Rapid visual assessment of spawning activity and associated habitat utilisation of sea lamprey (<i>Petromyzon marinus</i>
 Linnaeus, 1758) in a chalk stream: implications for conservation monitoring

Pinder, Adrian C.; Hopkins, Edward S.; Scott, Luke; Britton, J. Robert

doi:10.1111/jai.13010

Cited by 7 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Due to methodological constrains to the application of electric fishing beyond certain depths, existing monitoring activities are only able to target sediment beds as deep as 1 m. However, recent research developments of sea lamprey ammocoete habitat utilisation suggests preferences for deeper nurseries, i.e. >2 m (Pinder et al, 2016; Taverny et al, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This work was performed on the River Frome, Southern England, where adults spawn in the lower reaches, but with considerable inter-annual variation in numbers (Pinder et al, 2016). Sea lamprey ammocoete distribution in the River Frome is largely unknown, therefore considerable effort was allocated to identifying suitable sedimentation sites.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mating occurs in freshwater in primitive nests built by males to attract females (Guo et al, 2017). Batches of eggs are deposited within the gravel substrate where they reside for an extended larval phase (∼5-6 years) until they emerge during the ontogenetic metamorphosis from larvae (ammocoetes) to young juveniles (transformers) which then drift downstream to deeper areas of low water velocity, before settling into areas of soft sediment (Pinder, Hopkins, Scott, & Britton, 2016). Their downstream migration to sea is accomplished by successive settlement / emergence events; a process lasting at least five years (Quintella, Andrade, Espanhol, & Almeida, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Europe threats to its conservation status include river fragmentation, habitat loss and declining water quality (Pinder et al, 2016), resulting in protected status through designation under Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC). Robust population monitoring is required to ensure that populations achieve the regulatory target of ‘favourable conservation status’, with monitoring strategies usually targeting the freshwater stages, especially nest counts during spawning activity or abundance estimates of ammocoetes in the sediment (Guo et al, 2017; Mateus, Rodríguez-Muñoz, Quintella, Alves, & Almeida, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A non-invasive eDNA tool for detecting sea lamprey larvae in river sediments: analytical validation and field testing in a low abundance ecosystem

Baltazar‐Soares

Pinder

Harrison

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Anthropogenic activities are increasingly threatening aquatic biodiversity, especially anadromous species. Monitoring and conservation measures are thus required to protect, maintain, and restore imperilled populations. While many species can be surveyed using traditional capture and visual census techniques, species that use riverine habitats in a less conspicuous manner, such as sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus, can be more challenging to monitor. Sea lamprey larvae (ammocoetes) can spend several years in freshwater burrowed within soft sediments, inhibiting their detection and assessment. Here we present an environmental DNA (eDNA) assay to detect ammocoetes burrowed in the sediment. We performed a battery of tests that ensured both species-specificity of the assay as well as the capacity to detect ammocoetes when abundances are low. Experiments on burrowing activity suggested that most of the DNA released into the sediment occurs during burrowing. Overall, we demonstrated this new molecular-based tool is an efficient and effective complement to traditional monitoring activities targeting larval stages of sea lampreys.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A non-invasive eDNA tool for detecting sea lamprey larvae in river sediments: analytical validation and field testing in a low abundance ecosystem

Baltazar‐Soares

Pinder

Harrison

et al. 2020

Preprint

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show abstract

“…Notwithstanding, when used in combination to compare contiguous reaches, they may be a useful indicator of which structures are likely to be important migration obstructions, and where further studies or mitigation efforts should be focused. Ideally, adult sea lamprey should also be included in the condition assessment process, to provide a proxy for spawning effort and potentially a link between adult and ammocoete abundance, and also to quantify the impacts of putative migration obstructions (Moser et al, ; Pinder, Hopkins, Scott, & Britton, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demography of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) ammocoete populations in relation to potential spawning‐migration obstructions

Nunn

Taylor

Cowx

et al. 2017

Aquatic Conservation

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1. Recent advances in the understanding of lamprey migrations have led to concerns over the impacts of obstructions on the demography of many species. This study investigated sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) larvae (ammocoetes) in two adjacent but contrasting rivers, both designated Special Areas of Conservation under the EC Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), one (the River Wye) with a small number of potential migration obstructions in its upper reaches and one (the River Usk) with obstacles along its course. The geographical distributions, densities and age structures of the ammocoete populations were examined in relation to the locations of potential obstructions to the spawning migrations of anadromous adults. 2. A minimum of three age classes was recorded as far as 200 km upstream of the mouth of the River Wye (93% of the length of the mainstem), demonstrating that adults regularly migrate to the upper reaches of the catchment (downstream of a natural waterfall). By contrast, sea lamprey ammocoetes appeared to be absent (in suitable habitat) from 20 km (17%) of the River Usk, and there was a reduction in density, prevalence and the number of age classes upstream of two putative spawning-migration obstructions.3. This study highlights some of the potential impacts of habitat fragmentation by obstructions on the spawning migrations of anadromous species, as inferred from ammocoete demography.When used in combination to compare contiguous reaches, ammocoete densities, prevalence and age structure may be a useful indicator of which structures are likely to be important migration obstructions, and where further studies or mitigation efforts should be focused. It is likely that passage past some obstructions is enhanced if high river levels occur during the spawning migration, but there is a need to facilitate passage during all conditions, to improve access to under-exploited spawning and nursery areas.

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Cumulative impacts of habitat fragmentation and the environmental factors affecting upstream migration in the threatened sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus

Davies

Britton

Nunn

et al. 2021

Aquatic Conservation

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River ecosystems are often fragmented by artificial structures, such as weirs. For anadromous species, these structures can impede access to upstream spawning sites and ultimately lead to severe population declines. This study focused on the freshwater spawning migration of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, an anadromous species threatened by habitat fragmentation across its native range. To quantify the cumulative impacts of multiple weirs on upstream‐migrating adults, and to explore the environmental factors affecting migratory movements, passive acoustic telemetry was applied to 56 individuals during their spawning migration in the heavily fragmented River Severn basin, UK. While 89% of tagged sea lamprey passed the first weir upstream of the release site on the main river, only 4% passed the fifth weir. For 85% of migrants, the upstream extent of migration was immediately downstream of a weir. Individuals that passed weirs upstream of the release site (n = 50) took 21.6 ± 2.8 days to reach their most upstream location, experiencing cumulative passage times at weirs of 15.7 ± 2.8 days; these delays constituted a median of 84% of total upstream movement times. Multistate models showed that the weir passage rates of sea lamprey in tidal and non‐tidal areas increased significantly when downstream river level and discharge were elevated. Upstream‐to‐downstream changes in direction were frequent downstream of weirs, but rare in unobstructed river sections. The results provided evidence for a cumulative effect of multiple weirs on sea lamprey movements, substantially delaying upstream migrants and limiting their spawning to atypical habitat. The results also demonstrated the crucial roles of high tides and elevated discharge events in enabling weir passage. Although the Severn Estuary features conservation designations for sea lamprey, this study reveals that barriers are inhibiting their upstream migration, a problem that should be addressed to assist sea lamprey conservation.

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Rapid visual assessment of spawning activity and associated habitat utilisation of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, 1758) in a chalk stream: implications for conservation monitoring

Cited by 7 publications

References 29 publications

A non-invasive eDNA tool for detecting sea lamprey larvae in river sediments: analytical validation and field testing in a low abundance ecosystem

A non-invasive eDNA tool for detecting sea lamprey larvae in river sediments: analytical validation and field testing in a low abundance ecosystem

Demography of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) ammocoete populations in relation to potential spawning‐migration obstructions

Cumulative impacts of habitat fragmentation and the environmental factors affecting upstream migration in the threatened sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus

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