Environmental contaminant effects on juvenile striped bass in the San Francisco Estuary, California, USA

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 393-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimmy L. Spearow ◽  
Rama S. Kota ◽  
David J. Ostrach
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Striped Bass ◽  
San Francisco Estuary ◽  
Environmental Contaminant

Early Life History of Fishes in the San Francisco Estuary and Watershed

2004 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Striped Bass ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
San Francisco Estuary ◽  
Annual Growth ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Juvenile Abundance ◽  
History Of

<em>Abstract.</em>—We investigated factors affecting growth of larval striped bass <em>Morone saxatilis </em>in the San Francisco Estuary from 1984 to 1993. We estimated ages and growth rates of larval striped bass from daily otolith increments. Mean annual growth rates of 6–14 mm standard length striped bass varied from 0.13 to 0.27mm/d, the lowest rate occurring in 1989 and the highest in 1992. The 1989 growth rate was significantly lower than all other years, and growth rates for 1992 and 1993 were significantly higher than all other years, but did not differ from one another. Differences in annual growth rates apparently were due mainly to differences in mean annual prey densities because growth rate increased as prey density increased. Compared to both laboratory measured growth rates and growth rates of field-caught Chesapeake Bay larvae, growth rates from the San Francisco Estuary appeared to be high for the food available, indicating that larvae can grow at relatively high rates even at low prey densities. Correlation analyses did not support density-dependent control of growth rates. Growth rate was not significantly related to mean annual conductivity, water temperature, mortality rates, or the juvenile abundance index, but was significantly and positively correlated with densities of 1-mm length-groups of 9–14-mm striped bass.

scholarly journals Maternal transfer of xenobiotics and effects on larval striped bass in the San Francisco Estuary

2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (49) ◽  
pp. 19354-19359 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Ostrach ◽  
J. M. Low-Marchelli ◽  
K. J. Eder ◽  
S. J. Whiteman ◽  
J. G. Zinkl
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Striped Bass ◽  
San Francisco Estuary ◽  
Maternal Transfer

Multidecadal trends for three declining fish species: habitat patterns and mechanisms in the San Francisco Estuary, California, USA

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick Feyrer ◽  
Matthew L Nobriga ◽  
Ted R Sommer
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Striped Bass ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Specific Conductance ◽  
San Francisco Estuary ◽  
Delta Smelt ◽  
Threadfin Shad

We examined a 36-year record of concurrent midwater trawl and water quality sampling conducted during fall to evaluate habitat trends for three declining fish species in the San Francisco Estuary, California, USA: delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), striped bass (Morone saxatilis), and threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense). Generalized additive modeling revealed that Secchi depth and specific conductance were important predictors of occurrence for delta smelt and striped bass, while specific conductance and water temperature were important for threadfin shad. Habitat suitability derived from model predictions exhibited significant long-term declines for each species; the southeastern and western regions of the estuary exhibited the most dramatic changes. Declines in habitat suitability were associated with anthropogenic modifications to the ecosystem. For delta smelt, an imperiled annual species endemic to the estuary, the combined effects of fall stock abundance and water quality predicted recruit abundance during recent years of chronically low food supply. Our results are consistent with existing evidence of a long-term decline in carrying capacity for delta smelt and striped bass and demonstrate the utility of long-term data sets for evaluating relationships between fish and their habitat.

scholarly journals Estuarine-terrestrial habitat gradients enhance nursery function for resident and transient fishes in the San Francisco Estuary

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 141-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
DD Colombano ◽  
AD Manfree ◽  
TA O’Rear ◽  
JR Durand ◽  
PB Moyle
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Striped Bass ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Open Water ◽  
San Francisco Estuary ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Starry Flounder

Nursery functions of US West Coast drowned river valley estuaries are not well understood. Using long-term fish-monitoring data (1995-2017) in Suisun Marsh, San Francisco Estuary, California, USA, we examined spatial and temporal trends in abundance and apparent growth of fishes with diverse life-history types. Focal species were Sacramento splittail Pogonichthys macrolepidotus, striped bass Morone saxatilis, tule perch Hysterocarpus traski, and starry flounder Platichthys stellatus, which collectively represented 55% of total catch (n = 140092). We identified keystone habitat patches that functioned as nursery hotspots during the peak young-of-the-year recruitment window. Deep, flow-through sloughs close to the open estuary were important nursery habitats for the marine transient starry flounder. In contrast, splittail and striped bass mostly migrated through such corridors to rear in shallow, dead-end sloughs bisecting tidal marsh plains, managed tidal ponds, and uplands. Tule perch were concentrated in shallow, interior sloughs, reflecting their resident life-history type and adaptations to variable conditions in a small home range. Interactions among freshwater flows and stationary habitat features (e.g. channel depth, land-to-open-water ratio) were related to fish abundance; however, species and age classes differed in their relationships to these interactions, suggesting a mechanism for habitat partitioning in space and time. Overall, we inferred that habitat connectivity—longitudinal, lateral, and vertical—along the estuarine-terrestrial gradient was a driver of fish species diversity and productivity. Consideration of seascape-landscape dynamics across multiple spatial and temporal scales in estuaries should help maintain or increase fish populations and ecological resilience in the face of rising sea levels and other environmental stressors.

Early Life History of Fishes in the San Francisco Estuary and Watershed

2004 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Striped Bass ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
San Francisco Estuary ◽  
Delta Smelt ◽  
History Of ◽  
Acanthogobius Flavimanus ◽  
Longfin Smelt

<em>Abstract.</em>—We analyzed data on spring and summertime larval and juvenile fish distribution and abundance in the upper San Francisco Estuary (SFE), California between 1995 and 2001. The upper SFE includes the tidal freshwater areas of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta downstream to the euryhaline environment of San Pablo Bay. The sampling period included years with a variety of outflow conditions. Fifty taxa were collected using a larval tow net. Two common native species, delta smelt <em>Hypomesus transpacificus </em>and longfin smelt <em>Spirinchus thaleichthys</em>, and four common alien taxa, striped bass <em>Morone saxatilis</em>, threadfin shad <em>Dorosoma petenense</em>, gobies of the genus <em>Tridentiger</em>, and yellowfin goby <em>Acanthogobius flavimanus</em>, were selected for detailed analysis. Outflow conditions had a strong influence on the geographic distribution of most of the species, but distribution with respect to the 2 psu isohaline (X2) was not affected. The distribution patterns of delta smelt, longfin smelt, and striped bass were consistent with larvae moving from upstream freshwater spawning areas to downstream estuarine rearing areas. There were no obvious relationships of outflow with annual abundance indices. Our results support the idea of using X2 as an organizing principle in understanding the ecology of larval fishes in the upper SFE. Additional years of sampling will likely lead to additional insights into the early life history of upper SFE fishes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document