Impact of global climate change on fish growth, digestion and physiological status: developing a hypothesis for cause and effect relationships

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Mazumder ◽  
M. De ◽  
A. G. Mazlan ◽  
C. C. Zaidi ◽  
S. M. Rahim ◽  
...  

Global climate change is impacting and will continue to impact on marine and estuarine fish and fisheries. Data trends show climate change effects ranging from fish growth, digestion physiology and performance in marine and freshwater ecosystems. The present study was designed to develop a concept for a cause and effect understanding with respect to climate-induced temperature and salinity changes and to explain ecological findings based on physiological processes. The concept is based on a wide comparison of fish species. The preliminary conclusion can be drawn that warming will cause a shift of distribution limits for fish species with a change in growth performance, gastric evacuation performance and physiology, or even extinction of the species in the world. In association with the elevated seawater temperature growth performance will also be changed with water quality parameters, for example, salinity. Our interpretations of evidence include many uncertainties about the future of affected fish species. Therefore, it is essential to conduct research on the physiology and ecology of marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes, particularly in the tropics where comparatively little research has been conducted and where temperature fluctuation is comparatively lower. As a broader and deeper information base accumulates, researchers will be able to make more accurate predictions and forge relevant solutions.

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Sandin ◽  
Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber ◽  
Jens-Christian Svenning ◽  
Erik Jeppesen ◽  
Nikolai Friberg

Abstract Freshwater habitats and organisms are among the most threatened on Earth, and freshwater ecosystems have been subject to large biodiversity losses. We developed a Climate Change Sensitivity (CCS) indicator based on trait information for a selection of stream- and lake-dwelling Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera taxa. We calculated the CCS scores based on ten species traits identified as sensitive to global climate change. We then assessed climate change sensitivity between the six main ecoregions of Sweden as well as the three Swedish regions based on Illies. This was done using biological data from 1, 382 stream and lake sites where we compared large-scale (ecoregional) patterns in climate change sensitivity with potential future exposure of these ecosystems to increased temperatures using ensemble-modelled future changes in air temperature. Current (1961~1990) measured temperature and ensemble-modelled future (2100) temperature showed an increase from the northernmost towards the southern ecoregions, whereas the predicted temperature change increased from south to north. The CCS indicator scores were highest in the two northernmost boreal ecoregions where we also can expect the largest global climate change-induced increase in temperature, indicating an unfortunate congruence of exposure and sensitivity to climate change. These results are of vital importance when planning and implementing management and conservation strategies in freshwater ecosystems, e.g., to mitigate increased temperatures using riparian buffer strips. We conclude that traits information on taxa specialization, e.g., in terms of feeding specialism or taxa having a preference for high altitudes as well as sensitivity to changes in temperature are important when assessing the risk from future global climate change to freshwater ecosystems.


Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 385
Author(s):  
Oksana Nekrasova ◽  
Volodymyr Tytar ◽  
Mihails Pupins ◽  
Andris Čeirāns ◽  
Oleksii Marushchak ◽  
...  

The potential distribution of tropical fish species in Eastern Europe—Gambusia holbrooki (introduced for biological control) and Poecilia reticulata (aquarium species, found in waste waters of big cities)—tend to be of particular interest in terms of global climate change. After GIS modeling of our own data and findings listed in the GBIF databases (2278 points for G. holbrooki and 1410 points for P. reticulata) using the Maxent package and ‘ntbox’ package in R, 18 uncorrelated variables of 35 Bioclim climatic parameters from CliMond dataset, it was found out that by 2090 guppies will appear in the south of Ukraine (Danube river’s estuary, as well as in several places in the Caucasus and Turkey with habitat suitability > 0.3–0.5). G. holbrooki will also slightly expand its range in Europe. Limiting factors for G. holbrooki distribution are: bio1 (Annual mean temperature, optimum +12–+24 °C) and bio19 (Precipitation of coldest quarter (mm). Limiting factors for P. reticulata are: bio1 (optimum +14–+28 °C), bio4 (Temperature seasonality), bio3 (Isothermality). Unlike G. holbrooki, guppies prefer warmer waters. Such thermophilic fish species do not compete with the native ichthyofauna, but they can occupy niches in anthropogenically transformed habitats, playing an important role as agents of biological control.


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