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Body condition in fish as a tool to detect the effects of anthropogenic pressures in transitional waters

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Abstract

In the last years, increasing interest has been dedicated to the quality assessment of brackish-water systems. Traditionally, fish community is an important biological element used to assess the quality status of transitional water bodies. In this study, we analysed the effect of anthropogenic pressures on the population of a small teleost, the sand smelt Atherina boyeri, in a Mediterranean lagoon by means of body condition. Fish were sampled once a year during the period 2010–2012, in 32 sampling sites, and for each specimen individual body condition factor was estimated. A negative significant correlation was found between condition factor and pressures related to alteration of the hydrographic regime, while a significant positive correlation was found with trophic status indicators and fishery activities. Therefore, morphological and hydrological alteration of coastal lagoons, modifying the quality and the availability of resources, seems to influence the health of resident populations.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank T. Ghenda, A. Longo and E. Lugnan for their precious help during the field activities, and G. Mattassi for his supervision. The collection of data used in the present work was funded by ARPA FVG, as part of the monitoring activities carried out for the implementation of the WFD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University Venice, Via Torino 155, 30170, Venice, Mestre, Italy

    Francesco Cavraro, Matteo Zucchetta & Piero Franzoi

  2. ARPA FVG, Regional Agency for Environmental Protection in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Via Cairoli, 14, 33057, Palmanova, UD, Italy

    Nicola Bettoso, Alessandro D’Aietti & Lisa Faresi

Authors
  1. Francesco Cavraro
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  2. Nicola Bettoso
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  3. Matteo Zucchetta
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  4. Alessandro D’Aietti
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  5. Lisa Faresi
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  6. Piero Franzoi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesco Cavraro.

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Handling Editor: Piet Spaak.

Appendices

Appendix A

figure a

Appendix B

Pressure

Indicator

Measure

Degree of changes

Note

No change (0)

Very low (1)

Low (3)

Medium (5)

High (7)

Very high (9)

 

Coastline morphological change

Intertidal

% of intertidal area lost between 1954 and 2006 (Fontolan et al. 2012)

Increase

No change

< 1% lost since 1850

≥ 1% and < 5% lost

≥ 5% é < 10% lost

≥ 10% lost

Fixed in time

 

Coastline

Relative change in bottom depth between 1927 and 2002 (Sarretta et al. 2010), taking a variation of ±0.75 m as minimum significant change

No development

< 5% of the coastline impacted by industrial or urban activities

≥ 5% and < 30%

≥ 30% and < 60%

≥ 60% and < 90%

≥ 90%

 
 

Hydro

% of area affected by interferences with the hydrographic regime

No construction

< 5% of the intertidal and sub-tidal area affected

>=5% and < 10%

>=10% and < 20%

>=20% and < 40%

>=40%

 
   

No resource use (0)

Very low (1)

Low (3)

Medium (5)

High (7)

Very high (9)

 

Resource use change

Aquaculture

% of area covered by clam farming

No fish farming

< 1% of the intertidal and sub-tidal area covered

≥ 1% and < 10%

≥ 10% and < 30%

≥ 30% and < 50%

≥ 50%

Fixed in time

 

Fisheries

number of traps km−2

No fishery activities

< 10% of the surface of WB affected by fishery

≥ 10% and < 30%

≥ 30% and < 60%

≥ 60% and < 90%

≥ 90%

 
 

Marinas

number of berths km−2

No marina

< 100 berths in marina

≥ 100 and < 150 berths

≥ 150 and < 300 berths

≥ 300 and < 500 berths

≥ 500 berths

 
 

Intensity of port developments

Extent of ports

No harbour

< 500 m of quays

≥ 500 and < 2 km

≥ 2 and < 5 km

≥ 5 and < 10 km

≥ 10 km of quays

 
    

Very low (1)

Low (3)

Medium (5)

High (7)

Very high (9)

 

Environmental quality and its perception

Sediment

Sediment chemical status based on decree 56/2009

100% of substances below the EQS (Environmental Quality Standard)

One not priority substance fails to comply with EQSs

More than one not priority substance fails to comply with EQSs

One priority substance fails to comply with EQSs

More than one priority substance fails to comply with EQSs

More than one priority substance and one or more than one not priority substance fail to comply with EQSs

Fixed in time

 

Benthos

M_AMBI index level (Muxika et al. 2007)

Normal

Normal

Normal

Recovering or deteriorating

Modified

Severely modified

Fixed in time

 

DIN

µg L−1 of dissolved inorganic nitrogen

Pressure calculated as seasonal average of concentration on a monthly basis

      
 

RP

µg L−1 of reactive phosphorous

Pressure calculated as seasonal average of concentration on a monthly basis

      
 

Chl-a

µg L−1 of chlorophyll-a

Pressure calculated as seasonal average of concentration on a monthly basis

      
 

DO

% saturation of dissolved oxygen

Pressure calculated as seasonal average of concentration on a monthly basis

      

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Cavraro, F., Bettoso, N., Zucchetta, M. et al. Body condition in fish as a tool to detect the effects of anthropogenic pressures in transitional waters. Aquat Ecol 53, 21–35 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-018-09670-4

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