ORCID Profile
0000-0001-8404-4526
Current Organisations
CSIRO
,
CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories
,
Charles Sturt University
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-03-2022
DOI: 10.1111/FWB.13895
Abstract: Alteration of riverine flows can modify the structure and function of ecosystems, changing energy pathways and patterns of micronutrient transfer between trophic levels. Fatty acids (FAs) commonly are used to evaluate food quality, since some FAs required for somatic growth and physiological functions in animals must be obtained from their diet. FAs also are used in food‐web studies as biotracers as a consequence of their constrained metabolic biosynthesis by animals. However, their utility may be confounded by selective retention or modification of dietary FAs by consumers. We conducted a 70‐day feeding trial to compare growth and survival of an abundant and widespread mesoconsumer ( Cherax destructor , the common yabby or crayfish) fed three contrasting diets: a poor‐quality detritus‐based diet a high protein invertebrate diet and a high‐quality commercial aquaculture pellet. Fatty acid profiles were obtained for each dietary treatment and contrasted with crayfish FA profiles at the end of the experiment to examine patterns of FA retention and integration. We also collected wild crayfish from floodplain wetland and river habitats, and obtained FA profiles from their stomach contents and body tissue to compare with experimental crayfish. Experimental crayfish fed high‐quality commercial pellets doubled in mass during the 70‐day assay, invertebrate fed crayfish growth was intermediate, and growth of crayfish fed detritus was negligible. Fatty acid profiles of crayfish fed our three contrasting diets differed significantly at the end of the experiment. Proportions of the polyunsaturated omega‐6 FA linoleic acid (LIN, 18:2ω6) in crayfish followed the same inequality observed in growth and diets: pellets invertebrates detritus. Pellet‐fed crayfish preferentially assimilated greater proportions of FAs 20:4ω6 (ARA), 20:5ω3 (EPA) 18:1ω9 (OA) and 16:1ω7 (POA) into their tissue. Fatty acid profiles of floodplain crayfish differed to profiles of riverine crayfish, and floodplain crayfish had higher proportions of essential FAs ARA and LIN in their tissues. Fatty acid biosynthesis by crayfish was best described by a hypothesis of FA allostasis rather than homeostasis in this, FA profiles of crayfish were shaped by their diet, and selective integration and modification of high‐quality FAs from basal resources rich in these micronutrients led to higher proportions in crayfish tissues. Here we present evidence for the conversion of shorter‐chain essential FAs by freshwater crayfish to compensate for a lack of long‐chain FAs in their diet. We provide a necessary step for improving our understanding of micronutrient dynamics and the transfer of essential molecules between trophic levels in lowland river food webs. Floodplain habitats are known to provide higher‐quality basal food resources for mesoconsumers than riverine habitats, and here we identify one mechanism by which that may be extended to subsequent trophic levels.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Publisher: CSIRO
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.25919/THMS-JN37
Publisher: CSIRO
Date: 2020
Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1029/2018WR022976
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-09-2016
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.25919%2FV5BD-3H65
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-05-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-07-2019
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.3159
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-05-2021
DOI: 10.1002/ETC.5038
Abstract: There have been limited studies on the effects of toxicity‐modifying factors, such as dissolved organic matter (DOM), on the toxicity of metal mixtures to aquatic biota. The present study investigated the effects of DOM concentration (low, 2.8 ± 0.1 mg C/L high, 11 ± 1.0 mg C/L) and DOM source (predominantly terrestrial or microbial) on the chronic toxicity of copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) binary mixtures to the green freshwater microalga Chlorella sp. This was assessed by using a full factorial design of 72‐h growth inhibition bioassays. Measured algal growth rate was compared with growth predicted by the concentration addition and independent action reference models. Model predictions were based on concentrations of dissolved metals, labile metals (measured by diffusive gradients in thin films [DGT]), and calculated free metal ions (determined by the Windermere Humic Aqueous Model). Copper/Ni mixture toxicity was synergistic to Chlorella sp. in the absence of added DOM, with evidence of metal concentration‐dependent toxicity at low effect concentrations. As DOM concentration increased, the mixture interaction changed from synergism to noninteraction or antagonism depending on the metal speciation method used. The DOM source had no significant effect on mixture interaction when based on dissolved and free metal ion concentrations but was significantly different when based on DGT‐labile metal concentrations. Ratio‐dependent mixture interaction was observed in all treatments, with increased deviation from the reference model predictions as the mixture changed from Ni‐ to Cu‐dominated. The present study demonstrated that both DOM concentration and source can significantly change metal mixture toxicity interactions and that these interactions can be interpreted differently depending on the metal speciation method used. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021 :1906–1916. © 2021 SETAC
Publisher: CSIRO
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.25919/41YC-NK35
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2023
DOI: 10.1002/ECS2.4680
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-05-2019
DOI: 10.1002/ETC.4400
Abstract: The use of field data to derive guideline water quality trigger values is likely to be more environmentally relevant than laboratory estimates. In the present study, macroinvertebrate responses to conductivity (specific conductance at 25 °C) within 5 bioregions in Victoria, Australia, were derived from 19 yr of macroinvertebrate field data. Varying response to electrical conductivity (EC) occurred among taxa. Ninety-five percent extirpation concentrations (XC95) for EC were calculated for each genus and species and ranged from 25 to 23 600 µS/cm. Hazardous concentration 5th percentiles (HC05) were calculated for each bioregion from species sensitivity distributions developed using genus and species XC95 values. Genus HC05 values varied substantially between bioregions: bioregion 1 (29 µS/cm), 2 (78 µS/cm), 3 (143 µS/cm), 4 (1068 µS/cm), and 5 (2226 µS/cm). No substantial differences in HC05 values were shown between genus- and species-level calculations in bioregions 1 to 3 and 5 however, a decrease of approximately 300 µS/cm was shown for bioregion 4. The substantial differences in HC05 values between bioregions supports the need for region-specific determination of effects of EC. We explore the use of HC05 values as water quality guidelines across a bioregion gradient and provide a comprehensive analysis of macroinvertebrate responses to changes in EC, with important implications for waterway management. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019 :1334-1342. © 2019 SETAC.
Publisher: CSIRO
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.25919/CZPM-F582
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-02-2022
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13884
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
Publisher: CSIRO
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.25919/7ZF8-7073
Publisher: CSIRO
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.25919/V5BD-3H65
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2023
DOI: 10.1002/LNO.12253
Abstract: The transformation of solar energy into organic matter by autotrophs (gross primary production [GPP]) and the use of that energy by autotrophs and heterotrophs (ecosystem respiration [ER]) describe the total energy available to support food webs. Rates of GPP and ER vary with temperature, light, hydrology, nutrients, and organic matter supply and quality yet despite their obvious importance, spatiotemporal variation of metabolic patterns among floodplain habitats, and their relationship to inundation dynamics remain unclear. We set out to review the peer‐reviewed literature surrounding the influence of the magnitude, frequency, and duration of floodplain inundation on aquatic ecosystem metabolism and carbon flux by rigorously testing a suite of cause–effect hypotheses using a causal criteria analysis. Causal criteria analysis is a literature synthesis approach developed to address a lack of experimental data and subsequent weak inference of causal relationships. We found support for 3 of the 14 hypotheses we tested relating to putative causal relationships: (1) large floods transfer more carbon from floodplains to the river channel than small floods via the increase in inundation area leading to more overall leaching of floodplain litter, (2) in high turbidity floodplain habitats rates of GPP are reduced by restrictions to photic depth, and (3) a positive correlation between nutrients and GPP—generally GPP in floodplain wetlands increases with nutrient levels. We obtained inconsistent evidence for a causal relationship between macrophytes and aquatic GPP, with studies reporting both a negative influence from decreased light caused by macrophyte shading and a positive influence from structural support provided by macrophytes for periphyton growth. For the remaining 10 hypotheses, there was insufficient evidence to support causal relationships, including for any hypotheses relating to frequency or duration of floodplain inundation. Our results emphasize that despite an apparent wealth of metabolic studies in riverine ecosystems, floodplain metabolic dynamics remain poorly studied, likely due to less investment and increased difficulty compared to lotic waters. The review also highlighted aspects of floodplain aquatic ecosystem metabolism for which there are significant knowledge gaps in the literature, in particular metabolic responses to inundation frequency and duration. Our results call attention to the importance of site specificity and temporal changes when predicting putative cause–effect relationships between floodplain inundation and metabolic patterns.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 12-0001
DOI: 10.1086/694905
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-04-2020
DOI: 10.1002/ETC.4708
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/MF19035_CO
Abstract: Although the effects of mass fish mortality (MFM) events on fish populations and water quality are frequently reported, the effects on consumers of fish and other water-dependent fauna are relatively poorly understood. Managing the effects of MFM events on other fauna is important when they occur in ecologically or culturally sensitive locations, or involve protected or significant species or ecosystems. Better understanding of the effects of such events on fish consumers and other water-dependent fauna would aid proactive management of predictable events, such as pest-fish biocontrol releases. We conducted a global literature review to synthesise the effects of unexpected MFM events on fish consumers and other water-dependent fauna in freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems. We then constructed two conceptual models distinguishing between the short-term (hours to weeks) and long-term (months to years) effects of such events, highlighting the importance of key factors in determining the magnitude of the response. Last, we used these models and relevant literature to explore the potential implications of the proposed release of cyprinid herpes virus 3 as a biological control agent for the invasive common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Australia and develop recommendations to minimise adverse effects of carp mass mortality on food webs.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-05-2016
DOI: 10.1111/FWB.12778
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/MF19035
Abstract: Although the effects of mass fish mortality (MFM) events on fish populations and water quality are frequently reported, the effects on consumers of fish and other water-dependent fauna are relatively poorly understood. Managing the effects of MFM events on other fauna is important when they occur in ecologically or culturally sensitive locations, or involve protected or significant species or ecosystems. Better understanding of the effects of such events on fish consumers and other water-dependent fauna would aid proactive management of predictable events, such as pest-fish biocontrol releases. We conducted a global literature review to synthesise the effects of unexpected MFM events on fish consumers and other water-dependent fauna in freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems. We then constructed two conceptual models distinguishing between the short-term (hours to weeks) and long-term (months to years) effects of such events, highlighting the importance of key factors in determining the magnitude of the response. Last, we used these models and relevant literature to explore the potential implications of the proposed release of cyprinid herpes virus 3 as a biological control agent for the invasive common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Australia and develop recommendations to minimise adverse effects of carp mass mortality on food webs.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-08-2021
DOI: 10.1002/IEAM.4492
Abstract: During the 2019–2020 Australian bushfire season, large expanses (~47%) of agricultural and forested land in the Upper Murray River catchment of southeastern (SE) Australia were burned. Storm activity and rainfall following the fires increased sediment loads in rivers, resulting in localized fish kills and widespread water‐quality deterioration. We collected water s les from the headwaters of the Murray River for sediment and contaminant analysis and assessed changes in water quality using long‐term monitoring data. A robust runoff routing model was used to estimate the effect of fire on sediment loads in the Murray River. Peak turbidity in the Murray River reached values of up to 4200 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), shown as pitch‐black water coming down the river. The increase in suspended solids was accompanied by elevated nutrient concentrations during post‐bushfire runoff events. The model simulations demonstrated that the sediment load could be five times greater in the first year after a bushfire than in the prefire condition. It was estimated that Lake Hume, a large reservoir downstream from fire‐affected areas, would receive a maximum of 600 000 metric tonnes of sediment per month in the period immediately following the bushfire, depending on rainfall. Total zinc, arsenic, chromium, nickel, copper, and lead concentrations were above the 99% toxicant default guideline values (DGVs) for freshwater ecosystems. It is also likely that increased nutrient loads in Lake Hume will have ongoing implications for algal dynamics, in both the lake and the Murray River downstream. Information from this study provides a valuable basis for future research to support bushfire‐related policy developments in fire‐prone catchments and the mitigation of postfire water quality and aquatic ecosystem impacts. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021 :1203–1214. © 2021 Commonwealth of Australia. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management © 2021 Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2020
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.25919%2F7ZF8-7073
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2020
DOI: 10.1016/J.SAA.2019.117871
Abstract: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) within freshwaters is essential for broad ecosystem function. The concentration and type of DOM within rivers depends on the relative contributions of allochthonous sources and the production and consumption of DOM by microbes. In this work we have examined the temporal patterns in DOM quality and productivity in three lowland rivers in dryland Australia using fluorescence excitation emission scans. We assessed the production and consumption of DOM within light and dark bottle assays to quantify the relative contribution of bacteria and algae to the DOM pool and simultaneously assessed whether the systems were autotrophic or heterotrophic. DOM varied temporally within the three river systems over the course of the study period. Characterisation of DOM within light and dark bottles following a 6-hour incubation revealed microbial consumption of a humic-like component and production of protein-like components similar in nature to the amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine. The lack of a significant difference in DOM quality between the light and dark bottles indicated that the protein-like DOM is likely derived from bacterial activity. Respiration was shown to be higher than gross primary production in both whole river and bottle assays, yielding negative net production values and demonstrating that these rivers were predominately heterotrophic. Our work suggests that bacterial metabolism of DOM may be a significant contributor to the production of protein-like components within heterotrophic freshwater systems.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/MF17250
Abstract: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques are revolutionising the bioassessment of ecosystems. Herein we use a case study to compare environmental (e)DNA and classical s ling and laboratory identification approaches to assess biotic communities in streams. Both techniques were successful in detecting changes to biotic communities following invasion by a non-native riparian plant. The cost of the eDNA methods was one-sixth that of the classical approach and provided a coarse qualitative assessment of overall eukaryotic structure. Classical macroinvertebrate techniques, although they assess only a subset of eukaryotes, provided high-resolution quantitative information that could be applied to assess functional aspects of the ecosystem. Selection of one method in preference over the other is highly dependent on the nature of the hypothesis to be tested.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 06-2017
DOI: 10.1086/692068
Publisher: CSIRO
Date: 2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-07-2020
DOI: 10.1002/LNO.11548
Abstract: Understanding energy flow through ecosystems and among sub‐habitats is critical for understanding patterns of bio ersity and ecosystem function. It can also be of considerable applied interest in situations where managing for connectivity among habitats is important for restoring degraded ecosystems. Here, we describe patterns of basal resource quality and identify primary basal energy sources in three habitats—river channels, anabranches and wetlands—of a lowland river floodplain in the Murray River catchment, Australia during a period of disconnected surface flow. We used a combination of stable isotope and fatty acid analyses to determine which basal resources were assimilated by the backswimmer Anisops thienemanni and the Eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki and assessed food quality across the three habitats. Seston was a primary basal resource for both animals in all three habitats, but was of higher quality within floodplain habitats than in the river channel. Although floodplain seston contained higher concentrations of essential fatty acids, fatty acid profiles of animals from different habitats remained similar. Our research suggests that inundation of floodplains and subsequent reconnection to the river could be valuable to afford riverine animals the opportunity to access high quality resources, but highlights a need to quantitatively assess the transfer of essential fatty acids between trophic levels to determine how much riverine animals are in fact limited by poorer quality food resources. We demonstrate the importance of estimating the quality of organic matter fluxes into food webs, and the potential role of targeted environmental flows to re‐establish high quality energy pathways in riverine ecosystems.
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Paul McInerney.