Seasonally varying importance of abiotic and biotic factors in marsh-pond fish communities

Layman, Craig A.; Smith, David E.; Herod, James Devin

doi:10.3354/meps207155

Cited by 26 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…Marsh pools are important habitats for several species of fishes in the families Cyprinodontidae, Fundulidae and Atherinidae (Talbot et al 1986, Smith & Able 1994, Able et al 1996, however we know relatively little about the responses of some of these species to rapid changes in DO, although responses to static DO levels have been observed (Voyer & Hennekey 1972). Recently, the effect of abiotic and biotic factors on transient fishes was examined from some barrier island ponds (Layman et al 2000). The goals of our study were to (1) examine changes in monthly and daily fluctuations in DO concentrations in salt marsh pools over summer and fall, when temperatures are warmest, and (2) test, in the laboratory, the tolerance and behavior of the dominant fishes found in these pools, in order to better understand the effect of low DO on the behavior and composition of fish assemblages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissolved oxygen dynamics in salt marsh pools and its potential impacts on fish assemblages

Smith¹,

Able²

2003

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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In order to determine the dynamics of dissolved oxygen (DO) in salt marsh pools and its effect on their respective fish assemblages, DO was measured in 5 high-salinity pools in a Spartina alterniflora marsh in southern New Jersey over ten 24 h periods, from 2 July to 22 October 1990, to determine daily and monthly fluctuations. Typically, DO peaked at approximately 16:00 h, and reached a minimum by about 05:00 h. The greatest variation occurred in mid-July, when DO ranged from over 20 ppm at midday, to 0 ppm in the early morning. From mid-to late August, DO remained at very low concentrations (<1.0 ppm) for long periods (11.7 ± 1.7 h). DO concentrations varied among marsh pools, but there was no interaction between pool and time of day. The young-of-the-year (YOY) of the dominant 5 species of fishes in these pools were tested for tolerance and behavioral responses to low DO in laboratory aquaria. Fundulus heteroclitus survived the longest at low DO, and Menidia menidia was least tolerant. Aquatic surface respiration (ASR) was the primary behavioral response to low DO for all species tested. All species, including Cyprinodon variegatus, Lucania parva, and M. beryllina, survived at DO < 0.5 ppm when they used ASR; however, when fish were denied access to the air-water interface, only F. heteroclitus was able to survive more than 1 h. All species initiated ASR at ca. 1 ppm, with the exception of M. menidia, which began ASR at 2.6 ppm and survived only at higher concentrations of DO. In summary, although the salt marsh pools showed extreme diurnal variability in DO, with rapid drops from supersaturation to anoxic conditions, all of the fish species, with the exception of M. menidia, were well adapted to survive these fluctuations. This lack of tolerance to low DO by M. menidia may seasonally limit its occurrence in marsh pools, but this is not the case for the congener M. beryllina, or the other resident fishes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissolved oxygen dynamics in salt marsh pools and its potential impacts on fish assemblages

Smith¹,

Able²

2003

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Rates of both photosynthesis and respiration increase with temperature. As a result, both extreme hyperoxia and hypoxia are more common in the summer (Layman et al, 2000) and are less common in the winter.…”

Section: Killifish Habitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On a daily scale, temperature can change as much as 15°C across a single tidal cycle (Sidell et al, 1983). Similarly, dissolved oxygen levels can vary from almost complete anoxia to supersaturation (Layman et al, 2000;Smith and Able, 2004). Salinity also varies from near freshwater to fullstrength seawater depending on the position in the marsh and the time in the tidal cycle (Haas et al, 2009).…”

Section: Killifish Habitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The temperatures at these ends of the species' range are sufficiently differentiated that in any given month, the maximum temperature experienced by a northern fish is lower than the minimum temperature experienced by a southern fish. The combination of daily, seasonal and geographical variation in temperature results in temperatures as low as −1.5°C or greater than 40°C in killifish habitats depending on the location, day and season (Layman et al, 2000;Nordlie, 2006).…”

Section: Killifish Habitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What is environmental stress? Insights from fish living in a variable environment

Schulte

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

258

165

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Although the term environmental stress is used across multiple fields in biology, the inherent ambiguity associated with its definition has caused confusion when attempting to understand organismal responses to environmental change. Here I provide a brief summary of existing definitions of the term stress, and the related concepts of homeostasis and allostasis, and attempt to unify them to develop a general framework for understanding how organisms respond to environmental stressors. I suggest that viewing stressors as environmental changes that cause reductions in performance or fitness provides the broadest and most useful conception of the phenomenon of stress. I examine this framework in the context of animals that have evolved in highly variable environments, using the Atlantic killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, as a case study. Consistent with the extreme environmental variation that they experience in their salt marsh habitats, killifish have substantial capacity for both short-term resistance and long-term plasticity in the face of changing temperature, salinity and oxygenation. There is inter-population variation in the sensitivity of killifish to environmental stressors, and in their ability to acclimate, suggesting that local adaptation can shape the stress response even in organisms that are broadly tolerant and highly plastic. Whole-organism differences between populations in stressor sensitivity and phenotypic plasticity are reflected at the biochemical and molecular levels in killifish, emphasizing the integrative nature of the response to environmental stressors. Examination of this empirical example highlights the utility of using an evolutionary perspective on stressors, stress and stress responses.

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“…2). At all times, except for the late afternoon when DO in the ditches is high, nekton must either leave the ditches in search of a more oxygen-rich environment, or adapt to these low levels, such as Fundulus heteroclitus is known to do (Layman et al 2000, Smith & Able 2003. The creeks were wider than the narrow and steep-bank protected ditches, which may have impacted water flow, wind mixing, and light availability for surface-water photosynthesis.…”

Section: Ditches and Creeksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of salt marsh creeks and ditches as habitat for nekton

Corman

Roman²

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Salt marshes are dynamic systems supporting a diverse assemblage of resident and transient nekton (free-swimming fish and decapod crustaceans). Within a marsh, many sub-habitats are used by nekton, including ditches and natural creeks. While the use of natural creeks is well documented, the role of ditches as habitat for nekton remains less well known. The present study describes the nekton-support function of this prolific marsh sub-habitat, and compares it to tidal creeks. Sampling was conducted in the summer of 2008 in a microtidal, polyhaline salt marsh on Fire Island, NY, USA. Ditches and creeks were found to have different nekton communities. Creeks had significantly higher species richness and represented nearly all ditch species. Prolonged anoxia (up to 18 h) in ditches is suggested as a significant factor contributing to differences in the creek and ditch nekton community. Upper portions of ditches and creeks differed for resident nekton species, with higher species richness and density of the mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus in the upper portion of creeks than in the upper portion of ditches. Additional differences were seen in the nekton community composition of open and naturally plugged ditches, where the densities of individual species (such as F. heteroclitus, which was more abundant in open ditches) also differed. Ditches are a major habitat type in salt marshes of the northeastern USA, such as at the Fire Island marsh site studied here, and as efforts are considered to remove ditches from marshes as a habitat restoration technique, their nekton support function should be considered.

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Seasonally varying importance of abiotic and biotic factors in marsh-pond fish communities

Cited by 26 publications

References 82 publications

Dissolved oxygen dynamics in salt marsh pools and its potential impacts on fish assemblages

Dissolved oxygen dynamics in salt marsh pools and its potential impacts on fish assemblages

What is environmental stress? Insights from fish living in a variable environment

Comparison of salt marsh creeks and ditches as habitat for nekton

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