Assessing the health of European rivers using functional ecological guilds of fish communities: standardising species classification and approaches to metric selection

Abstract  The functional ecological guild approach is the cornerstone for the development of Indices of Biotic Integrity and multi-metric indices to assess the ecological status of aquatic systems. These indices combine metrics (unit-specific measures of a functional component of the fish community known to respond to degradation) into a single measure of ecological assessment. The guild approach provides an operational unit linking individual species characteristics with the community as a whole. Species are grouped into guilds based on some degree of overlap in their ecological niches, regardless of taxonomic relationships. Despite European fish species having been classified into ecological guilds, classification has not been standardised Europe-wide or within the context of classifying species into guilds from which metrics can be developed for ecological assessment purposes. This paper examines the approach used by the EU project FAME to classify European fish species into consistent ecological guilds and to identify suitable metrics as basic tools for the development of a standardised ecological assessment method for European rivers to meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.     

Multiple watershed alterations influence fish community structure in Great Plains prairie streams

Stream fish distributions are commonly linked to environmental disturbances affecting terrestrial landscapes. In Great Plains prairie streams, the independent and interactive effects of watershed impoundments and land cover changes remain poorly understood despite their prevalence and assumed contribution to declining stream fish diversity. We used structural equation models and fish community samples from third‐order streams in the Kansas River and Arkansas River basins of Kansas, USA to test the simultaneous effects of geographic location, terrestrial landscape alteration, watershed impoundments and local habitat on species richness for stream‐associated and impoundment‐associated habitat guilds. Watershed impoundment density increased from west to east in both basins, while per cent altered terrestrial landscape (urbanisation + row‐crop agriculture) averaged ~50% in the west, declined throughout the Flint Hills ecoregion and increased (Kansas River basin ~80%) or decreased (Arkansas River basin ~30%) to the east. Geographic location had the strongest effect on richness for both guilds across basins, supporting known zoogeography patterns. In addition to location, impoundment species richness was positively correlated with local habitat in both basins; whereas stream‐species richness was negatively correlated with landscape alterations (Kansas River basin) or landscape alterations and watershed impoundments (Arkansas River basin). These findings suggest that convergences in the relative proportions of impoundment and stream species (i.e., community structure) in the eastern extent of both basins are related to positive effects of increased habitat opportunities for impoundment species and negative effects caused by landscape alterations (Kansas River basin) or landscape alterations plus watershed impoundments (Arkansas River basin) for stream species.     

Rhithronic and potamonic fishes coexist in wadeable streams under distinct metacommunity processes

Recent metacommunity ecology research has demonstrated that local communities can be divided into different guilds. We hypothesised that wadeable streams are occupied by fishes that follow distinct metacommunity processes. The mainstem is a river corridor for the potamonic fish guild (PFG) but represents a nonhabitat matrix for the rhithronic fish guild (RFG). Accordingly, the PFG should be filtered out from the headwaters by dispersal limitations or environmental filtering along the longitudinal gradient, and the guild should have a nested pattern of beta diversity. The RFG should be structured by the local species sorting, and the species turnover component should prevail. We sampled fishes in 42 streams distributed in four subbasins that were separated by at least one mainstem channel. We modelled the influences of spatial and environmental predictors using a partial redundancy analysis and variance partitioning and by quantifying the components of beta diversity that were associated with species turnover and nestedness. Both environment and space affected the structure of the RFG, owing to the influence of substrate type, riparian cover and presence of downstream barriers. The PFG was structured by only the influence of downstream barriers. Species turnover predominated within the RFG, and species nestedness dominated within the PFG. Our results support the hypothesis that potamonic and rhithronic guilds coexist in wadeable streams and follow distinct metacommunity assembly mechanisms. Potamonic guilds are structured by regional dispersal from the mainstem channels, whereas rhithronic guilds are sorted by local filtering along the longitudinal gradient in a spatially structured environment.     

Regulating fish movements in the Single European Market: the scope for more restrictive measures under national law

Abstract  Substantial alterations to the legal controls over fish movements have been necessary to implement the Single European Market which came into force on 1 January 1993. This seeks to liberalize trade in fish and fish products whilst avoiding ecological damage, the spread of disease and the commercial damage this may cause. The new regime governing fish movements into and within the European Union under Directive 91/67/EEC, as implemented in England and Wales, is described. Remaining national provisions based on ecological concerns (principally, section 30 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975) are examined. Derogations from the principle of freedom of trade within the European Union on environmental protection grounds are assessed, and the interaction between legal restrictions based on pathological and ecological grounds is discussed.     

Review on European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax,Linnaeus, 1758) nutrition and feed management: a practical guide for optimizing feed formulation and farming protocols

As increasing amounts of novel raw materials are used in aquafeed production, it is important to measure their quality against existing ingredients and their effects upon production strategies. A first step to achieving this goal begins with an improved understanding of the underlying growth potential of each farmed species across a range of dietary ingredients and farming practices. Species‐specific physiological limitations and metabolic effects of both single chemicals and complex chemical matrixes are factors to be considered in producing robust fish and a healthy aquaculture sector. The industry must also consider ethical, environmental and economic issues and optimize feed management practices. This review summarizes current knowledge on European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) nutritional requirements, presents current feed management practices for this species, gives insights on a secure framework for using plant ingredients in exchange for traditional marine raw materials and outlines its growth potential through a meta‐analysis of the best‐performance results available in peer‐reviewed scientific publications for this species. As the best‐performing fish were mostly those fed high fish meal fish oil control diets, the summarized results have the potential to be used as a quality control for benchmarking future scientific research in this fish species.     

Nested patterns of spatial diversity revealed for fish assemblages in a west European river

Abstract –  The longitudinal distribution of fish assemblages across a large west European river basin, the Garonne river (south-west France) were investigated using a self-organising map. This nonlinear statistical method was employed to classify sampling sites according to their species composition. We found three main nested patterns in an aggregated hierarchy: a replacement and succession of species along a gradient without defined boundaries, four main zones of fish assemblages and an upstream-downstream shift of fish communities. We suggest that fish assemblages are too complex to be identified with a single species as in the zonation model, and that the diversity patterns found might be part of the same ecological process influencing fish assemblages on different spatial scales. Thus, discrepancies in the analysis of longitudinal patterns of fish communities in streams may have been basically a matter of local conditions and of conceptual perception.     

Fish and flows: Abiotic drivers influence the recruitment response of a freshwater fish community throughout a regulated lotic system of the Murray-Darling Basin,Australia

1. Fish assemblages in dryland rivers have life-history strategies that have evolved in response to environmental conditions and triggers, particularly water temperatures and flow regimes. The regulation of rivers through the construction of dams, weirs and other water diversion structures has altered natural flow regimes and the associated ecological processes of river systems worldwide.
2. Over a 3-year period, using standardized fish sampling and daily otolith ageing, the recruitment of eight freshwater fish species was monitored in response to various abiotic drivers, including hydrology and water temperatures, throughout the Macquarie River, a large regulated river system of the Australian Murray-Darling Basin.
3. A data-driven statistical classification system is provided that groups species into reproductive guilds, based on their recruitment response to hydrology and water temperature, specifically designed for use in environmental flow management.
4. The eight species were grouped into three distinct reproductive guilds that showed similar recruitment responses to the abiotic drivers. Murray-Darling rainbowfish, Murray cod, and eel-tailed catfish were considered as a single guild, characterized by seasonal recruitment during a relatively narrow thermal window under low to moderate stable discharges. The second group included common carp, bony herring, and golden perch, which recruited primarily in association with larger flow events. Un-specked hardyhead and Australian smelt formed a more differentiated guild, recruiting over a broad range of temperatures and discharges. Limitations associated with using a reproductive guild approach to simplify water management are discussed.
5. This study highlighted important relationships among hydrology, water temperatures, and successful recruitment that can, in turn, be used to inform development of adaptive flow management plans and effective use of environmental water for the conservation management of native fish communities. Important considerations in the design of studies that aim to examine relationships between recruitment and abiotic drivers are also discussed.

     

Influences of local habitat and stream spatial position on fish assemblages in a dammed watershed,the Qingyi Stream,China

Abstract – Identifying the underlying mechanisms that explain the spatial variation in stream fish assemblages is crucial for the protection of species diversity. The influences of local habitat and stream spatial position on fish assemblages were examined from first‐order through third‐order streams within a dammed watershed, the Qingyi Stream, China. Based on linear regression models, the most important environmental variables influencing fish species richness were water temperature and wetted width, but stream spatial position variables were less important. Using canonical correspondence analysis, five environmental variables were identified to significantly influence fish assemblages, including three habitats (elevation, substrate and water depth) and two spatial variables (C‐link and Link). Our results suggest that, in a heavily dammed watershed, by blocking the migration routes of fishes, dams weaken the influence of stream spatial position on fish species richness. However, fish species compositions are significantly influenced by both local habitat environment and stream spatial position, which is perhaps owing to the distribution of fish species according to ecological requirements not related to spatial processes.     

Fragmentation and drying ratchet down Great Plains stream fish diversity

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Effects of dissolved carbon dioxide on energy metabolism and stress responses in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

Elevated carbon dioxide concentrations reduce feed intake and growth in several fish species and induce stress responses. In this study, the effects of moderately elevated CO₂ levels on performance, energy partitioning, swimming activity and stress response in European seabass were assessed. European seabass (140.0 g) were reared under two levels of CO₂ (1.6 and 7.0 mg L^?1) and two feeding levels (FLs) (maintenance and satiation) for 60 days, and fish swimming speed was recorded. At the end of the experiment, fish were subjected to an acute stress test. Blood cortisol, glucose and lactate were analysed. Energy and nitrogen balances were quantified based on measurements of body composition and digestibility coefficients. Moderately elevated chronic CO₂ level did neither affect energy requirements for maintenance nor the utilization of digestible energy for growth. However, swimming activity data suggests that FL dependent alterations in energy partitioning took place. Blood cortisol values after the acute stress were affected by additional CO₂ exposure and this effect was also dependent on FL. The elevated CO₂ exposure of 7.0 mg L^?1 appears to act as a chronic stressor as adaptive responses took place, however, this CO₂ exposure seems to be still within the allostatic load of the fish.     

Evaluation of single-pass backpack electric fishing for stream fish community monitoring

Abstract  Data from Lake Ontario tributaries were used to evaluate the efficacy of single-pass backpack electric fishing for stream fish monitoring by: testing the relationship between single-pass catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and multiple-pass-based population estimates; comparing species richness estimates derived from single-pass and multiple-pass data and assessing the concordance of fish assemblage patterns described using single-pass and multiple-pass data. Significant correlations were calculated between single-pass CPUE and removal-based population estimates for total catch, 15 species, six taxonomic families, five feeding and four reproductive guilds and tolerant/intolerant species. Strong correlations were more commonly associated with the abundance of individual species than other metrics. Capture probability was not affected by stream size or habitat complexity for most measures. Species accumulation curves and significant correlations ( r ² = 0.9) between single-pass and multiple-pass electric fishing indicate that single-pass surveys provide a representative index of species diversity. In addition, within and among-site variation in fish community composition based on single-pass and multiple-pass data were similar.     

Concurrent assessment of fish and habitat in warmwater streams in Wyoming

Abstract  Fisheries research and management in North America have focused largely on sport fishes, but native non-game fishes have attracted increased attention due to their declines. The Warmwater Stream Assessment (WSA) was developed to evaluate simultaneously both fish and habitat in Wyoming streams by a process that includes three major components: (1) stream-reach selection and accumulation of existing information, (2) fish and habitat sampling and (3) summarisation and evaluation of fish and habitat information. Fish are sampled by electric fishing or seining and habitat is measured at reach and channel-unit (i.e. pool, run, riffle, side channel, or backwater) scales. Fish and habitat data are subsequently summarised using a data-matrix approach. Hierarchical decision trees are used to assess critical habitat requirements for each fish species expected or found in the reach. Combined measurements of available habitat and the ecology of individual species contribute to the evaluation of the observed fish assemblage. The WSA incorporates knowledge of the fish assemblage and habitat features to enable inferences of factors likely influencing both the fish assemblage and their habitat. The WSA was developed for warmwater streams in Wyoming, but its philosophy, process and conceptual basis may be applied to environmental assessments in other geographical areas.     

Influence of agriculture on in-stream habitat and fish community structure in Piedmont watersheds of the Chattahoochee River System

Abstract– Historical and contemporary fish collections were used to examine the influence of agricultural land use on fish communities in the central Chattahoochee River, USA. In-stream habitat data were also collected to examine the relationship between agricultural land use and stream habitat structure. We found a significant positive relationship between agricultural land use and in-stream sediment ( r ²=0.43, P =0.01). Stream depth heterogeneity decreased significantly with increased sediment ( r ²=0.39, P =0.02). Mainstream reaches draining agricultural lands had significantly lower levels of fish diversity than forested reaches ( r ²=0.47, P < 0.01). Agriculture also explained significant variation in mainstream species abundances but was not a significant predictor of species diversity or species abundances in headwater reaches. Most pool species that use coarse substrates decreased in relative abundance with increasing agriculture in the watershed. Our results suggest that mainstream environments and their associated communities are more susceptible than headwater reaches to the effects of agriculture. This finding has important consequences for conservation, since mainstream reaches are reported to function as species refugia during pulse disturbance events (e. g., floods, droughts).     

Fish community responses to stream flow alterations and habitat modifications by small hydropower projects in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot,India

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Is there a role of ocean environment in American and European eel decline?

American eel (Anguilla rostrata) recruitment has declined dramatically, in parallel with that of European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Since both species spawn in the Sargasso Sea and migrate as larvae to continental waters, the coincidence in recruitment failure implies an Atlantic-wide cause, due perhaps to ocean climate. There is indirect evidence that the Gulf Stream has weakened in the 1980s. A slower Gulf Stream could interfere with larval transport and generate observed patterns of declining abundance of American eel only in northern North America and relatively uniform declines of European eel throughout Europe. While specific causes are still unclear, these data indicate a threat to both species and to their commercial fisheries.     

海州湾及邻近海域鱼类群落的营养功能群及其动态变化

根据2011年及2013―2016年春季和秋季在海州湾及邻近海域进行的渔业资源底拖网调查,对该海域鱼类群落营养功能群的组成及其季节和年间变化进行了研究。结果表明,海州湾及邻近海域鱼类群落可以划分为5个营养功能群,即虾食性、底栖动物食性、虾/鱼食性、浮游动物食性和鱼食性。整体来说,春季海州湾鱼类群落以底栖动物食性营养功能群为主,其中方氏云鳚(Enedriasfangi)在各年所占比例均较高;而秋季以虾食性营养功能群为主,小眼绿鳍鱼(Chelidonichthys kumu)为主要优势鱼种。从生物量组成角度分析,海州湾鱼类群落各营养功能群所占比例有明显差异,以虾食性和底栖动物食性的功能群为主,其次为虾/鱼食性,而浮游动物食性和鱼食性所占比例较小。方氏云鳚、小眼绿鳍鱼、长蛇鲻(Saurida elongata)、小黄鱼(Larimichthys polyactis)、狮子鱼(Liparis sp.)、玉筋鱼(Ammodytespersonatus)等6种鱼类为各营养功能群的主要优势种类。海州湾及邻近海域鱼类群落的营养功能群和优势种呈现出明显的季节和年间变化,海洋环境变化和鱼类的季节性洄游移动等是主要的影响因素。     

Fish utilisation of managed realignments

Abstract  One area of ecological benefit not yet fully evaluated in European waters is the utilisation of restored saltmarsh habitats by fish species. This study examines the utilisation of managed realignments and relic saltmarsh by fish species. Factors affecting habitat heterogeneity and fish populations are discussed, and recommendations are made with respect to scheme design and management that will maximise the biological and socio-economic values. Fish populations in the high intertidal areas were assessed using a suite of techniques, including observations on feeding behaviour. Each microhabitat was discussed as a function of the extent of fish colonisation. A positive relationship between the degree of fish utilisation and habitat heterogeneity was ascertained using species richness, abundance and behavioural observations. This study will aid habitat valuation for economic justification of managed realignments, over and above existing drivers, such as compensatory habitat for encroachment, flood defence and the European Union Habitats Directive. The work now forms part of a wider European Interreg IIIb project, COMCOAST.     

Effects of environment on fish species distributions in the Mackenzie River drainage basin of northeastern British Columbia, Canada

Abstract –  The northeast of British Columbia is subject to rapid development by the oil and gas sector. In addition, forestry, tourism and agriculture are all affecting the environment. Knowledge of fish distributions in the region is limited, yet such information is important if environmental impact assessments are to be taken for future developments. Data from fish inventories for 261 stream reaches from the Milligan Creek, Halfway-Graham River, Fort Nelson River and Gataga River were analyzed using canonical correspondence analysis, with fish presence being related to a suite of environmental variables. The most important environmental variables affecting the species of fish present in a reach were water temperature, boulder cover and reach width. As water temperature and, to a lesser extent, reach width, can be affected by industrial development in a number of ways, there is a likelihood of environmental impacts associated with the current spate of development in the region.