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Mejia FH, Ouellet V, Briggs MA, Carlson SM, Casas-Mulet R, Chapman M, Collins MJ, Dugdale SJ, Ebersole JL, Frechette DM, Fullerton AH, Gillis CA, Johnson ZC, Kelleher C, Kurylyk BL, Lave R, Letcher BH, Myrvold KM, Nadeau TL, Neville H, Piégay H, Smith KA, Tonolla D, Torgersen CE. Closing the gap between science and management of cold-water refuges in rivers and streams. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5482-5508. [PMID: 37466251 PMCID: PMC10615108 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Human activities and climate change threaten coldwater organisms in freshwater ecosystems by causing rivers and streams to warm, increasing the intensity and frequency of warm temperature events, and reducing thermal heterogeneity. Cold-water refuges are discrete patches of relatively cool water that are used by coldwater organisms for thermal relief and short-term survival. Globally, cohesive management approaches are needed that consider interlinked physical, biological, and social factors of cold-water refuges. We review current understanding of cold-water refuges, identify gaps between science and management, and evaluate policies aimed at protecting thermally sensitive species. Existing policies include designating cold-water habitats, restricting fishing during warm periods, and implementing threshold temperature standards or guidelines. However, these policies are rare and uncoordinated across spatial scales and often do not consider input from Indigenous peoples. We propose that cold-water refuges be managed as distinct operational landscape units, which provide a social and ecological context that is relevant at the watershed scale. These operational landscape units provide the foundation for an integrated framework that links science and management by (1) mapping and characterizing cold-water refuges to prioritize management and conservation actions, (2) leveraging existing and new policies, (3) improving coordination across jurisdictions, and (4) implementing adaptive management practices across scales. Our findings show that while there are many opportunities for scientific advancement, the current state of the sciences is sufficient to inform policy and management. Our proposed framework provides a path forward for managing and protecting cold-water refuges using existing and new policies to protect coldwater organisms in the face of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francine H. Mejia
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Cascadia Field Station, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Valerie Ouellet
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Martin A. Briggs
- Observing Systems Division, U.S. Geological Survey, Hydrologic Remote Sensing Branch, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Stephanie M. Carlson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Roser Casas-Mulet
- Aquatic Systems Biology Unit, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Department of Infrastructure Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mollie Chapman
- Department of Geography, URPP Global Change and Biodiversity, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mathias J. Collins
- National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Joseph L. Ebersole
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Danielle M. Frechette
- Maine Department of Marine Resources, Bureau of Sea Run Fisheries and Habitat, Augusta, Maine, USA
| | - Aimee H. Fullerton
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Zachary C. Johnson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Water Science Center, Tacoma, Washington, USA
| | - Christa Kelleher
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Barret L. Kurylyk
- Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Rebecca Lave
- Department of Geography, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Benjamin H. Letcher
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, S.O. Conte Fish Research Center, Turners Falls, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Knut M. Myrvold
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Tracie-Lynn Nadeau
- Region 10, Water Division, Oregon Operations Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Herve Piégay
- UMR 5600 CNRS EVS, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Kathryn A. Smith
- Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Diego Tonolla
- Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Christian E. Torgersen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Cascadia Field Station, Seattle, Washington, USA
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O’Sullivan AM, Corey EM, Collet EN, Helminen J, Curry RA, MacIntyre C, Linnansaari T. Timing and frequency of high temperature events bend the onset of behavioural thermoregulation in Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coac079. [PMID: 36685329 PMCID: PMC9845963 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The role of temperature on biological activities and the correspondent exponential relationship with temperature has been known for over a century. However, lacking to date is knowledge relating to (a) the recovery of ectotherms subjected to extreme temperatures in the wild, and (b) the effects repeated extreme temperatures have on the temperatures that induce behavioural thermoregulation (aggregations). We examined these questions by testing the hypothesis that thermal thresholds which initiate aggregations in juvenile Atlantic salmon (AS) (Salmo salar) are not static, but are temporally dynamic across a summer and follow a hysteresis loop. To test our hypothesis, we deployed custom-made underwater camera (UWC) systems in known AS thermal refuges to observe the timing of aggregation events in a natural system and used these data to develop and test models that predict the temperatures that induce thermal aggregations. Consistent with our hypothesis our UWC observations revealed a range of aggregation onset temperatures (AOT) ranging from 24.2°C to 27.1°C, thus confirming our hypothesis that AOTs are dynamic across summer. Our models suggest it take ~ 11 days of non-thermally taxing temperatures for the AOT to rebound in the study river. Conversely, we found that as the frequency of events increased, the AOT declined, from 27.1°C to 24.2°C. Integrating both model components led to more robust model performance. Further, when these models were tested against an independent data set from the same river, the results remained robust. Our findings illustrate the complexity underlying behavioural thermoregulation in AS-a complexity that most likely extends to other salmonids. The frequency of extreme heat events is predicted to increase, and this has the capacity to decrease AOT thresholds in AS, ultimately reducing their resilience to extreme temperature events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antóin M O’Sullivan
- Corresponding author: FOREM, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Fredericton, New Brunswick, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Emily M Corey
- Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
- Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada
| | - Elise N Collet
- FOREM, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Fredericton, New Brunswick, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
- Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Jani Helminen
- Natural Resources InstituteFinland, Helsinki, Uusimaa, 00790, Finland
| | - R Allen Curry
- FOREM, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Fredericton, New Brunswick, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
- Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
- Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada
| | - Chris MacIntyre
- FOREM, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Fredericton, New Brunswick, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Tommi Linnansaari
- FOREM, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Fredericton, New Brunswick, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
- Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
- Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada
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