Insight into how environmental change determines the production and distribution of cyanobacterial toxins is necessary for risk assessment. Management guidelines currently focus on hepatotoxins (microcystins). Increasing attention is given to other classes, such as neurotoxins (e.g., anatoxin-a) and cytotoxins (e.g., cylindrospermopsin) due to their potency. Most studies examine the relationship between individual toxin variants and environmental factors, such as nutrients, temperature and light. In summer 2015, we collected samples across Europe to investigate the effect of nutrient and temperature gradients on the variability of toxin production at a continental scale. Direct and indirect effects of temperature were the main drivers of the spatial distribution in the toxins produced by the cyanobacterial community, the toxin concentrations and toxin quota. Generalized linear models showed that a Toxin Diversity Index (TDI) increased with latitude, while it decreased with water stability. Increases in TDI were explained through a significant increase in toxin variants such as MC-YR, anatoxin and cylindrospermopsin, accompanied by a decreasing presence of MC-LR. While global warming continues, the direct and indirect effects of increased lake temperatures will drive changes in the distribution of cyanobacterial toxins in Europe, potentially promoting selection of a few highly toxic species or strains.

Diet composition and prey selection of pike (Esox lucius) were studied in Ç ivril Lake, Turkey. The lake is eutrophic in character with a surface area of ca. 64 km )2 and mean depth of 3 m. Stomach contents of 409 specimens were collected between October 2003 and April 2005. Pike diet included 10 prey fish species, two Crustaceae, four Insecta, one Hirudinae and one Amphibia. Feeding was homogeneous, with most pike specializing in prey fish and a few pike specializing on miscellaneous items. Feeding activity varied by season and ontogeny. Stomach fullness and the percentage of fish with prey were highest in spring and in small pike, while feeding intensity was lowest in winter and in large sized pike. Diet composition was dominated by fish, including Carasius gibelio, Chondrostoma meandrense, Esox lucius, Gambusia affinis, Gobio gobio, Hemigrammocapoeta kemali, Leuciscus cephalus, and Tinca tinca. Crustacea were also a significant component in spring and in small sized pike. The most important prey items were C. meandrense, Gammarus sp., H. kemali, and L. cephalus. Pike feeding in winter and summer was homogeneous, specializing mainly on fish as prey, while the diet in spring and autumn was heterogeneous with some pike specializing on Gammarus sp. Cannibalism at 8.7% was observed only in the large sized pike (>40 cm). Pike strongly preferred C. meandrense (Selectivity index V = 0.372; v 2 = 27.739; P < 0.01), G. gobio (V = 0.192; v 2 = 7.350; P < 0.01) and T. tinca (V = 0.146; v 2 = 4.257; P < 0.05) despite their low abundance in the lake. Hemigrammocapoeta kemali was the most abundant prey fish in the environment; however, it was a negatively selected food item (V = )0.358; v 2 = 25.642; P < 0.01). Cyprinus carpio also inhabits the lake, but was not preferred by pike (V = )0.056; v 2 = 0.625; P > 0.05). Accordingly, the aims of the study were to (i) describe pike diet composition; (ii) determine seasonal changes in different size groups; (iii) investigate prey selection by pike in Ç ivril Lake; and (iv) compare the results with data from other lakes. Materials and methodsÇ ivril Lake is a large wetland lake (area: 64 km )2 , mean depth: 3 m) located in the Bu¨yu¨kmenderes River basin in western Turkey and also known as Is¸ıklı Lake (Fig. 1).

Under ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic activity, which continuously challenge ecosystem resilience, an in-depth understanding of ecological processes is urgently needed. Lakes, as providers of numerous ecosystem services, face multiple stressors that threaten their functioning. Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are a persistent problem resulting from nutrient pollution and climate-change induced stressors, like poor transparency, increased water temperature and enhanced stratification. Consistency in data collection and analysis methods is necessary to achieve fully comparable datasets and for statistical validity, avoiding issues linked to disparate data sources. The European Multi Lake Survey (EMLS) in summer 2015 was an initiative among scientists from 27 countries to collect and analyse lake physical, chemical and biological variables in a fully standardized manner. This database includes in-situ lake variables along with nutrient, pigment and cyanotoxin data of 369 lakes in Europe, which were centrally analysed in dedicated laboratories. Publishing the EMLS methods and dataset might inspire similar initiatives to study across large geographic areas that will contribute to better understanding lake responses in a changing environment.

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The pike is one of the most valuable freshwater fish species in Turkey. This study was carried out in order to estimate the selectivity properties of gillnet used in pike (Esox lucius L., 1758) fishing in Çivril Lake, Turkey. The study was performed between January 2005 and December 2005 and selectivity estimates were based on six different monofilament gillnet mesh sizes (i.e. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 cm). The SELECT method was used to estimated the selectivity parameters. According to the bi-normal model, optimum model lengths for 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 cm mesh sizes were determined as 20. 99, 26.24, 31.49, 36.73, 41.98 and 47.23 cm respectively. When considering minimum landing size, the findings of the study showed that the use of gillnets of mesh size less than 8 cm should be prohibited for the fishing of E. lucius in Çivril Lake.

In this study, it is aimed to compare the yield and strength of the crayfish fyke rigged with knotless net with 210d/12 rope thickness with those of the traditional net material rigged with 210d/6 knotted net which is widely used in Turkey in fishing crayfish (Pontastacus leptodactylus, Eschscholtz, 1823). The study was carried out on a monthly basis between June 2017 and May 2018. In the study, a total of 300 fyke nets, equipped with 150 classical and 150 alternative nets, were used. The caught crayfishes were measured and weighted according to the fyke net they were caught in. A total of 3509 crayfish were caught, 1465 of which were caught with alternative fyke net and 2044 with traditional fyke net. Average CPUE value ranged from 10.93 (g/fyke net/day) to 281.14 (g/fyke net/day) for per fishing operation. Average CPUE value of the traditional gear was found to be 98.34 (g/fyke net/day) , while that of the alternative gear was determined as 79.46 (g/fyke net/day), and no statistically significant difference was found between average CPUE values (p>0.05). Average strength value of the traditional fyke net was determined as (± SE) 10.43 ± 0.27 kg, while that value in 210d / 12 knotless net was identified as 14.50 ± 0.91 kg (p<0.05). Although it has high strength, since the CPUE value of the alternative fyke net is lower by 19.20% compared to the traditional gear, it is believed that its use in crayfish fishing will not be profitable.