scholarly journals The biology and ecology of slimy sculpin: A recipe for effective environmental monitoring

FACETS ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Gray ◽  
R. Allen Curry ◽  
Tim J. Arciszewski ◽  
Kelly R. Munkittrick ◽  
Sandra M. Brasfield
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Monitoring ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Collection Efficiency ◽  
Cottus Cognatus ◽  
Slimy Sculpin ◽  
Basic Biology ◽  
Small Home Range ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Environmental Effects Monitoring

Recently, the use of small-bodied fish in environmental monitoring has increased, particularly within the Canadian environmental effects monitoring (EEM) and other adaptive programs. Although it is possible to measure changes with many small-bodied species, interpretation is often complicated by the absence of information on the biology and ecology of fish not of commercial, recreational, or traditional interest. Knowing and understanding the basic biology of these fishes aids in the sensitivity of study designs (i.e., ability to detect change) and the interpretation of all biological levels of responses (e.g., cellular to community). The increased use of slimy sculpin ( Cottus cognatus Richardson, 1836) in impact assessment studies in North America provides a considerable amount of information on life history aspects. The slimy sculpin has the most ubiquitous North American distribution among cottids but yet has a very small home range, thus integrating environmental conditions of localized areas. This paper describes aspects of slimy sculpin life cycle that affect collection efficiency and timing, and describes and provides data collected over more than 10 years of studies at more than 20 reference study sites. This overview provides a functional and informative compilation to support adaptive environmental monitoring and provide a baseline for comparative ecological study.

Site fidelity of slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus): insights from stable carbon and nitrogen analysis

2004 ◽  
Vol 61 (9) ◽  
pp. 1717-1722 ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Gray ◽  
R A Cunjak ◽  
K R Munkittrick
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Fish Muscle ◽  
Sentinel Species ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Cottus Cognatus ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Slimy Sculpin

Concerns regarding sentinel species for assessing environmental impacts include residency, abundance, and suitability for measuring responses, if effects are to be attributable to local conditions. Stable isotope analysis was used as a tool to investigate site fidelity of slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) to establish residency and exposure for the sculpin. We predicted that sculpin collected from sites adjacent to agricultural activity would show higher δ15N values than those collected from sites in forested areas because of isotopic enrichment by fertilizers in the former. The predominant use of chemical fertilizer applications in the region, however, resulted in no specific enrichment of 15N in sculpin collected in the agricultural region. However, there was an incremental enrichment in the fish muscle tissue of approximately 5‰ in δ13C values in a downstream direction, irrespective of surrounding land use. As a result, the dual-isotope comparison was successful at demonstrating site-specific isotopic signatures across sites for 30 km of the river system. The site-specific signatures suggest that slimy sculpin are not moving considerable distances among sites and are incorporating their isotopic signatures over a narrow spatial scale. The results support the use of the slimy sculpin as a sentinel species for investigating site-specific environmental impacts.

scholarly journals ANALISIS VEGETASI DI PULAU BINTAN, KEPULAUAN RIAU

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bayu Arief Pratama ◽  
Edi Mirmanto
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Small Islands ◽  
Vegetation Analysis ◽  
Strong Relation ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Riau Archipelago ◽  
Common Tree

Ecological study with special attention to vegetation analysis has been done in the Bintan forest area, Riau Archipelago. Based on three sampling plots of 30 × 30 m, there were 73 tree (dbh ≥ 5 cm) species were recorded, belong to 64 genera and 32 families. The density is fairly high (1,485 individuals /ha) with total basal area relatively low (27.71 m2/ha).  Its indicates that most of trees are small size. Similarity index among study sites are relatively low (< 25 %), indicates that there is strong relation between habitat and species composition. Out of the 6 most common tree species in the study area, only Dipterocarpus gracillis was dominant in 2 study sites. Overall species diversity is relatively low, which is characteristic of forest vegetation on small islands. 

Non-Lethal Sampling Methods for Assessing Environmental Impacts Using a Small-Bodied Sentinel Fish Species

2002 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Gray ◽  
Allen R. Curry ◽  
Kelly R. Munkittrick
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Paper Mills ◽  
The Past ◽  
Slimy Sculpin ◽  
Receiving Waters ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Fisheries Act

Abstract Under the Canadian Fisheries Act, pulp and paper mills and metal mines must conduct a cyclical monitoring program for potential environmental effects that includes a fish survey. Study designs for the fish survey have been evolving over the past few years, and there has been increased emphasis on the use of small-bodied fish species. Increasing concerns about the potential impacts of sampling programs on the fish populations in smaller receiving waters have led us to develop non-lethal sampling methodologies that will satisfy the information requirements for the environmental effects monitoring program. This manuscript outlines the use of a non-lethal sampling program to collect information on age distributions, growth rates, reproductive performance and fish condition in populations of slimy sculpin inhabiting forested and agricultural sections of a small New Brunswick river.

IMPACTS OF NONPOINT INPUTS FROM POTATO FARMING ON POPULATIONS OF SLIMY SCULPIN (COTTUS COGNATUS)

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 2291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Gray ◽  
R. Allen Curry ◽  
Kelly R. Munkittrick
Keyword(s):  
Cottus Cognatus ◽  
Slimy Sculpin

Fecundity of the Slimy Sculpin, Cottus cognatus, in Lake Michigan

Copeia ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 1976 (4) ◽  
pp. 802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey W. Foltz
Keyword(s):  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Cottus Cognatus ◽  
Slimy Sculpin
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