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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: 25 May 2026 | Viewed by 4348

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jian Hu

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Guest Editor

Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Interests: isotope geochemistry; ecological risk assessment; heavy metal pollution; organic pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Guilin Han

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Guest Editor

Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: hydrology; hydro-geochemistry; water chemistry; water quality; aquatic geochemistry; isotopic geochemistry
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Dr. Qian Zhang

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Guest Editor

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: hydrology; hydro-geochemistry; aquatic ecology; aquatic geochemistry; isotopic geochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquatic ecosystems have faced unprecedented challenges in recent years due to natural environmental changes and human activities. Climate change, shifts in precipitation patterns, and occurrences like droughts, extreme rainfall, rising global temperatures, and ecosystem degradation have had extensive and profound impacts on aquatic ecosystems. These changes have resulted in the loss of biodiversity, habitat destruction, and the disruption of ecological processes. Excessive industrialization, urbanization, agricultural production, and other unsustainable human activities have led to the degradation of water quality and aquatic ecosystems, further disturbing their balance.

This Special Issue aims to outline our understanding of the impacts of natural environmental changes and human activities on aquatic ecosystems and the approaches to resolve these issues, providing important theoretical and practical pollution control and sustainable development solutions. This Special Issue welcomes original research and review articles, and its scope includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

The monitoring and assessment of hydrogeological changes.
The management and conservation of aquatic ecosystems.
Pollutant migration and risk assessment.
The sustainable development of aquatic ecosystems.

Dr. Jian Hu
Prof. Dr. Guilin Han
Dr. Qian Zhang
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 ecosystems
migration and transformation
source identification
risk assessment
sustainable development

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Impacts of Environmental Change and Human Activities on Aquatic Ecosystems in Water (11 articles)

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Research

21 pages, 7144 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mangrove Zonation as a Tool to Infer the Freshwater Inflow Regime in the Data-Poor Ruvu Estuary, Tanzania

by Amartya Kumar Saha and Michael Honorati Kimaro

Water 2025, 17(23), 3404; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17233404 - 28 Nov 2025

Viewed by 353

Abstract

Estuaries provide numerous ecosystem services, including fisheries, coastal community livelihoods, and resistance to saltwater intrusion. Despite this knowledge, estuaries worldwide are threatened by decreasing and/or aseasonal freshwater inflows, which negatively affect ecosystem structure and function. Sound estuarine management requires an understanding of the natural freshwater inflow regime and knowledge of the salinity tolerances of local plant and animal communities—data that are completely lacking in most estuaries. This paper describes a 2-week field survey of mangrove zonation in the Ruvu River estuary carried out during the wet–dry season transition to obtain a multi-decadal proxy for the salinity regime within the estuary. Salinity conditions arising from the mixing of freshwater inflows and sea tides influence the species composition of mangroves. The mouth of the estuary (highest salinity −35 ppt) had monospecific stands of Sonneratia alba—the mangrove with the highest salinity tolerance. Salinity decreased going upriver, from 30 ppt to 5 ppt over 13 km, with 7 other mangrove species progressively appearing in the riverbank forests, ultimately transitioning to palms and other trees intolerant of salinity (<5 ppt). The resulting map relating mangrove zonation with salinity can then be used to calibrate estuary salinity mixing models for calculating minimum freshwater inflows necessary to maintain the estuarine ecosystem. Such periodic surveys and maps can also serve to calibrate/validate remote sensing products for continued coastal vegetation monitoring. The study also reviews available information on climate and land use relating to river flow in the Ruvu basin to summarize the hydrologic vulnerability of the Ruvu estuary to climate change, land use change, and river water demands in the Basin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Environmental Change and Human Activities on Aquatic Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)

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11 pages, 1470 KB

Open AccessArticle

Response of Phytoplankton to Nutrient Limitation in the Ecological Restoration of a Subtropical Shallow Lake

by Shi Fu, Zhenmei Lin, Hu He, Kuanyi Li, Jian Gao, Zhengwen Liu and Jinlei Yu

Water 2025, 17(23), 3371; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17233371 - 26 Nov 2025

Viewed by 271

Abstract

Lake restoration, achieved through a combination of biomanipulation and the recovery of submerged macrophytes, can effectively reduce nutrient concentrations, thereby suppressing phytoplankton biomass. Nevertheless, there is limited knowledge regarding the impact of nutrient limitation in phytoplankton biomass on lake restoration efforts. We compared the changes in nutrient levels and phytoplankton biomass (measured by chlorophyll a, Chl a) between restored and unrestored areas of a subtropical shallow Lake Yiai. Furthermore, we assessed the nutrient limitation patterns in these two areas through field nutrient addition experiments conducted during the summer. Monitoring results indicated that mean concentrations of Chl a and nutrients were significantly lower (t-test p < 0.0001) in the restored area compared to the unrestored area. In the nutrient addition experiment, phytoplankton biomass was nitrogen-limited in the unrestored part, whereas it was co-limited by both nitrogen and phosphorus in the restored area. These findings suggest that nutrient limitation may serve as a crucial mechanism in sustaining low phytoplankton biomass following the restoration of shallow lakes, particularly during the summer season, with the recovery of submerged macrophytes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Environmental Change and Human Activities on Aquatic Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)

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20 pages, 2942 KB

Open AccessArticle

Zooplankton Community Responses to Eutrophication and TOC: Network Clustering in Regionally Similar Reservoirs

by Yerim Choi, Hye-Ji Oh, Geun-Hyeok Hong, Dae-Hee Lee, Jeong-Hui Kim, Sang-Hyeon Park, Jung-Ho Yun and Kwang-Hyeon Chang

Water 2025, 17(14), 2051; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17142051 - 9 Jul 2025

Viewed by 942

Abstract

This study analyzed the relationship between zooplankton communities and water quality characteristics, with a focus on total organic carbon (TOC), in 22 reservoirs within the Geum River basin that share similar climatic conditions but exhibit varying levels of pollution. Across all reservoirs, zooplankton community structures showed the highest correlations with TOC, suspended solids (SS), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and Secchi depth (SD), with stronger associations observed for rotifers and cladocerans compared to copepods. The classification of zooplankton community composition patterns, followed by an analysis of their associations with TOC concentrations, revealed relatively distinct differences between high-TOC and low-TOC reservoirs, indicating that TOC functions as a key determinant of community composition. Meanwhile, network analysis based on overall water quality characteristics indicated that patterns of water quality similarity among zooplankton-based communities differed somewhat from those based solely on TOC concentrations, suggesting that TOC may exert an independent influence on zooplankton community structure. In high-TOC reservoirs, typical eutrophic characteristics—such as elevated chlorophyll-a, total phosphorus, and suspended solids, along with reduced water transparency—were observed, accompanied by higher zooplankton abundance and a greater proportion of rotifers within the community. In contrast, low-TOC reservoirs, despite exhibiting no marked differences in other water quality variables, showed higher diversity of cladocerans alongside rotifers, further supporting the independent role of TOC in shaping zooplankton community structures. These findings highlight TOC not only as a general indicator of pollution but also as an ecologically significant factor influencing zooplankton community composition and carbon dynamics in reservoir ecosystems. They suggest that TOC should be considered a key variable in future assessments and management of lentic ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Environmental Change and Human Activities on Aquatic Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)

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22 pages, 10059 KB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptional Differences in Gills Provide Insights into the Environmental Acclimatization of Wild Topmouth Gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) from Freshwater Invasion to Saline–Alkali Waters

by Lu Liu, Yuanshuai Duan, Xuan Liu, Bin Huo, Jieya Liu, Rong Tang and Dapeng Li

Water 2025, 17(12), 1794; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17121794 - 15 Jun 2025

Viewed by 1211

Abstract

Topmouth Gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva), a typical invasive fish worldwide, has successfully invaded various aquatic ecosystems and colonized saline–alkali waters from freshwater due to its broad environmental tolerances. However, the molecular mechanisms of adaptation to saline–alkali stress for P. parva remain poorly characterized. To explore the potential genetic mechanisms, we conducted differential gene expression analysis using gill transcriptome of wild P. parva populations collected from four waters with different salinity–alkalinity levels. Comparative transcriptomics analysis showed that DEGs involved in osmoregulation, ano6, cftr, aqp1, and aqp3, were down-regulated; DEGs related to ammonia excretion, Rhcg and Rhbg, were up-regulated; DEGs for acid–base accommodation, nhe2, slc4a1, and ca2, were down-regulated while ca4 was up-regulated; and immune-system-related DEGs, il8 and il17, were down- and up-regulated, respectively, in a high saline–alkaline water environment. The DEGs were enriched in multiple KEGG pathways, such as the ribosome, thermogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, necroptosis, and HIF-1 signaling pathways. In addition, more DEGs were significantly enriched in immune-disease-related pathways in high saline–alkaline water populations. This suggests that P. parva exposed to chronic saline–alkali stress, despite survival, still needed immune system regulation to defend against potential diseases. These results revealed the gill molecular mechanisms underlying P. parva saline–alkaline adaptation and offered valuable insights into the development of saline–alkaline water aquaculture fisheries Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Environmental Change and Human Activities on Aquatic Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)

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26 pages, 41765 KB

Open AccessArticle

Trophic State Evolution of 45 Yellowstone Lakes over Two Decades: Field Data and a Longitudinal Study

by A. Woodruff Miller, Gustavious P. Williams, Rachel Huber Magoffin, Xueyi Li, Taylor Miskin, Amin Aghababaei, Pitamber Wagle, Abin Raj Chapagain, Yubin Baaniya, Peter D. Oldham, Samuel J. Oldham, Tyler Peterson, Lyle Prince, Kaylee B. Tanner, Anna C. Cardall and Daniel P. Ames

Water 2025, 17(11), 1627; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17111627 - 27 May 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1167

Abstract

From 1998 to 2024, we collected field samples at 45 selected lakes in Yellowstone National Park during the months of April through October. We estimated inflows, outflows, and Secchi depths for most lakes. We analyzed the samples for total phosphorous and chlorophyll-a. We used these data to classify the lake trophic states using the Carlson TSI (CTSI), Vollenweider (VW), and Larsen–Mercier (LM) models to assess how trophic states evolved over this 26-year period. This longitudinal dataset is unique because of its extensive 26-year time span gathered from difficult-to-access locations. We found that the data depended on lake size, lake elevation, and the month when data were collected. Most of the lakes exhibit mesotrophic conditions, with variations depending on the trophic state model used. The CTSI distribution shows median values typically between 40 and 55, while the VW and LM index distributions present a somewhat similar pattern but with fewer lakes categorized due to data requirements. We visualized temporal patterns using heatmaps and analyzed trends using the Mann–Kendall test to identify trends and if they were statistically significant. We found only four lakes with statistically significantly increasing trends and two with decreasing trends. Because of the difference in the months when data were collected, the increasing trends in three of the lakes are less certain. We found that, except for four lakes, the trophic states of Yellowstone lakes were maintained or improved over this ~20-year period. Only the trophic state of Nymph Lake clearly deteriorated. The remaining lakes had stable trophic states, with three having weak evidence of worsening conditions. This long-term dataset, which we publish for others’ use, provides an opportunity to better understand eutrophication processes and water quality dynamics in Yellowstone, providing critical information for park management and conservation efforts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Environmental Change and Human Activities on Aquatic Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)

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