Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.5
3.4
Journals
Water
Special Issues
The Effects of Aquatic Habitat Restoration or Degradation on Fish...
share announcement

The Effects of Aquatic Habitat Restoration or Degradation on Fish Production

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity and Functionality of Aquatic Ecosystems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2017) | Viewed by 29628

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. James H. Cowan, Jr.

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Louisiana State University 2247 Engergy, Coast & Environment Bldg, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-7503, USA
Interests: estuarine ecology; trophic ecology; built habitats; natural reefs; coastal restoration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of the journal Water will be devoted to “The Effects of Aquatic Habitat Restoration or Degradation on Fish Production”. Aquatic habitats worldwide are in a state of flux. Sea level is rising, the oceans are becoming more acidic and patterns of precipitation are changing dramatically. However, not all aquatic habitats will be degraded by these changes. For example, sea grasses may benefit and expand their range, grow more rapidly and increase in value as nursery habitat for young fishes in response to climate change. In addition, built habitats are being created to mitigate losses of salt marshes and mangroves, and artificial reefs are being used to reduce the effects of boat strikes on coral reefs. Rivers are being made to flow more naturally by the removal of dams. Water quality is being improved in rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal oceans by lowering the concentrations of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, that are being discharged. In truth, there are countless examples of both habitat degradation and restoration of aquatic habitats. The goal of this Special Issue is to highlight outstanding scientific research that provides examples of aquatic habitat changes and their effects on fish production.

Prof. Dr. James H. Cowan, Jr
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aquatic habitats
  • restoration
  • built habits
  • trophic dynamics and food webs
  • degradation
  • climate change

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

2476 KiB  
Article
Short-Term Impacts of Remeandering Restoration Efforts on Fish Community Structure in a Fourth-Order Stream
by Jennifer M. Clark and Justin J. Montemarano
Water 2017, 9(7), 546; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9070546 - 20 Jul 2017
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4707
Abstract
Channel reconfiguration is a common but debated method used to restore streams, often causing disturbance and producing subsequent negative impacts on biota. Here, we report results from short-term assessment (i.e., one and three years’ post-restoration) of habitat variables (e.g., reach depth, substrate, and [...] Read more.
Channel reconfiguration is a common but debated method used to restore streams, often causing disturbance and producing subsequent negative impacts on biota. Here, we report results from short-term assessment (i.e., one and three years’ post-restoration) of habitat variables (e.g., reach depth, substrate, and canopy cover) and fish community composition and structure (using electrofishing surveys; e.g., proportion of juveniles and tolerant fishes) from a 675 m section of Eagle Creek (Portage County, OH, USA) restored using channel remeandering in August 2013. Mesohabitat analysis was not conducted as part of this study. Sites upstream and downstream of restoration efforts were also monitored. Surveys were completed in 10 separate 50 m stretches: one upstream control site, three new channel sites, two old channel sites, and three downstream sites. Following restoration, fish communities in downstream sites became more similar to new channel sites and diverged from the upstream control site over time, as reflected in increased proportions of juvenile and tolerant fishes. Shifts in fish communities were not explained by habitat variables. Diversity was significantly lower in new channel sites post-restoration than in the upstream control, while downstream sites remained similarly high in diversity compared to the upstream control site over time. Overall, in the short-term, new channel colonizing communities were unable to recover to reflect upstream community composition and structure, and fish communities downstream of restoration were negatively impacted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Aquatic Habitat Restoration or Degradation on Fish Production)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

3501 KiB  
Article
Successes of Restoration and Its Effect on the Fish Community in a Freshwater Tidal Embayment of the Potomac River, USA
by Kim De Mutsert, Amanda Sills, C. J. Carroll Schlick and R. Christian Jones
Water 2017, 9(6), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9060421 - 11 Jun 2017
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6649
Abstract
After a local wastewater treatment plant significantly reduced phosphorus loading into a phytoplankton-dominated tributary of the Potomac River in the early 1980s, water quality and biological communities were monitored bi-weekly from April to September. After a 10-year time-lag, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), once [...] Read more.
After a local wastewater treatment plant significantly reduced phosphorus loading into a phytoplankton-dominated tributary of the Potomac River in the early 1980s, water quality and biological communities were monitored bi-weekly from April to September. After a 10-year time-lag, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), once abundant in this freshwater tidal embayment, returned to the area in 1993. After additional reductions in nitrogen load starting in 2000, the system switched to an SAV-dominated state in 2005. Fish abundance did not change during these distinct phase changes, but the fish community structure did. Increases in SAV provided refuge and additional spawning substrate for species with adhesive eggs such as Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus), which is now the most abundant species in the embayment. Other changes observed were a decrease in the relative contribution of open water dwelling species such as White Perch (Morone americana), and an increase of visual predators such as Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides). The 30-year record of data from this Potomac River tributary has revealed important long-term trends that validate the effectiveness of initiatives to reduce excess nutrient inputs, and will aid in the continued management of the watershed and point-source inputs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Aquatic Habitat Restoration or Degradation on Fish Production)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

6892 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Sediment Diversion Operations: Working Group Recommendations for Integrating Complex Ecological and Social Landscape Interactions
by Natalie S. Peyronnin, Rex H. Caffey, James H. Cowan, Dubravko Justic, Alexander S. Kolker, Shirley B. Laska, Alex McCorquodale, Earl Melancon, John A. Nyman, Robert R. Twilley, Jenneke M. Visser, John R. White and James G. Wilkins
Water 2017, 9(6), 368; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9060368 - 24 May 2017
Cited by 55 | Viewed by 10061
Abstract
Future conditions of coastal Louisiana are highly uncertain due to the dynamic nature of deltas, climate change, tropical storms, and human reliance on natural resources and ecosystem services. Managing a system in which natural and socio-economic components are highly integrated is inherently difficult. [...] Read more.
Future conditions of coastal Louisiana are highly uncertain due to the dynamic nature of deltas, climate change, tropical storms, and human reliance on natural resources and ecosystem services. Managing a system in which natural and socio-economic components are highly integrated is inherently difficult. Sediment diversions are a unique restoration tool that would reconnect the Mississippi River to its deltaic plain to build and sustain land. Diversions are innately adaptable as operations can be modified over time. An expert working group was formed to explore how various operational strategies may affect the complex interactions of coastal Louisiana’s ecological and social landscape and provide preliminary recommendations for further consideration and research. For example, initial operations should be gradually increased over 5 to 10 years to facilitate the development of a distributary channel network, reduce flood risk potential to communities, limit erosion of adjacent marshes and reduce stress to vegetation and fish and wildlife species. Diversions should operate over winter peaks to capture the highest sediment concentration, reduce vegetation loss while dormant, and reduce detrimental effects to fish and wildlife. Operations during the spring/summer should occur over shorter periods to capture the highest sediment load during the rising limb of the flood peak and minimize impacts to the ecosystem. Operational strategies should strive to build and sustain as much of the coastal landscape as possible while also balancing the ecosystem and community needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Aquatic Habitat Restoration or Degradation on Fish Production)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

5262 KiB  
Article
Annual Changes in Seasonal River Water Temperatures in the Eastern and Western United States
by Tyler Wagner, Stephen R. Midway, Joanna B. Whittier, Jefferson T. DeWeber and Craig P. Paukert
Water 2017, 9(2), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9020090 - 04 Feb 2017
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7360
Abstract
Changes in river water temperatures are anticipated to have direct effects on thermal habitat and fish population vital rates, and therefore, understanding temporal trends in water temperatures may be necessary for predicting changes in thermal habitat and how species might respond to such [...] Read more.
Changes in river water temperatures are anticipated to have direct effects on thermal habitat and fish population vital rates, and therefore, understanding temporal trends in water temperatures may be necessary for predicting changes in thermal habitat and how species might respond to such changes. However, many investigations into trends in water temperatures use regression methods that assume long-term monotonic changes in temperature, when in fact changes are likely to be nonmonotonic. Therefore, our objective was to highlight the need and provide an example of an analytical method to better quantify the short-term, nonmonotonic temporal changes in thermal habitat that are likely necessary to determine the effects of changing thermal conditions on fish populations and communities. To achieve this objective, this study uses Bayesian dynamic linear models (DLMs) to examine seasonal trends in river water temperatures from sites located in the eastern and western United States, regions that have dramatically different riverine habitats and fish communities. We estimated the annual rate of change in water temperature and found little evidence of seasonal changes in water temperatures in the eastern U.S. We found more evidence of warming for river sites located in the western U.S., particularly during the fall and winter seasons. Use of DLMs provided a more detailed view of temporal dynamics in river thermal habitat compared to more traditional methods by quantifying year-to-year changes and associated uncertainty, providing managers with the information needed to adapt decision making to short-term changes in habitat conditions that may be necessary for conserving aquatic resources in the face of a changing climate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Aquatic Habitat Restoration or Degradation on Fish Production)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop