Identifying river of origin for age-0 Scaphirhynchus sturgeons in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers using fin ray microchemistry

Abstract

Understanding linkages between natal and nursery habitats is critical for conservation of riverine fishes. Scaphirhynchus sturgeons inhabiting the middle Mississippi River may originate from the Missouri or Mississippi rivers, although relative importance of these recruitment sources is unknown. We characterized the relationship between water and sturgeon fin ray Sr:Ca, verified shifts in water Sr:Ca are recorded in age-0 sturgeon fin rays, and determined whether age-0 sturgeons from the Mississippi and Missouri rivers exhibited distinct fin ray Sr:Ca signatures. Fin ray Sr:Ca of laboratory-reared fish reflected transfer from water with elevated Sr:Ca to ambient water 1 day posthatch, indicating that short-term residency in environments can be detected. Nine of 30 age-0 fish captured in the middle Mississippi River were Missouri River emigrants. Four of these emigrants originated in the upper portion of the lower Missouri River (≥589 km upstream from its mouth), where water Sr:Ca is higher compared with the lowermost section of the Missouri River and the Mississippi River. Twenty-five of 30 fish collected from the lowermost section of the Missouri River originated within this river segment; the remainder originated upriver. Fin ray Sr:Ca enables identification of natal river segment for age-0 sturgeons and contributions of river segments to sturgeon recruitment.

Abiotic Attributes Surrounding Alluvial Islands Generate Critical Fish Habitat

“…Age‐0 sturgeon drift long distances before settling (Braaten et al ., ). In fact, microchemistry analysis suggests that some age‐0 sturgeon in the MMR originate as far upstream as 1000 km in the Missouri River (Phelps et al ., ; Porreca, unpublished data). Thus, critical habitats need to be present throughout the cline of large rivers like the Mississippi.…”

Abiotic Attributes Surrounding Alluvial Islands Generate Critical Fish Habitat

“…Age‐0 sturgeon drift long distances before settling (Braaten et al ., ). In fact, microchemistry analysis suggests that some age‐0 sturgeon in the MMR originate as far upstream as 1000 km in the Missouri River (Phelps et al ., ; Porreca, unpublished data). Thus, critical habitats need to be present throughout the cline of large rivers like the Mississippi.…”

Limestone Remediation of an Acidic Stream Creates a Microchemical Batch Mark for Brook Trout within an Appalachian Watershed

“…Because few fin rays were confidently processed due to lack of experience with fin ray preparation and an uncertainty as to whether the fin ray was truly ablated, they were removed from statistical analyses. However, our results were consistent with patterns from other fishes showing similar Ca and Sr values deposited in fin rays and otoliths (Clarke et al 2007; Phelps et al 2012, 2017; Tzadik et al 2017), suggesting this as a promising alternative to sampling otoliths for future research efforts.…”

Relationships between water and paddlefish Polyodon spathula dentary elemental and stable‐isotopic signatures: potential application for reconstructing environmental history

“…Differences in water Sr:Ca, δ 18 O and δ D among rivers and lakes sampled in this study were consistent with geographic differences in these markers documented by prior studies (Coplen & Kendall, ; Kelly et al , ; Smith & Whitledge, 2011 a ; Phelps et al , ). Inter‐annual persistence of differences in water Sr:Ca and δ 18 O among the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and their tributaries has been reported previously (Smith & Whitledge, 2011 a ; Zeigler & Whitledge, ; Phelps et al , ; Norman & Whitledge, ) and probably accounts for the ability to reliably distinguish P. spathula collected from locations that differed in water Sr:Ca, δ D and δ 18 O even though fish collections at the sampling sites occurred during different years. Differences in water δ 18 O and δ D among P. spathula collection sites were primarily a consequence of geographic patterns in precipitation δ 18 O and δ D that are reflected in surface waters, with lakes and rivers exhibiting increasingly negative water δ 18 O and δ D values with decreasing latitude and increasing distance from oceans (Kendall & Caldwell, ).…”

Abiotic Attributes Surrounding Alluvial Islands Generate Critical Fish Habitat

“…Age‐0 sturgeon drift long distances before settling (Braaten et al ., ). In fact, microchemistry analysis suggests that some age‐0 sturgeon in the MMR originate as far upstream as 1000 km in the Missouri River (Phelps et al ., ; Porreca, unpublished data). Thus, critical habitats need to be present throughout the cline of large rivers like the Mississippi.…”

Limestone Remediation of an Acidic Stream Creates a Microchemical Batch Mark for Brook Trout within an Appalachian Watershed

“…Because few fin rays were confidently processed due to lack of experience with fin ray preparation and an uncertainty as to whether the fin ray was truly ablated, they were removed from statistical analyses. However, our results were consistent with patterns from other fishes showing similar Ca and Sr values deposited in fin rays and otoliths (Clarke et al 2007; Phelps et al 2012, 2017; Tzadik et al 2017), suggesting this as a promising alternative to sampling otoliths for future research efforts.…”

Relationships between water and paddlefish Polyodon spathula dentary elemental and stable‐isotopic signatures: potential application for reconstructing environmental history

“…Differences in water Sr:Ca, δ 18 O and δ D among rivers and lakes sampled in this study were consistent with geographic differences in these markers documented by prior studies (Coplen & Kendall, ; Kelly et al , ; Smith & Whitledge, 2011 a ; Phelps et al , ). Inter‐annual persistence of differences in water Sr:Ca and δ 18 O among the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and their tributaries has been reported previously (Smith & Whitledge, 2011 a ; Zeigler & Whitledge, ; Phelps et al , ; Norman & Whitledge, ) and probably accounts for the ability to reliably distinguish P. spathula collected from locations that differed in water Sr:Ca, δ D and δ 18 O even though fish collections at the sampling sites occurred during different years. Differences in water δ 18 O and δ D among P. spathula collection sites were primarily a consequence of geographic patterns in precipitation δ 18 O and δ D that are reflected in surface waters, with lakes and rivers exhibiting increasingly negative water δ 18 O and δ D values with decreasing latitude and increasing distance from oceans (Kendall & Caldwell, ).…”

Abiotic Attributes Surrounding Alluvial Islands Generate Critical Fish Habitat

“…Age‐0 sturgeon drift long distances before settling (Braaten et al ., ). In fact, microchemistry analysis suggests that some age‐0 sturgeon in the MMR originate as far upstream as 1000 km in the Missouri River (Phelps et al ., ; Porreca, unpublished data). Thus, critical habitats need to be present throughout the cline of large rivers like the Mississippi.…”

Limestone Remediation of an Acidic Stream Creates a Microchemical Batch Mark for Brook Trout within an Appalachian Watershed

“…Because few fin rays were confidently processed due to lack of experience with fin ray preparation and an uncertainty as to whether the fin ray was truly ablated, they were removed from statistical analyses. However, our results were consistent with patterns from other fishes showing similar Ca and Sr values deposited in fin rays and otoliths (Clarke et al 2007; Phelps et al 2012, 2017; Tzadik et al 2017), suggesting this as a promising alternative to sampling otoliths for future research efforts.…”

Relationships between water and paddlefish Polyodon spathula dentary elemental and stable‐isotopic signatures: potential application for reconstructing environmental history

“…Differences in water Sr:Ca, δ 18 O and δ D among rivers and lakes sampled in this study were consistent with geographic differences in these markers documented by prior studies (Coplen & Kendall, ; Kelly et al , ; Smith & Whitledge, 2011 a ; Phelps et al , ). Inter‐annual persistence of differences in water Sr:Ca and δ 18 O among the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and their tributaries has been reported previously (Smith & Whitledge, 2011 a ; Zeigler & Whitledge, ; Phelps et al , ; Norman & Whitledge, ) and probably accounts for the ability to reliably distinguish P. spathula collected from locations that differed in water Sr:Ca, δ D and δ 18 O even though fish collections at the sampling sites occurred during different years. Differences in water δ 18 O and δ D among P. spathula collection sites were primarily a consequence of geographic patterns in precipitation δ 18 O and δ D that are reflected in surface waters, with lakes and rivers exhibiting increasingly negative water δ 18 O and δ D values with decreasing latitude and increasing distance from oceans (Kendall & Caldwell, ).…”