Does the quantity and timing of fresh water flowing into a dry tropical estuary affect year-class strength of barramundi (Lates calcarifer)?

2004 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Staunton-Smith ◽  
Julie B. Robins ◽  
David G. Mayer ◽  
Michelle J. Sellin ◽  
Ian A. Halliday
Keyword(s):  
Fresh Water ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Estuarine Fish ◽  
Causal Mechanism ◽  
Lates Calcarifer ◽  
Nursery Habitats ◽  
Class Strength

The influence of fresh water flowing into estuaries on biological processes, such as recruitment of juvenile fish, is poorly understood, but important if freshwater resources are to be managed sustainably. Typically, lagged correlations between freshwater flows and fisheries production (i.e. catch) are used to support speculation that flows affect the survival of fish (and thus year-class strength) during their first year of life. The present study compares the relative strength of year classes in an estuarine fish population with two indices of fresh water flowing into the estuary, river flow and coastal rainfall. Year-class strength was estimated from a subset of the age structure of commercially caught adult barramundi (Lates calcarifer), which were sampled at seafood processors for three consecutive years. Strong and coherent fluctuations in year-class strength were observed. Positive correlations were found between the abundance of year classes (accounting for age) and quantity of fresh water flowing into the estuary during spring and summer, when barramundi spawn and young-of-the-year recruit to nursery habitats. Regression analysis was used to explore the relationships between year-class strength and environmental variables. A possible, but unproven, causal mechanism for the relationship is that the quantity of fresh water flowing into the estuary during spring and summer influences the survival of early life-history stages of barramundi (i.e. juvenile recruitment) by altering accessibility, productivity and or carrying capacity of nursery habitats.

Effect of environmental conditions on juvenile recruitment of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) in fresh water: a coastwide perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (7) ◽  
pp. 1037-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Désirée Tommasi ◽  
Janet Nye ◽  
Charles Stock ◽  
Jonathan A. Hare ◽  
Michael Alexander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fresh Water ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Alosa Pseudoharengus ◽  
River Temperature ◽  
Blueback Herring ◽  
Alosa Aestivalis ◽  
Nursery Habitats

The abundance of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) has declined throughout their range, and there are increasing concerns about their conservation status. Because of their diadromous life history, variability in rates of survival in fresh water can affect overall recruitment. The objective of our study was to assess how river temperature and flow influence young of the year (YOY) river herring recruitment in the Northeast US. Observations of adult and juvenile fish in five rivers were used to construct spawner–YOY recruits models; these rivers were chosen because of the length of the time series (>15 years) and the paired observations of spawners and juveniles. An environmentally explicit stock–recruitment model explained a substantial fraction (41% to 80%) of the variance in YOY abundance, depending on river system. Our approach allowed for a preliminary discussion of potential mechanisms, which need to be further substantiated by focused field and laboratory studies. Early summer river flow and river temperature had the greatest influence, indicating the importance of conditions in nursery habitats. In certain systems, spring or fall conditions were also important determinants of survival, suggesting additional effects of the environment on spawning of adults and juvenile egress from freshwater nursery habitats.

scholarly journals Analytical approach for determining the mean water level profile in an estuary with substantial fresh water discharge

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 1177-1195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huayang Cai ◽  
Hubert H. G. Savenije ◽  
Chenjuan Jiang ◽  
Lili Zhao ◽  
Qingshu Yang
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Water Discharge ◽  
Value Theory ◽  
Velocity Amplitude ◽  
Mean Water Level ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Fresh Water Discharge

Abstract. The mean water level in estuaries rises in the landward direction due to a combination of the density gradient, the tidal asymmetry, and the backwater effect. This phenomenon is more prominent under an increase of the fresh water discharge, which strongly intensifies both the tidal asymmetry and the backwater effect. However, the interactions between tide and river flow and their individual contributions to the rise of the mean water level along the estuary are not yet completely understood. In this study, we adopt an analytical approach to describe the tidal wave propagation under the influence of substantial fresh water discharge, where the analytical solutions are obtained by solving a set of four implicit equations for the tidal damping, the velocity amplitude, the wave celerity, and the phase lag. The analytical model is used to quantify the contributions made by tide, river, and tide–river interaction to the water level slope along the estuary, which sheds new light on the generation of backwater due to tide–river interaction. Subsequently, the method is applied to the Yangtze estuary under a wide range of river discharge conditions where the influence of both tidal amplitude and fresh water discharge on the longitudinal variation of the mean tidal water level is explored. Analytical model results show that in the tide-dominated region the mean water level is mainly controlled by the tide–river interaction, while it is primarily determined by the river flow in the river-dominated region, which is in agreement with previous studies. Interestingly, we demonstrate that the effect of the tide alone is most important in the transitional zone, where the ratio of velocity amplitude to river flow velocity approaches unity. This has to do with the fact that the contribution of tidal flow, river flow, and tide–river interaction to the residual water level slope are all proportional to the square of the velocity scale. Finally, we show that, in combination with extreme-value theory (e.g. generalized extreme-value theory), the method may be used to obtain a first-order estimation of the frequency of extreme water levels relevant for water management and flood control. By presenting these analytical relations, we provide direct insight into the interaction between tide and river flow, which will be useful for the study of other estuaries that experience substantial river discharge in a tidal region.

Size-selective predation by river otter (Lontra canadensis) improves refuge properties of shallow coastal marine nursery habitats

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. 1324-1328 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Cote ◽  
R. S. Gregory ◽  
H. M.J. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Fish Nursery ◽  
Piscivorous Fish ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Nursery Habitats

Young fish often avoid deep water to reduce predation risk from larger fish. Less clear are explanations for the avoidance of shallows by large piscivorous fish; however, one hypothesis suggests that this distribution reduces contact with depth-limited semi-aquatic mammal and bird piscivores. We determined prey size selection of the river otter ( Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777)) to test the hypothesis that larger fish are at elevated risk in shallow coastal waters in Newman Sound, Newfoundland, during June–November 2001 and May 2002. We compared otter diet (scat analysis) and prey availability (seine sampling) to test this hypothesis. Five fish taxa (Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua L., 1758), Greenland cod ( Gadus ogac Richardson, 1836), shorthorn sculpin ( Myoxocephalus scorpius (L., 1758)), cunner ( Tautogolabrus adspersus (Walbaum, 1792)), and winter flounder ( Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum, 1792))) dominated the shallow-water fish community and were sufficiently abundant in otter scats to examine feeding preferences. Larger, piscivorous fish were selected by otters, suggesting that they were at greater risk of predation than smaller fish, consistent with our hypothesis that depth-limited, diurnally active predators restrict large fish from hunting in shallow water during daytime. We suggest that depth-limited air-breathing predators may reduce the presence of such predatory fish in shallow-water juvenile fish nursery habitats.

Effects of hydrological change and the cessation of stocking on a stream population of Salmo trutta L

1988 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 337 ◽  
Author(s):  
PE Davies ◽  
RD Sloane ◽  
J Andrew
Keyword(s):  
Brown Trout ◽  
Salmo Trutta ◽  
River Flow ◽  
River System ◽  
Riparian Habitat ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Age Composition ◽  
The North ◽  
Trout Population ◽  
Class Strength

The North Esk-St Patricks river system, northern Tasmania, was electrofished at 27 sites in 1985, 30 years after the same sites had been electrofished in a previous study on the survival of released brown trout. All sites were dominated by brown trout, Salmo trutta L. Before 1955, stocking of brown trout fry and yearlings had been heavy. Stocking ceased after 1956 and few releases were made to 1985. At all but 4 sites, the number and total biomass of brown trout were higher in 1985 than in 1955. The estimated total population of brown trout had increased by 63%, accompanied by a 55% increase in the number of fish of legal size (>22 cm). Previously described 'nursery streams' still maintained high densities of 0+ fish, despite considerable changes in the age composition at other sites. Little or no change had occurred in riparian habitat at 23 of 27 sites. Change in year-class strength was highly correlated with change in total annual river flow in the natal year. This is explained in terms of mortality in 'nursery streams' during periods of low river flow. At 19 sites out of 21, changes in age composition were related to relative changes in year-class strength due to interannual variability in river flow. Four sites where major changes in riparian habitat occurred exhibited decreased brown trout biomass but still showed changes in age structure due to variation in annual flow. Mean annual river flow had increased by three times since the 1950s and this was attributed to a doubling in the proportion of cleared land in the catchments. Effects of changes in river hydrology on the trout population are discussed. Growth of S. trutta was essentially independent of density. The number of anglers, total effort and the total harvest in 1985/86-1986/87 were significantly higher than in 1945/46-1953/54. A shift toward higher catch per season per angler was observed in 1985/86-1986/87 compared to the 1945/46- 1953/54 seasons, but catch per day had not changed. Total annual mortality remained at 70%. The effects of increased mean flow and interannual flow variability on the brown trout population of the North Esk river system are discussed.

Variability in the growth, feeding and condition of barramundi (Lates calcarifer Bloch) in a northern Australian coastal river and impoundment

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (10) ◽  
pp. 928 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Russell ◽  
F. E. Thomson ◽  
P. A. Thuesen ◽  
T. N. Power ◽  
R. J. Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Prey Species ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Fish Growth ◽  
Lates Calcarifer ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Tropical Australia ◽  
Coastal River ◽  
Freshwater River ◽  
River Fish

Lates calcarifer supports important fisheries throughout tropical Australia. Community-driven fish stocking has resulted in the creation of impoundment fisheries and supplemental stocking of selected wild riverine populations. Using predominantly tag–recapture methods, condition assessment and stomach flushing techniques, this study compared the growth of stocked and wild L. calcarifer in a tropical Australian river (Johnstone River) and stocked fish in a nearby impoundment (Lake Tinaroo). Growth of L. calcarifer in the Johnstone River appeared resource-limited, with juvenile fish in its lower freshwater reaches feeding mainly on small aytid shrimp and limited quantities of fish. Growth was probably greatest in estuarine and coastal areas than in the lower freshwater river. Fish in Lake Tinaroo, where prey availability was greater, grew faster than either wild or stocked fish in the lower freshwater areas of the Johnstone River. Growth of L. calcarifer was highly seasonal with marked declines in the cooler months. This was reflected in both stomach fullness and the percentage of fish with empty stomachs but the condition of L. calcarifer was similar across most sites. In areas where food resources appear stretched, adverse effects on resident L. calcarifer populations and their attendant prey species should be minimised through cessation of, or more conservative, stocking practices.

Impact of salinity on early life history traits of three estuarine fish species in Senegal

2009 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 673-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maylis Labonne ◽  
Eric Morize ◽  
Pierre Scolan ◽  
Raymond Lae ◽  
Eric Dabas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Estuarine Fish

Early life history of barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch), in north-eastern Queensland

1985 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 191 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Russell ◽  
RN Garrett
Keyword(s):  
Human Population ◽  
Size Range ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Habitat Alteration ◽  
Insect Larvae ◽  
Tidal Creeks ◽  
Lates Calcarifer ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
History Of

Larval barramundi in the size range 2.8-5.2 mm were collected from plankton in two estuaries in north-eastern Queensland from 31 October 1979 until 13 February 1980. After leaving the plankton, barramundi moved into nearby brackish and freshwater swamps. These areas acted as nursery grounds, offering both protection from predators, and abundant prey in the form of insect larvae, other fish and crustaceans. These habitats exhibit a wide range of salinities (fresh water-44 × 103 mg l-1) and surface water temperatures (23-36�C). Juvenile barramundi commenced migration from these swamps into permanent tidal creeks around April where they remained for up to 9 months before dispersal into the estuary, up rivers or along coastal foreshores. The diet of the barramundi in these tidal creeks was exclusively fish and crustaceans. Juvenile barramundi were resident in tidal creeks that had been subjected to substantial human interference through habitat alteration. Destruction of nursery swamps may pose a serious threat to local barramundi stocks near centres of human population on the eastern Queensland coast.

Invasion and upstream migration by glass-eels of Anguilla australis australis Richardson and A. reinhardtii Steindachner in Tasmanian Freshwater Streams

1984 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
RD Sloane
Keyword(s):  
Fresh Water ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Condition Factor ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Upstream Migration ◽  
Larval Life ◽  
Freshwater Streams ◽  
Anguilla Australis ◽  
Glass Eels ◽  
High River Flow

The recruitment of glass-eels into fresh water was investigated by hand-netting and electrofishing at the lowest permanent freshwater riffle on several streams in eastern Tasmania. Measurements of the forward extent of the dorsal fin distinguished the short-finned eel, A. a. australis, from the long-finned eel, A. reinhardtii; this separation was verified by vertebral counts and A. a, australis glass-eels were found to be larger than A. reinhardtii. A. a. australis glass-eels were collected at the first riffle during all seasons of the year except mid-summer. Numbers in the catch declined during mid-winter, probably as a result of an effective seaward movement of the freshwater-estuarine interface during periods of high river flow; A. a. australis glass-eels were still found to be abundant near estuary mouths at such times. A. reinhardtii glass-eels exhibited a more restricted movement into fresh water during late summer and autumn with no collections recorded after mid-winter. For both species, the stage of pigmentation was found to advance as the season progressed, and length, weight and condition factor declined with advancing pigmentation. The otoliths of invading glass-eels of both species appeared similar with a single summer ring, suggesting a larval life of 1-1½ years. The restricted invasion period of A. reinhardtii and the similar size throughout the species range suggests a short and precise larval life. The length of larval life of A. a. australis is probably quite variable, resulting in a more substantial and prolonged influx of glass-eels into Tasmanian waters.

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