Many readers of Coast Reporter will already be aware that two small lakes on Texada Island are home to some of the rarest and most recently evolved species of fish on the planet.
The two species of three-spined stickleback are believed to have formed when the glaciers retreated at the end of the last Ice Age some 11,000 years ago. As the weight of the ice lifted and the land bounced back up, the fish that had invaded the lakes from the sea were cut off in these inland waters. Once isolated, some fish became accustomed to feeding in the lake margins on large aquatic invertebrates, while others fed exclusively on microscopic open water zooplankton. This split in feeding habits in different parts of the lake led to the evolution of two distinct species, the benthic and limnetic forms. There are few places on earth where such clear examples of evolution in action can be found, and the Texada Island stickleback pairs are now seen as equally important as Darwin's finches in the Galapagos. Who knows what secrets they may hold in unfolding some of the fundamental questions of evolutionary genetics and major human health concerns, including cancer. The study of these fish was recently listed by Science magazine as among the 10 most important scientific breakthroughs in the world, and an article even appeared in the New York Times on May 23 about the importance of these stickleback pairs. Following designation under the Species at Risk Act, a group of stakeholders from the Island have come together to form the non-profit Texada Stickleback Group to act as the stewards of the stickleback lakes. The group recently received funding from the federal Habitat Stewardship Program to hold a workshop to invite the general public to learn more about the many research studies that are being carried out across North America on these fish. The Texada Stickleback Symposium will be held at the Community Hall in Gillies Bay from 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, and continue at 9 a.m. on Dec. 3.
The man who first discovered these amazing fish, professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Don McPhail, will be there, as well as a host of other world renowned scientists, including professor Dolph Schluter and his group from the Biodiversity Research Centre at UBC and Katie Peichel and her team from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Washington. Asso-ciate professor Paul Wood of the Department of Forest Resources Manage-ment at UBC and Duane Jesson from the Ministry of Environment will also give presentations. Everyone is welcome to attend to learn more about how these fascinating creatures are helping us to unlock some of the key questions concerning the origin of species and human health.
