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May
28
2007
Warmer waters lead fish to make riskier foraging decisions, experiment shows
Rapid climate change will affect species in different ways, but those locked in a closed system such as a lake will face the most dramatic challenges. Case in point a study published this week in PNAS, which shows how rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss adjust their feeding patterns to counter the negative impact of warmer water on their metabolism and hence growth rate. Lead author Peter Biro, at the University of Technology, Sydney, carried out a two-year experiment to study the effects of water temperature on juvenile trout growth and survival. The fish compensate for higher temperature – which slows growth – by foraging for longer. Unfortunately, this behavioral shift increases their exposure to Predator Number One, adult trout. Biro and co-authors conclude that the effect is so strong it could lead to the extirpation of fish populations from entire water bodies. Advice to anglers: catch ’em while you can! Source: Biro PA, Post JR & Booth DJ (2007) Mechanisms for climate-induced mortality of fish populations in whole-lake experiments. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0701638104
Related story in Conservation magazine: Evolutionary Tinkering | When Worlds Collide
Image © Oktay Ortakcioglu
Filed Under Climate change, Economics and conservation, Fresh water, Habitat |
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