Brief report on fish community responses to the Karlodinium veneficum bloom of May 2012, including the response of the Fish Community Index of estuarine condition.

摘要

During late May 2012, extremely high levels of Karlodinium veneficum (approaching 200,000 cells/mL) were observed at locations in the Upper Swan Estuary (USE) zone of the Swan-Canning Riverpark. The Swan River Trust contracted Murdoch University to undertake sampling of the fish community at sites throughout this zone, and to report on the responses exhibited by the fish community. This included the calculation and analysis of scores for the Fish Community Indices of estuarine condition (Valesini et al. 2011, Hallett et al. 2012, Hallett and Valesini 2012). ududThese indices were developed for the nearshore, shallow waters of the estuary and also for its deeper, offshore waters. They integrate information on various biological variables (metrics), each of which quantifies an aspect of the structure and/or function of estuarine fish communities and responds to a wide array of stressors affecting the ecosystem. The fish-based indices therefore provide a means to assess an important component of the ecology of the system and how it responds to changes in estuarine condition.