‘Thieves, Shady Deals and Murder’: Water Theft, Buy-Backs and Fish Kills in the Murray Darling Basin of Australia

2020 ◽  
pp. 37-49
Author(s):  
Janice Gray
Keyword(s):  
Fish Kills ◽  
Murray Darling Basin

scholarly journals Scavenging by threatened turtles regulates freshwater ecosystem health during fish kills

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Santori ◽  
Ricky-John Spencer ◽  
Michael B. Thompson ◽  
Camilla M. Whittington ◽  
Thomas H. Burd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Ecosystem Health ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystem ◽  
Freshwater Species ◽  
Freshwater Turtles ◽  
Fish Kills ◽  
Murray Darling Basin ◽  
Ecological Implications ◽  
Mesocosm Experiments

Abstract Humans are increasing the frequency of fish kills by degrading freshwater ecosystems. Simultaneously, scavengers like freshwater turtles are declining globally, including in the Australian Murray–Darling Basin. Reduced scavenging may cause water quality problems impacting both ecosystems and humans. We used field and mesocosm experiments to test whether scavenging by turtles regulates water quality during simulated fish kills. In the field, we found that turtles were important scavengers of fish carrion. In mesocosms, turtles rapidly consumed carrion, and water quality in mesocosms with turtles returned to pre-fish kill levels faster than in turtle-free controls. Our experiments have important ecological implications, as they suggest that turtles are critical scavengers that regulate water quality in freshwater ecosystems. Recovery of turtle populations may be necessary to avoid the worsening of ecosystem health, particularly after fish kills, which would have devastating consequences for many freshwater species.

A framework for assessing the potential of remote-sensed gravity to provide new insight on the hydrology of the Murray-Darling Basin

2006 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin M. Ellett ◽  
Jeffrey P. Walker ◽  
Andrew W. Western ◽  
Matthew Rodell
Keyword(s):  
Murray Darling Basin

Detecting changes in streamflow response to changes in non-climatic catchment conditions: farm dam development in the Murray–Darling basin, Australia

2002 ◽  
Vol 262 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 84-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.Yu. Schreider ◽  
A.J. Jakeman ◽  
R.A. Letcher ◽  
R.J. Nathan ◽  
B.P. Neal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Murray Darling Basin ◽  
Streamflow Response

scholarly journals Analog Downscaling of Seasonal Rainfall Forecasts in the Murray Darling Basin

2013 ◽  
Vol 141 (3) ◽  
pp. 1099-1117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Charles ◽  
Bertrand Timbal ◽  
Elodie Fernandez ◽  
Harry Hendon
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Seasonal Prediction ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Meridional Wind ◽  
Seasonal Forecasts ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Predictive Skill ◽  
Murray Darling Basin

Abstract Seasonal predictions based on coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (GCMs) provide useful predictions of large-scale circulation but lack the conditioning on topography required for locally relevant prediction. In this study a statistical downscaling model based on meteorological analogs was applied to continental-scale GCM-based seasonal forecasts and high quality historical site observations to generate a set of downscaled precipitation hindcasts at 160 sites in the South Murray Darling Basin region of Australia. Large-scale fields from the Predictive Ocean–Atmosphere Model for Australia (POAMA) 1.5b GCM-based seasonal prediction system are used for analog selection. Correlation analysis indicates modest levels of predictability in the target region for the selected predictor fields. A single best-match analog was found using model sea level pressure, meridional wind, and rainfall fields, with the procedure applied to 3-month-long reforecasts, initialized on the first day of each month from 1980 to 2006, for each model day of 10 ensemble members. Assessment of the total accumulated rainfall and number of rainy days in the 3-month reforecasts shows that the downscaling procedure corrects the local climate variability with no mean effect on predictive skill, resulting in a smaller magnitude error. The amount of total rainfall and number of rain days in the downscaled output is significantly improved over the direct GCM output as measured by the difference in median and tercile thresholds between station observations and downscaled rainfall. Confidence in the downscaled output is enhanced by strong consistency between the large-scale mean of the downscaled and direct GCM precipitation.

Temporal variation of larval fish assemblages of the Murray Mouth in prolonged drought conditions

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 932 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. B. Bucater ◽  
J. P. Livore ◽  
C. J. Noell ◽  
Q. Ye
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Larval Fish ◽  
River System ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Flow Regulation ◽  
Nursery Areas ◽  
Transition Zones ◽  
Murray Darling Basin ◽  
Drought Conditions

Estuaries are transition zones that link freshwater and marine ecosystems and are often used as nursery areas by fish. The Murray–Darling Basin, which is heavily affected by flow regulation and water extraction, is the largest river system in Australia and terminates at the Murray Mouth estuary. Protracted drought conditions resulted in extremely low flows to the Murray Mouth that affected water condition, fish abundance, community structure and fish use of the estuary (e.g. nursery areas). The aims of the present study were to examine temporal changes in larval fish assemblages in this estuary. The assemblages were dominated by two gobiid species, Arenigobius bifrenatus and Tasmanogobius lasti. There was a noticeable absence or low abundance of freshwater, diadramous and large-bodied marine species that use this estuary for reproductive functions. Monthly differences in larval fish assemblages, between August–September and October–November, were attributed to increases in the abundances of A. bifrenatus in October and November and oscillation in T. lasti during the entire sampling period. The outcomes of the present study suggested that larval fish assemblages in drought conditions are limited to small-bodied species tolerant of high salinities and that freshwater flows are needed for the estuary to function as a nursery for other species.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document