, intermediate host of whirling disease, in Banff National Park (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112571Whirling Disease was discovered in Canada for the first time in 2016, at Johnson Lake, Banff National Park. The disease is caused by the parasite Myxobolus cerebralis and has caused major declines in trout populations in the United States. The presence of whirling disease in Banff National Park could be detrimental to the recovery of the two native trout species, which are both listed as threatened. The parasite affects salmonid fish, but also requires a second obligate host, the oligochaete, Tubifex tubifex. The presence and distribution of T. tubifex in a waterbody are important factors to predict where M. cerebralis may spread. Occupancy modelling was tested as a method for surveying the distribution of T. tubifex at the site of first detection, Johnson Lake. T. tubifex were present, though had a patchy distribution with low detection probability. High inorganic carbon concentration in the lake sediment was negatively associated with T. tubifex presence. Two watersheds within Banff National Park were also surveyed, zero T. tubifex were found within the Cascade watershed, while T. tubifex had a patchy distribution within the Spray watershed. Habitat covariates were tested using General Linear Models, and T. tubifex were found to be significantly associated with low landscape level slope, and a small contributing area. These results suggest that the presence of T. tubifex is not ubiquitous in waterbodies in the region and understanding habitat could help discover areas with T. tubifex presence.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.TubifexWhirling DiseaseMyxoboluscerebralisWestslope CutthroatBanffEcologymaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/38231