The impacts of fine sediment on riverine fish

Abstract

Abstract:Elevated fine sediment input from terrestrial and aquatic sources as a result of anthropogenic activity is widely recognized to impact negatively on aquatic ecosystems. In rivers, freshwater fish are exposed to a range of impacts resulting from fine sediment pressures. To date, research on the effects of fine sediments on fish has been concentrated within relatively few families, notably the salmonidae. This paper reviews the literature describing indirect and direct impacts of fine sediment on freshwater fish as a contribution towards enhancing the understanding of the impacts of anthropogenic activities on freshwater ecosystems. We identify the causal mechanisms that underpin the observed negative response exhibited by fish populations to enhanced fine sediment loads, and the variability across different fish species.

Evidence of increase in woody vegetation in a river corridor, Northwest England, 1984–2007

“…Quantification of change in riparian cover is also important in terms of assessment and prediction of effects of agricultural and land management policies and practices, for example, the development and effectiveness of buffer zones for nutrient control (Ducros & Joyce, 2003;Howard-Williams & Pickmere, 2010;Mainstone, Dils, & Withers, 2008;Stockan, Langan, & Young, 2012) and concerns over fine sediment inputs to rivers affecting fish populations (Kemp, Sear, Collins, Naden, & Jones, 2011). Statutory agencies, therefore, need evidence to develop vegetation management policies along river corridors (Collins et al, 2010;Defra, 2012).…”

Influences of Multiscale Land Cover Characteristics and Specific Conductivity on Fish Assemblages in the Nolichucky River Watershed, Tennessee

“…This may inhibit sensitive species by smothering gill filaments, filling in crevices where they may spawn, or it may impede their ability to capture drifting invertebrate prey via reduced visual acuity. Negative effects of suspended sediments have been shown to reduce the visual acuity of the drift-feeding Rosyside Dace (Clinostomus funduloides) in Georgia [34][35]. In an experimental lab setting, suspended sediment reduced growth rate and gill condition in Whitetail Shiners (Cyprinella galactura), a common species in the southern U.S. Appalachian region, as well as Spotfin Chub (Erimonax monachus), a threatened species in the region that showed more intense negative effects than that of its more cosmopolitan relative [36].…”

Recent advances and future directions in soils and sediments research

“…While there is a considerable body of research on the impacts of sediment on aquatic ecosystems (mainly in terms of aquatic organisms like invertebrates and fish: Bilotta and Brazier 2008; Hallare et al 2011;Kemp et al 2011), there is fairly limited research on the impacts of sediment on humans. The indirect link between sediment-associated contaminants and human health has been known for a long time in terms of the role of sediment as a component within the food-chain (i.e.…”

“…There is a long history which has shown how fine-grained sediment and associated contaminants and nutrients can be detrimental to aquatic organisms (for recent reviews see: Bilotta and Brazier 2008; Jones et al 2011;Kemp et al 2011). Indeed, sediment toxicity is often assessed using aquatic organisms (Hallare et al 2011).…”