Medium‐term environmental changes influence age‐specific survival estimates in a salmonid population

Marsh, Jessica E.; Cove, Richard J.; Britton, J. Robert; Wellard, Robert G.; House, Andy; Gregory, Stephen D.

doi:10.1111/fwb.13736

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 62 publications

(118 reference statements)

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“…Deegan et al (1999) found that in arctic streams, Arctic Grayling tended to be larger in years with warmer mean river temperatures. Similarly, Marsh et al (2021) found that the growth of wild European Grayling was positively correlated with temperature; warmer years benefited juvenile growth but were negatively correlated to survival in adults, suggesting that temperatures above optimal were present in warmer years.…”

Section: Growth Proximate Composition and Survivalmentioning

confidence: 89%

Effect of temperature on growth, survival, and chronic stress responses of Arctic Grayling juveniles

Carrillo‐Longoria,

Gaylord,

Andrews

et al. 2023

Trans Am Fish Soc

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ObjectiveArctic Grayling Thymallus arcticus are Holarctically distributed, with a single native population in the conterminous United States occurring in the Big Hole River, Montana, where water temperatures can fluctuate throughout the year from 8°C to 18°C. A gradual increase in mean water temperature has been reported in this river over the past 20 years due to riparian habitat changes and climate change effects. We hypothesized that exposing Arctic Grayling to higher temperatures would result in lower survival, decreased growth, and increased stress responses.MethodsOver a 144‐day trial, Arctic Grayling juveniles were subjected to water temperatures ranging from 8°C to 26°C to measure the effects on growth, survival, gene expression, and antioxidant enzyme activity.ResultFish growth increased with increasing water temperature up to 18°C, beyond which survival was reduced. Fish did not survive at temperatures above 22°C. In response to temperatures above 16°C, 3.0‐fold and 1.5‐fold increases in gene expression were observed for superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), respectively, but no changes were seen in the gene expression ratio of heat shock protein 70 to heat shock protein 90. Activities of the SOD and GPx enzymes also rose at temperatures above 16°C, indicating heightened oxidative stress. Catalase gene expression and enzyme activity decreased with rising temperatures, suggesting a preference for the GPx pathway, as GPx could also be providing help with lipid peroxidation. An increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was also recorded, which corresponded with rising temperatures.ConclusionOur findings thus underscore the vulnerability of Arctic Grayling to minor changes in water temperature. Further increases in mean water temperature could significantly compromise the survival of Arctic Grayling in the Big Hole River.

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Section: Growth Proximate Composition and Survivalmentioning

confidence: 89%

Effect of temperature on growth, survival, and chronic stress responses of Arctic Grayling juveniles

Carrillo‐Longoria,

Gaylord,

Andrews

et al. 2023

Trans Am Fish Soc

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“…Special Areas of Conservation and Sites of Special Scientific Interest). There are also concerns over perceived declines in some barbel Barbus barbus (L.) and grayling Thymallus thymallus (L.) populations (Antognazza et al, 2016; Marsh et al, 2021), despite being classified as Least Concern at regional level, and in the abundance of sea trout. If assessed as a separate taxonomic entity, rather than the anadromous form of brown trout, sea trout would have been classified as Vulnerable (VU A2b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…populations (Antognazza et al, 2016;Marsh et al, 2021), despite being classified as Least Concern at regional level, and in the abundance of sea trout. If assessed as a separate taxonomic entity, rather than the anadromous form of brown trout, sea trout would have been classified as Vulnerable (VU A2b).…”

Section: Extinction Risks and Threatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extinction risks and threats facing the freshwater fishes of Britain

Nunn,

Ainsworth,

Walton

et al. 2023

Aquatic Conservation

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Extinctions occur naturally in all environments, but rates have accelerated rapidly during the Anthropocene, especially in fresh water. Despite supporting many fish species of conservation importance, there has never been a formal assessment of their extinction risks in Britain, which has impeded their inclusion in relevant legislation and policy. This study therefore used the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species™ Categories and Criteria to conduct the first systematic assessment of the extinction risks and threats facing the native freshwater and diadromous fishes of Britain. In addition, national assessments were produced for England, Scotland and Wales, reflecting the level at which environmental policy decisions are taken in Britain. Seven species were categorized as being threatened with extinction at the regional level, with European eel Anguilla anguilla and allis shad Alosa alosa classified as Critically Endangered, Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, vendace Coregonus albula and European whitefish Coregonus lavaretus classified as Endangered, and Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus and twaite shad Alosa fallax classified as Vulnerable. In addition, burbot Lota lota was classified as Regionally Extinct, ferox trout Salmo ferox was categorized as Data Deficient, and 25 species were categorized as Least Concern. European sturgeon Acipenser sturio and houting Coregonus oxyrinchus, although probably native, qualified as only vagrants in fresh water, so were categorized as Not Applicable. The assessments provide objective baselines against which future changes can be determined, and a key evidence base to support policy and management decisions for the conservation of freshwater and diadromous fish species and their habitats in Britain. It is recommended that the assessments are repeated every 10 years, which would enable changes in conservation status, the effectiveness of policies and where targeted interventions may be required to be examined using the Red List Index.

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Density-dependence and environmental variability have stage-specific influences on European grayling growth

et al. 2022

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Fish somatic growth is indeterminate and can be influenced by a range of abiotic and biotic variables. With climate change forecast to increase the frequency of warming and unusual discharge events, it is thus important to understand how these variables currently influence somatic growth and how that might differ for specific age-classes and/ or life stages. Here, we used a 17-year dataset from a chalk stream in southern England to identify the abiotic and biotic influences on the growth of juvenile, sub-adult and adult life stages of European grayling (Thymallus thymallus), a cold-water riverine salmonid. The results revealed that interannual variations in grayling growth were well described by annual- and site-specific abiotic and biotic explanatory variables. We found divergent responses between life stages to increased temperature and unusual discharge during the main growth period with, for example, elevated temperatures related to increased juvenile growth but reduced sub-adult growth, and high discharge events related to increased sub-adult growth yet reduced juvenile growth. Conversely, stage-specific grayling abundance negatively influenced growth at each life stage, though only juvenile growth was impacted by the abundance of a competitor species, brown trout (Salmo trutta). These results emphasise the merits of testing a wide range of environmental and biological explanatory variables on fish growth, and across life stages. They also reveal the importance of maintaining high habitat heterogeneity in rivers to ensure all life stages can reduce their competitive interactions and have access to adequate flow and thermal refugia during periods of elevated environmental stress.

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Medium‐term environmental changes influence age‐specific survival estimates in a salmonid population

Cited by 6 publications

References 62 publications

Effect of temperature on growth, survival, and chronic stress responses of Arctic Grayling juveniles

Effect of temperature on growth, survival, and chronic stress responses of Arctic Grayling juveniles

Extinction risks and threats facing the freshwater fishes of Britain

Density-dependence and environmental variability have stage-specific influences on European grayling growth

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