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EVERYTHING ABOUT THE LAMPSILIS
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Its name: Lake Lampsilis, the 6th Great Lake!
A little more than 8000 years ago, the lowlands of the St. Lawrence were covered by the Champlain Sea. Toward the end of this era, the Champlain Sea retreated below the level of the narrowing of the river, near Québec City. The sea was thus transformed into an immense freshwater lake that was named Lake Lampsilis, after a type of freshwater mussel that lived there. Lake Lampsilis, which flooded an immense tract of land stretching from Kingston to Québec, was the equivalent of a sixth Great Lake, having an area similar to that of lakes Ontario and Erie.
The Lampsilis mussel
Today, these attractive mussels with mother-of-pearl shells are threatened by habitat degradation, pollution, and the invasive zebra mussel. Certain species of Lampsilis present in the St. Lawrence are now officially considered to be in danger of extinction. This decline has been attributed to many factors, including habitat loss following dam construction as well as pollution due to runoff from agricultural land, industry, public services, and rainwater from roads. The Lampsilis mussels thus represent sentinel species that give us information about the health of the river—a preoccupation that is certainly shared by researchers and the general public.
A collaborative interuniversity project in Québec
The costs of the design, construction, and outfitting of the Lampsilis, which have amounted to more than $4 million, were covered by several federal and provincial organizations. The Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Québec Government each furnished 40% of the project’s funding. Crucial financial support from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, the city of Trois-Rivières, and several supply companies also permitted the realization of the Lampsilis project. The project was submitted by a consortium of research scientists working in aquatic ecology. These scientists are affiliated with Québec universities and research institutes (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Université du Québec à Montréal, Université de Montréal, Université Laval, McGill University, Institut national de recherche scientifique – Eau, Terre et Environnement). The project was initiated and led by members of the Groupe de recherche sur les écosystèmes aquatiques (GREA) of UQTR (Gilbert Cabana, Jean-Jacques Frenette, Hélène Glémet, Marco Rodríguez) under the direction of Pierre Magnan. UQTR is the ship’s owner and is responsible for the Lampsilis’ operations.
Construction and management
The Lampsilis was designed by an architectural firm from Québec with input from the GREA and from research scientists of the university consortium. The ship was built in 2003–2004 by the Chantier Naval de Matane, Inc. The Lampsilis is currently operated by REFORMAR Corporation.
Virtual visit!
The Lampsilis was built with the help of public funds, so we are all part owners of this exceptional research ship at the cutting edge of technology. So, take a virtual tour of the Lampsilis! Its light weight (and thus its shallow draft), speed, and manoeuvrability as well is its great versatility make the Lampsilis unique among the research fleet operating on the Great Lakes and in the St. Lawrence system.
Built entirely of aluminum, the Lampsilis has a draft of only 90 cm. It can thus safely explore shallow zones that are inaccessible to traditional single-hull research ships that have larger drafts: the longer the ship, the greater the draft. In the next graphic, you can compare the Lampsilis’ draft to those of a number of other research vessels that work in the Great Lakes.
 
As scientists like to say, a graph is worth a thousand words! The Lampsilis can thus explore the littoral zones of the St. Lawrence River and also the grass beds of fluvial lakes like those of lakes Saint-François, Saint-Louis, and Saint-Pierre. Another interesting characteristic of the Lampsilis is that the hull bottoms are reinforced to permit the ship to beach in shallow sandy zones.
The Lampsilis is powered by two external, steerable hydro jets This not only permits the ship to move rapidly and cover several sites in a short period of time, but it also gives the ship exceptional manoeuvrability.
The moveable platforms allow the deployment of diverse scientific instruments. For example, a multi-sensor records temperature, salinity, oxygen, and turbidity data at different depths. Other more sophisticated instruments include a spectroradiometer coupled with an instrument that measures incident light, which serve to characterize the complex optical properties of the water. A winch and cable system installed on the ship allow water sampling at any depth using specially designed bottles (for example, Go-Flo bottles. Bottom grabs for sediment sampling are deployed from the side platforms as well as the rear deck area. All measurements and samplings are coupled with a GPS system that makes continuous recordings of the ship’s position. A pumping system is set up to bring water to the wet lab for continuous flow-through measurements.
 
 
 
Zooplankton, small organisms that feed mostly on microscopic algae, is an important component of the food chain in the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. The main drum on the rear deck is used to deploy zooplankton nets to predetermined depths. The Lampsilis is particularly well equipped to sample fish, which are found higher up in the food chain. A large bottom trawl is used to capture those species living on the bottom and in deep areas. A smaller version of this trawl was successfully tested in lac Saint-Pierre at depths as shallow as one metre. A pelagic net, also deployed from the rear deck of the Lampsilis, allows the capture of fish living in the water column, such as smelt. All this equipment allows scientists to study the physical and chemical properties of the water as well as algae, which makes up the base of the food chain, zooplankton, fish, and other organisms living in the water column, on the bottom, and in the sediments. During the scientific mission, all the samples and other information are processed and analyzed in the wet and dry laboratories aboard the Lampsilis.
 
 
 
 
 
The dry lab, situated on the rear port side, is mostly used for computerized data processing.
The wet lab, as its name indicates, is used for manipulating water, sediment, and organism samples. This laboratory, located on the starboard side across from the dry lab, includes a sink, a refrigerator/freezer, and a fume hood. During certain missions, the wet lab is mostly used to process water samples; during other missions, this section is reserved for measuring and counting organisms like zooplankton and fish.
 
 
 
What is life like for scientists and students on board the Lampsilis? It’s certainly a bit tight, yet still comfortable! A multipurpose room located in the front section of the ship serves as a dining and meeting room, and also as a dormitory at night. The kitchen is just next door; it is equipped with a refrigerator, stove, and microwave. Four cabins accommodating two persons each are located in the centre of the ship; two of these are reserved for the ship’s crew. Another four people can sleep on cots in the multipurpose room. There is a bathroom with all the usual conveniences: toilet, sink, and shower.
 
On the second floor, the deck behind the wheelhouse allows the captain to manoeuvre during sampling operations.
 
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