Accuracy of catch-effort methods for estimating fish density and biomass in streams

1980 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Mahon
2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Costa Bonecker ◽  
Fábio de Azevedo ◽  
Nadson Ressyé Simões

AIM: This study evaluated whether the size structure of the zooplankton community, as analyzed from density and biomass, would be influenced by bottom-up and/or top-down mechanisms in isolated lakes from the Upper Paraná River floodplain during dry and rainy periods. METHODS: zooplankton individuals were classified as: smaller-sized (<300 µm), intermediate-sized (301 to 600 µm) and larger-sized (greater than 601 µm). Fish abundance was indexed by the capture per unit effort (CPUE; number of individuals.100 m-2). Productivity was measured as chlorophyll-a. RESULTS: The size structure of the community did not show significant relationship with chlorophyll-a concentration (p > 0.05), but it was associated to the increase in fish density during the dry season. The percentage of individuals with intermediate sizes (301 to 600 µm), in both biomass and density, was positively related to the fish density (R2 = 0.78 for biomass, p < 0.001; R2 = 0.58 for density, p = 0.02), indicating an increase numerical and mass of this size class with fish density. The percentage of larger-sized individuals (>600 µm), in both biomass (R2 = 0.86, p < 0.001) and density (R2 = 0.69, p = 0.02) was negatively associated to the fish density, reflecting a decrease of this size class with the increase of fish in the environment. CONCLUSIONS: This can implicate a direct and negative effect of the predation on larger-sized individuals, as well as indirect and positive effect on the intermediate-sized individuals, but it occurred only on dry season. Thus, different mechanisms act on the size structure of the zooplankton community between dry and rainy season.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 2170
Author(s):  
Anna M. Lavelle ◽  
Michael A. Chadwick ◽  
Daniel D. A. Chadwick ◽  
Eleri G. Pritchard ◽  
Nicolas R. Bury

Geomorphological alterations, hydrological disconnectivity and water pollution are among the dominant pressures affecting ecological integrity in urban streams. River restoration approaches often involve utilising in-stream structures to encourage flow heterogeneity and promote habitat diversity. However, few studies examine the success of such projects. In this study, fish density, biomass and community structure at paired restored and unrestored reaches across five tributaries of the River Thames were examined. Fish density varied among rivers and reaches but was generally higher at restored sites. Restored sites also exhibited higher overall fish biomass, attributed mainly to the presence of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) at the River Wandle. Despite higher density and biomass values at restored sites, the community structure analysis did not identify strong links between either river or restoration status using either species-specific density or biomass. Our results highlight that although reach-scale restoration can lead to localised increases in species density and biomass, this may chiefly be due to aggregation owing to preferential habitats created through restoration activities at these sites. Over larger spatial scales, significant improvements to species richness and diversity are likely to be limited due to the poor water quality and disconnected nature of these urban streams. Whilst reach-scale restoration clearly has the potential to provide preferential habitats for fish species, future efforts should focus on improving connectivity for fish across the wider Thames basin network by removing barriers to passage, improving water quality, restoring watershed processes and creating well-connected, diverse habitats which can facilitate the survival of a wide array of fish species throughout their life cycle.


2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 1540-1552 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S Schwartz ◽  
Edwin E Herricks

A stage-specific habitat classification scheme was developed emphasizing the ecological importance of habitat space as flow refugia for fish. Habitat units were based on planform and channel morphology and the resulting three-dimensional hydraulic patterns that form during floods. Fish were sampled in specific habitat patches using prepositioned areal electrofishing devices at two high-flow stages, near bankfull flow and one-half bankfull flow, during a flood. Fish were also sampled at baseflow immediately following the flood to compare changes in habitat use related to flow stage. During the bankfull stage, fish were found to use floodplain habitat units identified as vegetated point bars and concave-bank benches. During the one-half bank-full stage, fish density and biomass were greater in low-velocity habitat units identified as deflection eddies and expansion eddies than in the high-velocity habitat unit identified as the channel thalweg. Once flow returned to baseflow, fish density and biomass were greater in the main channel habitat units (pools, riffles, and glides) than in lateral habitat units identified as submerged point bars and lateral backwaters. This study provided a framework to quantify flow refugia in low-gradient streams, which is especially important in the restoration of anthropogenically disturbed watersheds that have lost habitat connectivity.


1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 2095-2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Gordoa ◽  
Carlos M. Duarte

Data on hake (Merluccius capensis and Merluccius paradoxus) abundance along the Namibian coast showed both species to have strongly aggregated spatial distributions. In addition, average fish size increased with depth, suggesting that the formation of hake aggregation is based on size-dependent shoaling behaviour. Hake spacing was size dependent with areal fish density and biomass being scaled to the −5 and −2 power, respectively, of fish length. The equations describing the size dependence of the areal fish density were log density (fish∙m−2) = 5.06-4.91 log size (cm) for M. capensis and log density (fish∙m−2) = 5.28-4.74 log size (cm) for (M. paradoxus). The maximum areal densities, presumably corresponding to those within the shoals, exceeded those described by the equations above by 20- and 13-fold for M. capensis and M. paradoxus, respectively. The size dependence of hake spacing implies that fishing pressure targeting aggregates of small hake (i.e. shallow shoals) should have a disproportionate effect on fish mortality and recruitment compared with similar fishing pressure targeting aggregates of larger hake (i.e. deep shoals).


2020 ◽  
Vol 655 ◽  
pp. 139-155
Author(s):  
DC Yates ◽  
SI Lonhart ◽  
SL Hamilton

Marine reserves are often designed to increase density, biomass, size structure, and biodiversity by prohibiting extractive activities. However, the recovery of predators following the establishment of marine reserves and the consequent cessation of fishing may have indirect negative effects on prey populations by increasing prey mortality. We coupled field surveys with empirical predation assays (i.e. tethering experiments) inside and outside of 3 no-take marine reserves in kelp forests along the central California coast to quantify the strength of interactions between predatory fishes and their crustacean prey. Results indicated elevated densities and biomass of invertebrate predators inside marine reserves compared to nearby fished sites, but no significant differences in prey densities. The increased abundance of predators inside marine reserves translated to a significant increase in mortality of 2 species of decapod crustaceans, the dock shrimp Pandalus danae and the cryptic kelp crab Pugettia richii, in tethering experiments. Shrimp mortality rates were 4.6 times greater, while crab mortality rates were 7 times greater inside reserves. For both prey species, the time to 50% mortality was negatively associated with the density and biomass of invertebrate predators (i.e. higher mortality rates where predators were more abundant). Video analyses indicated that macro-invertivore fishes arrived 2 times faster to tethering arrays at sites inside marine reserves and began attacking tethered prey more rapidly. The results indicate that marine reserves can have direct and indirect effects on predators and their prey, respectively, and highlight the importance of considering species interactions in making management decisions.


Author(s):  
Vincentius P. Siregar ◽  
Sam Wouthuyzen ◽  
Andriani Sunuddin ◽  
Ari Anggoro ◽  
Ade Ayu Mustika

Shallow marine waters comprise diverse benthic types forming habitats for reef fish community, which important for the livelihood of coastal and small island inhabitants. Satellite imagery provide synoptic map of benthic habitat and further utilized to estimate reef fish stock. The objective of this research was to estimate reef fish stock in complex coral reef of Pulau Pari, by utilizing high resolution satellite imagery of the WorldView-2 in combination with field data such as visual census of reef fish. Field survey was conducted between May-August 2013 with 160 sampling points representing four sites (north, south, west, and east). The image was analy-zed and grouped into five classes of benthic habitats i.e., live coral (LC), dead coral (DC), sand (Sa), seagrass (Sg), and mix (Mx) (combination seagrass+coral and seagrass+sand). The overall accuracy of benthic habitat map was 78%. Field survey revealed that the highest live coral cover (58%) was found at the north site with fish density 3.69 and 1.50 ind/m2at 3 and 10 m depth, respectively. Meanwhile, the lowest live coral cover (18%) was found at the south site with fish density 2.79 and 2.18  ind/m2 at 3 and 10 m depth, respectively. Interpolation on fish density data in each habitat class resulted in standing stock reef fish estimation:  LC (5,340,698 ind), DC (56,254,356 ind), Sa (13,370,154 ind), Sg (1,776,195 ind) and Mx (14,557,680 ind). Keywords: mapping, satellite imagery, benthic habitat, reef fish, stock estimation


Author(s):  
Brian J. Wilsey

Conservation programs alter herbivore stocking rates and find and protect the remaining areas that have not been plowed or converted to crops. Restoration is an ‘Acid Test’ for ecology. If we fully understand how grassland systems function and assemble after disturbance, then it should be easy to restore them after they have been degraded or destroyed. Alternatively, the idea that restorations will not be equivalent to remnants has been termed the ‘Humpty Dumpty’ hypothesis—once lost, it cannot be put back together again. Community assembly may follow rules, and if these rules are uncovered, then we may be able to accurately predict final species composition after assembly. Priority effects are sometimes found depending on species arrival orders, and they can result in alternate states. Woody plant encroachment is the increase in density and biomass of woody plants, and it is strongly affecting grassland C and water cycles.


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