The use of benthic macroinvertebrates to establish a benchmark for evaluating the environmental quality of microtidal, temperate southern hemisphere estuaries

Tweedley, J.R.; Warwick, R.M.; Valesini, F.J.; Platell, M. E.; Potter, I. C.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.03.006

Cited by 47 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 58 publications

(16 reference statements)

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“…In contrast to the number of species, the total densities of fish were far higher in the Vasse and Wonnerup estuaries than in many of those systems mentioned above (Tweedley 2011). It is thus relevant that, when comparing the fish faunas of five estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia, Hoeksema et al (2009) noted that L. wallacei, A. elongata and P. olorum, the three most abundant species in the Vasse and Wonnerup estuaries, were far more abundant in the eutrophic Wellstead Estuary than in the oligotrophic Broke Inlet.…”

Section: Mean Number Of Species Density and Faunal Compositionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…These characteristics increase the residency time of water in the estuary and facilitate the trapping of fine sediments and contaminants (Patchineelam et al 1999;Tweedley et al 2016). Given the 'natural susceptibility' of microtidal estuaries, such as those in south-western Australia, to environmental degradation and the effects on these systems of increased urbanisation and eutrophication, it is unsurprising that the environmental health of some of these systems has been shown to have declined since the 1980s Tweedley et al 2012Tweedley et al , 2014.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Baseline survey of the fish fauna of a highly eutrophic estuary and evidence for its colonisation by Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

2017

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This study represents the first quantitative survey of the fish fauna of the highly eutrophic Vasse and Wonnerup estuaries, part of the Ramsar-listed Vasse-Wonnerup Wetland System in south-western Australia. Sampling at five sites in each of these estuaries occurred in January 2012 (austral summer) to provide a species inventory and determine whether the number of species, total density and fish community composition differed between the two water bodies. A total of 18,148 fish were recorded, representing six species across four families. Three species that can complete their life cycle within estuaries, i.e. the atherinids Lepthatherina wallacei and Atherinosoma elongata and the gobiid Pseudogobius olorum, dominated the fish fauna, accounting for [99% of all fish collected. No significant inter-estuary differences were observed in the mean number of species, mean total density or fish community composition. Although the fish community was depauperate in terms of the number of species, total density was high, reflecting the presence of permanent and seasonal barriers to the immigration of marine species into these estuaries and the highly productive nature of this system, respectively. Two introduced freshwater species, i.e. the Eastern Gambusia Gambusia holbrooki and the Goldfish, Carassius auratus, were recorded in the Vasse Estuary. As C. auratus was found in mesohaline conditions, individuals may be able to use the estuary as a 'saltbridge' to gain access to other tributaries and/or the Wonnerup Estuary, and thus expand their distribution. These findings are of concern given the potential deleterious biological and ecological effects of these alien species.

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Section: Mean Number Of Species Density and Faunal Compositionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Baseline survey of the fish fauna of a highly eutrophic estuary and evidence for its colonisation by Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

2017

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“…The data in Cottingham et al (2014) provided strong circumstantial evidence that the differences between the overall growth of A. where little rainfall and thus freshwater discharge occur during the warmer months of the year (Tweedley et al, 2012(Tweedley et al, , 2014.…”

Section: Trends In Growth Over Two Decadesmentioning

confidence: 91%

Factors influencing growth of Acanthopagrus butcheri (Sparidae) in a eutrophic estuary have changed over time

Cottingham

Hall

Potter

2016

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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The overall growth of Acanthopagrus butcheri in the eutrophic Swan River Estuary has previously been shown to decline between 1993-95 and 2007-11. This was attributed to the effects of an increase in hypoxia on A. butcheri in deeper water, brought about by reductions in freshwater flushing, and to density-dependent effects as this species became concentrated in the better-oxygenated, nearshore shallow waters. In the present study, a year-effect model was developed that provided a good fit to the lengths at age and could thus be used to explore the following: 1) The extent to which somatic growth of A. butcheri differed between years in the above two periods and within the later period, which was extended to include data for 2012 to 2014, and 2) whether annual growth in 2007-14 was related to temperature and/or freshwater discharge. Annual length increments for females and males during the second year of life, predicted from the model using a common initial length, were almost invariably less in each year in 2007-14 than in 1993-95. In 2007-14, these predicted increments varied by ~2 times for both females and males and were positively correlated with average temperature during the main growth phase of A. butcheri. They were not significantly correlated, however, with freshwater discharge in the preceding cool wet 'winter' months, when the vast majority of rainfall occurs.The demonstration that the growth of A. butcheri was positively correlated with temperature for years in the latter period is consistent with the metabolic theory of ecology and contrasts with M A N U S C R I P T A C C E P T E D ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT2 growth declining between 1993-95 and 2007-14 when temperatures were increasing. Thus, any influence of temperature on growth between those periods was overridden by other factors, i.e. hypoxia and increased densities. As A. butcheri completes its life cycle within its natal estuary and has plastic biological characteristics, it is an ideal candidate for use as an indicator of the health of an estuary and for hypothesising on the effects of climate change on fish species.

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“…However, they apparently disappear between those times, this trend for C. capitata being a good indication that the natural state of the upper Swan Estuary in recent years is that of nutrient-enriched sediments from widespread agricultural run-off (see Wildsmith et al, 2011;Tweedley et al, 2012). A similar pattern of apparent absence during the immediate post-storm period is beginning to be established for Paracorophium excavatum [26] and Grandidierella propodentata [27], the two most abundant and frequently occurring crustaceans (Table 1).…”

Section: Leitoscoloplos Normalis [4] Simplisetia Aequisetis [5] Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simple shade plots aid better long-term choices of data pre-treatment in multivariate assemblage studies

2013

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Shade plots, simple visual representations of abundance matrices from multivariate species assemblage studies, are shown to be an effective aid in choosing an overall transformation (or other pre-treatment) of quantitative data for long-term use, striking an appropriate balance between dominant and less abundant taxa in ensuing resemblance-based multivariate analyses. Though the exposition is entirely general and applicable to all community studies, detailed illustrations of the comparative power and interpretative possibilities of shade plots are given in the case of two estuarine assemblage studies in south-western Australia: (a) macrobenthos in the upper Swan Estuary over a two-year period covering a highly significant precipitation event for the Perth area; and (b) a wide-scale spatial study of the nearshore fish fauna from five divergent estuaries. The utility of transformations of intermediate severity is again demonstrated and, with greater novelty, the potential importance seen of further mild transformation of all data after differential down-weighting (dispersion weighting) of spatially 'clumped' or 'schooled' species. Among the new techniques utilized is a two-way form of the RELATE test, which demonstrates linking of assemblage structure (fish) to continuous environmental variables (water quality), having removed a categorical factor (estuary differences). Re-orderings of sample and species axes in the associated shade plots are seen to provide transparent explanations at the species level for such continuous multivariate patterns.

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The use of benthic macroinvertebrates to establish a benchmark for evaluating the environmental quality of microtidal, temperate southern hemisphere estuaries

Cited by 47 publications

References 58 publications

Baseline survey of the fish fauna of a highly eutrophic estuary and evidence for its colonisation by Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Baseline survey of the fish fauna of a highly eutrophic estuary and evidence for its colonisation by Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Factors influencing growth of Acanthopagrus butcheri (Sparidae) in a eutrophic estuary have changed over time

Simple shade plots aid better long-term choices of data pre-treatment in multivariate assemblage studies

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