Report of a large fish kill resulting from natural acid water conditions in Australia

Brown, T. E.; Morley, A. W.; Sanderson, N. T.; Tait, R.D.

doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1983.tb04756.x

Cited by 54 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…In Australia, extensive fish kills have been reported in both naturally (Brown et al 1983) and artificially (Callinan et al 1996, Dawson 2002 drained ASS catchments along the eastern and northern coastlines. These fish kills were generally associated with acidic water (pH < 5.0) and high concentrations of dissolved aluminium (Brown et al 1983, Hart et al 1987), but also with very low levels of dissolved oxygen (Dawson 2002). The seasonal occurrence of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS), a cutaneous ulcerative disease affecting freshwater and estuarine fish, has also been related to discharge from ASS (Callinan et al 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural avoidance of acidified water by juveniles of four commercial fish and prawn species with migratory life stages

Kroon

2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Impacts on aquatic ecosystems resulting from acute exposure to acid sulfate soil discharge are well documented. However, less is known about the long-term impacts of chronic acid sulfate discharge. Such discharge may create barriers to movement, potentially affecting migration of fish and invertebrate species, including commercial species. Avoidance of such discharges by adults may affect spawning migrations, while similar behaviour by juveniles may affect migration to nursery habitats. As a result, the capacity of fish to access important habitats beyond the discharge point may be reduced with potential consequences for stock size. This study examined the possible existence of acid sulfate avoidance behaviour in juveniles of 3 commercial fish species and 1 commercial prawn species. Schools of 10 individuals were given a simultaneous choice between 2 different water qualities in paired channels of a laboratory stream, i.e. preference-avoidance situation. All species avoided acidified water, indicating that chronic acid sulfate discharge has the potential to affect migration of these species in the field. The pH levels avoided in these experiments were well within the magnitude exhibited by natural systems. Thus, chronic acid sulfate discharge in the field could have a detrimental impact on commercial and recreational fisheries.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural avoidance of acidified water by juveniles of four commercial fish and prawn species with migratory life stages

Kroon

2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…The most important factors driving the natural pH decline are the increase in concentration of natural organic acids in combination with dilution of the acid neutralization capacity (Laudon et al, 2000(Laudon et al, , 2001. In addition, acidity pulses can be attributed to the oxidation of sedimentary pyrite (Brown et al, 1983;Cameron et al, 1998) in the catchment area. For this study, the discharge of acidic groundwater from Ruldolfsgruvan (i.e.…”

Section: Migration Of Solute Pulse From the Rock Dumpmentioning

confidence: 98%

Seasonal variations in the composition of mine drainage-contaminated groundwater in Dalarna, Sweden

Herbert

2006

Journal of Geochemical Exploration

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“…Storms and fl ows can mix anoxic water from the bottom of billabongs and stir up sediment and detritus which can further reduce oxygen levels. Fish kills often result in the deaths of many thousands of fi sh and usually involve the larger bodied fi sh such as Barramundi, Fork and Eel-tailed Catfi sh, Tarpon and Mullet (Bishop, 1980;Bishop et al, 1982;Brown et al, 1981;Noller, 1983;Pidgeon, 2001).…”

Section: Fishesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity of the wetlands of the Kakadu Region, northern Australia

Finlayson

Lowry²,

Bellio

et al. 2006

Aquat. Sci.

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The biodiversity values of the wetlands in the Kakadu Region of northern Australia have been recognised as being of national and international signifi cance, as demonstrated through their listing by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Analyses of the wetland biodiversity have resulted in the production of species list for many taxa, and some population and community-level analyses of biomass and abundance, and the mapping of habitats at multiple scales. Wetland habitats include inter-tidal mud-fl ats, mangroves, hyper-saline fl ats, freshwater fl ood plains and streams. The tidal infl uence on the saline wetlands is pronounced, as is the infl uence of the annual wet-dry cycle of the monsoonal climate on the fl ood plains and streams. The vegetation is diverse and highly dynamic with rapid turnover of organic material and nutrients. The fauna is abundant with endemism being high in some habitats. Most fauna analyses have focussed on vertebrates with a large amount of information on waterbirds and fi sh in particular. However, despite extensive effort over the past two decades much is still unknown about the biota. While the invertebrate fauna in the streams has received some attention, a large taxonomic classifi cation effort is required. The functional inter-relationships between habitats and species have largely not been assessed. Further, the ecology of many species is only cursorily known. At the same time there has been increased attention to pressures on the wetlands, such as weeds and feral animals, water pollution, and the potential impact of climate change and salinisation of freshwater habitats. Importantly, given the social context of the region, increased attention is being directed towards traditional use and management of the wetlands.

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Report of a large fish kill resulting from natural acid water conditions in Australia

Cited by 54 publications

References 9 publications

Behavioural avoidance of acidified water by juveniles of four commercial fish and prawn species with migratory life stages

Behavioural avoidance of acidified water by juveniles of four commercial fish and prawn species with migratory life stages

Seasonal variations in the composition of mine drainage-contaminated groundwater in Dalarna, Sweden

Biodiversity of the wetlands of the Kakadu Region, northern Australia

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