Migration pathways,speed and mortality of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts in a Scottish river and the near‐shore coastal marine environment

Long‐distance migration of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is known to result in high levels of mortality. For a species experiencing global population decline, it is thus vital to better understand migration behaviour, both in the river and marine stages. Atlantic salmon smolts (n = 50) were tracked using acoustic telemetry in the River Deveron, Scotland, and adjacent coastal area. Higher rates of mortality were observed in the river (0.77% per km) than the early marine stage of migration (0.0% per km). Mortality likely resulted from predation. Higher swim speeds were recorded in the early marine stage compared with the river (marine = 7.37 ± 28.20 km/day; river = 5.03 ± 1.73 km/day [mean ± SD]), a potential predator avoidance behaviour. The majority of smolts leaving the river did so in darkness and on a flooding tide. Overall river and marine migration success were linked to nights of lower lunar brightness. Marine migration speed decreased with increasing environmental noise levels, a finding with implications for fisheries management. The migration pathway in the early marine environment did not follow obvious geographical features, such as the coastline. Thus, we suggest that early marine environment pathways are more influenced by complex water currents. These findings highlight factors that influence smolt migration survival and behaviour, areas on which future research should focus.     

The value of sea urchin,Lytechinus variegatus,egesta consumed by shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei

Sea urchins produce high‐energy, membrane‐bound fecal pellets that contain residual nutrients and large quantities of microbiota. These egesta are readily consumed by the shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Egesta of the sea urchin, Lytechinus variegatus, were evaluated as a feed supplement or total replacement for a commercial shrimp diet. Shrimp were stocked at 0.49 g ± 0.06 g initial body weight and housed individually in 2.8‐L tanks in a commercial recirculating zebrafish system. Shrimp were assigned to one of six diets: commercial shrimp feed, reference sea urchin feed, collected dried sea urchin egesta, collected wet sea urchin egesta, half ration of shrimp feed and half collected wet sea urchin egesta, and egesta naturally produced by two sea urchins in polyculture. Equivalent dry matter amounts of each diet were proffered to shrimp in each treatment twice daily, except for those that had complete access to natural egesta excreted by sea urchins in polyculture. Sea urchins were proffered a reference sea urchin feed at 2% body weight daily. After 27 days, shrimp proffered collected dried or wet egesta did not differ significantly in percent weight gain and showed the lowest weight gain. The percent weight gain of shrimp fed the commercial shrimp diet did not differ significantly from that of the shrimp fed half commercial shrimp diet and half egesta. The highest weight gain was recorded for those shrimp that consumed the untouched egesta produced by sea urchins in polyculture. These data suggest that consumed egesta have noteworthy nutritional value and therefore would be beneficial to the culture of extractive species in an integrated multitrophic aquaculture system.     

Determining contemporary and historical sediment sources in a large drainage basin impacted by cumulative effects: the regulated Nechako River,British Columbia,Canada

Purpose

Sediment dynamics in most large river basins are influenced by a variety of different natural and anthropogenic pressures, and disentangling these cumulative effects remains a challenge. This study determined the contemporary and historical sources of fine-grained (<?63-μm) sediment in a large, regulated river basin and linked changes in sources to activities in the basin. The river has seen declines in chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, and the endangered Nechako white sturgeon populations, and sediment (both fine-grained and sands) transport and deposition have been identified as potential causes of these declines.

Materials and methods

Samples of suspended sediment and potential source materials were collected from numerous sites distributed throughout the upper Nechako River Basin in British Columbia, Canada. A floodplain sediment core was also collected in order to reconstruct sediment sources over the last ~?70 years. Discriminating fingerprint properties were used within the MixSIAR model to apportion sources among sub-basins and land-use types. Results were compared to records of precipitation and Nechako River discharge trends, and to changes in landscape development.

Results and discussion

Contributions from the erosion of channel banks dominated the suspended sediment load at most sites. Changes in sediment sources during the 2015 field season reflected snowmelt and patterns of water release from the Nechako Reservoir that affected the sediment-carrying capacity of tributaries and the Nechako River main stem. Spatial variations in 2015 also reflected the distribution of land use (e.g., forested or agricultural land) as well as topography (e.g., slope steepness). Over the last ~?70 years, variations in sediment sources and the characteristics of the sediment (e.g., organic matter content and particle size composition) were linked to the construction of the Kenney Dam (operational in 1954) and the impacts of deforestation by the forestry and agricultural industries. Superimposed on these have been wildfires and a major mountain pine beetle infestation leading to higher erosion rates in the affected areas.

Conclusions

The sediment source fingerprinting technique, in combination with historical information on the hydrometeorology and the land use and river management in the basin, has provided valuable information with which to understand sediment dynamics in the Nechako River Basin. Such an approach can help to disentangle how large river systems respond to a combination of natural and anthropogenic pressures.

     

Pulmonary Vein‐to‐Pulmonary Artery Ratio is an Echocardiographic Index of Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs with Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease

Background

Early recognition of left‐sided congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) is important because it influences medical therapy, timing of follow‐up, and outcome.

Hypothesis

Pulmonary vein diameter‐to‐pulmonary artery diameter ratio (PV/PA) measured by echocardiography can predict CHF.

Animals

Ninety‐eight client‐owned dogs, 37 controls, and 61 dogs with DMVD.

Methods

Prospective clinical cohort study. History, physical examination and Doppler‐echocardiography were performed. Dogs were classified as International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council class I, II or III. Congestive heart failure was identified in a subset of 56 dogs based on radiographic findings. The PV/PA was measured in bidimensional (2D) and M‐mode by 2 investigators blinded to the radiologists’ conclusions.

Results

Interobserver coefficients of variation for PV/PA acquisition and measurement were <10%. The PV/PA in control dogs was approximately 1 and increased with class of heart failure. The presence of CHF could be best predicted by measuring PV/PA in 2D echocardiography (cut‐off, 1.7; area under the curve, 0.98; CI, 0.97–0.98; P < .001) with a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 91%.

Conclusion and clinical importance

The PV/PA is a simple and reproducible echocardiographic variable that increases with class of heart failure and may help discriminate dogs in CHF from asymptomatic dogs with DMVD. Additional studies are required to determine whether PV/PA might provide additional information in the integrated interpretation of Doppler‐echocardiographic indices of left ventricular filling pressures and could be used for rapid assessment of CHF in dogs in a critical care setting.     

Variation of heartrot,sapwood infection and polyphenol extractives with provenance of Acacia mangium

Infection of heartwood by decay fungi (heartrot) is a concern for growers of Acacia mangium for solid‐wood products as the incidence can be high in some regions of Indonesia. Variation of heartrot incidence for different provenances of A. mangium was determined using two field trials in Sumatra, Indonesia. In a Riau Province trial of 21 provenances, the effect of provenance was statistically significant for natural heartrot incidence, which ranged from 1.6% to 27.2%. In a smaller trial using artificial inoculation in South Sumatra, heartwood infection incidence ranged from 39.4% to 70.8% across six provenances and both wound type and provenance were statistically significant factors. There was also significant variation in sapwood infection length related to provenance. Wood extractives (yield, total phenols, protein‐precipitable tannin and 2,3‐trans‐3,4′,7,8‐tetrahydroxyflavanone) were quantified from a subsample of trees for each trial. However, no significant differences in extractive concentration were detectable according to provenance and evidence for a relationship between heartwood extractives and heartrot incidence was generally poor. While further studies need to be completed to establish the basis for heartrot incidence, results from these trials allow for recommendations on provenance selection to reduce heartrot incidence and provide information for further genetic selection programmes.     

Leaf photosynthesis, respiration and stomatal conductance in six Eucalyptus species native to mesic and xeric environments growing in a common garden

Trees adapted to mesic and xeric habits may differ in a suite of physiological responses that affect leaf-level carbon balance, including the relationship between photosynthesis (A) and respiration at night (R(n)). Understanding the factors that regulate physiological function in mesic and xeric species is critical for predicting changes in growth and distribution under changing climates. In this study, we examined the relationship between A and R(n), and leaf traits that may regulate A and R(n), in six Eucalyptus species native to mesic or xeric ecosystems, during two 24-h cycles in a common garden under high soil moisture. Peak A and R(n) generally were higher in xeric compared with mesic species. Across species, A and R(n) covaried, correlated with leaf mass per area, leaf N per unit area and daytime soluble sugar accumulation. A also covaried with g(s), which accounted for 93% of the variation in A within species. These results suggest that A and R(n) in these six Eucalyptus species were linked through leaf N and carbohydrates. Further, the relationship between A and R(n) across species suggests that differences in this relationship between mesic and xeric Eucalyptus species in their native habitats may be largely driven by environmental factors rather than inter-specific genetic variation.     

Impact of variable [CO2] and temperature on water transport structure-function relationships in Eucalyptus

Nearly 30 years ago, Whitehead and Jarvis and Whitehead et al. postulated an elegant mechanistic explanation for the observed relationship between tree hydraulic structure and function, hypothesizing that structural adjustments promote physiological homeostasis. To date, this framework has been nearly completely overlooked with regard to varying atmospheric carbon dioxide ([CO(2)]). Here, we evaluated Whitehead's hypothesis of leaf water potential (Ψ(l)) homeostasis in faster-growing (Eucalyptus saligna) and slower-growing (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) tree saplings grown under three [CO(2)] (pre-industrial, current and future) and two temperature (ambient and ambient + 4°C) treatments. We tested for relationships between physiological (stomatal conductance and Ψ(l)) and structural (leaf and sapwood areas (A(l), A(s)), height (h), xylem conductivity (k(s))) plant variables as a function of the [CO(2)] and temperature treatments to assess whether structural variables adjusted to maintain physiological homeostasis. Structural components (A(l), A(s), h) generally increased with [CO(2)] or temperature, while g(s) was negatively correlated with [CO(2)]. Contrary to Whitehead's hypothesis, Ψ(l) did not exhibit homeostasis in either species; elevated temperatures were associated with more negative Ψ(l) in faster-growing E. saligna, and less negative Ψ(l) in slower-growing E. sideroxylon. Moreover, individual structural variables were generally uncorrelated with Ψ(l). However, across both species, the integrated hydraulic property of leaf specific hydraulic conductance (K(l)) was positively correlated with an independent calculation of K(l) determined exclusively from leaf physiological variables. These results suggest that physiological homeostasis may not apply to saplings exposed to global change drivers including [CO(2)] and temperature. Nevertheless, Whitehead et al.'s formulation identified K(l) as a sensitive measure of plant structural-physiological co-variation across species.     

Geographic variation in host fish use and larval metamorphosis for the endangered dwarf wedgemussel

1. Host fishes play a crucial role in survival and dispersal of freshwater mussels (Unionoida), particularly rare unionids at conservation risk. Intraspecific variation in host use is not well understood for many mussels, including the endangered dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) in the USA.
2. Host suitability of 33 fish species for dwarf wedgemussel glochidia (larvae) from the Delaware and Connecticut river basins was tested in laboratory experiments over 9 years. Relative suitability of three different populations of a single host fish, the tessellated darter (Etheostoma olmstedi), from locations in the Connecticut, Delaware, and Susquehanna river basins, was also tested.
3. Connecticut River basin A. heterodon metamorphosed into juvenile mussels on tessellated darter, slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus), and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr. Delaware River basin mussels metamorphosed using these three species, as well as brown trout (Salmo trutta), banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus), mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdii), striped bass (Morone saxatilis), and shield darter (Percina peltata). Atlantic salmon, striped bass, and sculpins were highly effective hosts, frequently generating 5+ juveniles per fish (JPF) and metamorphosis success (MS; proportion of attaching larvae that successfully metamorphose) ≥ 0.4, and producing juveniles in repeated trials.
4. In experiments on tessellated darters, mean JPF and MS values decreased as isolation between the mussel source (Connecticut River) and each fish source increased; mean JPF = 10.45, 6.85, 4.14, and mean MS = 0.50, 0.41, and 0.34 in Connecticut, Delaware, and Susquehanna river darters, respectively. Host suitability of individual darters was highly variable (JPF = 2–11; MS = 0.20–1.0).
5. The results show that mussel–host fish compatibility in A. heterodon differs among Atlantic coastal rivers, and suggest that hosts including anadromous Atlantic salmon and striped bass may help sustain A. heterodon in parts of its range. Continued examination of host use variation, migratory host roles, and mussel–fish interactions in the wild is critical in conservation of A. heterodon and other vulnerable mussel species.