ORCID Profile
0000-0001-7394-1387
Current Organisations
CSIRO Adelaide
,
University of Adelaide
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Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/MF12258
Abstract: The lower reaches of the expansive Murray–Darling Basin, Australia, are a hotspot for freshwater bio ersity. The regional ecosystem, however, has been significantly altered by river regulation, including local and catchment-wide water abstraction. Freshwater fishes have suffered from the resultant altered flow regime, together with other threats including habitat degradation and alien species. Impacts reached a critical point (imminent species extinction) during a prolonged drought (1997–2010) that lead to broad-scale habitat loss and drying of refuges during 2007–2010, and urgent conservation measures were subsequently instigated for five threatened small-bodied fish species. A critical response phase included ad hoc interventions that were later incorporated within a broader, coordinated multi-agency program (i.e. the Drought Action Plan and Critical Fish Habitat projects). On-ground actions included local translocation, alien species control, in situ habitat maintenance (e.g. earthworks, environmental water delivery), fish rescues, artificial refuge establishment and captive breeding. Improved river flows signalled an initial phase of recovery in 2011–2012 that included reintroductions. The present paper aims to document the actions undertaken in the Lower Murray, and review successes and lessons from practical ex les that will help guide and inform management responses to conserve fish in modified systems subjected to severe water decline.
Publisher: Canadian Science Publishing
Date: 02-2020
Abstract: Most fish recruitment models consider only one or a few drivers in isolation, rarely include species’ traits, and have limited relevance to riverine environments. Despite their ersity, riverine fishes share sufficient characteristics that prediction of recruitment should be possible. Here we synthesize the essential components of fish recruitment hypotheses and the key features of rivers to develop a model that predicts relative recruitment strength, for all fishes, in rivers under all flow conditions. The model proposes that interactions between flow and physical complexity will create locations in rivers, at mesoscales, where energy and nutrients are enriched. The resultant production of small prey will be concentrated and prey and fish larvae located (through dispersal or retention) so that the larvae can feed, grow, and recruit. Our synthesis explains how flow and physical complexity affect fish recruitment and provides a conceptual basis to better conserve and manage riverine fishes globally.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-10-2020
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15363
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 29-06-2021
DOI: 10.1071/MF20280
Abstract: For riverine fishes threatened by fragmentation and flow modification, effective management requires an understanding of when and where key life history processes (spawning, recruitment and movement) take place. The structural and chemical properties of otoliths provide a unique means to recount a fish’s life in time and space. We investigated the age structure of the migratory, pelagic-spawning golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) in the Murray River, Australia, and used water and otolith 87Sr/86Sr ratios to delineate the natal origin and movement of fish from discrete cohorts. Water 87Sr/86Sr was distinct among the Darling River (a major tributary) and lower and mid-Murray River. Otolith chemistry revealed golden perch collected in the lower Murray River were progeny of spawning in either the Murray or Darling rivers, during years characterised by within-channel rises in flow, or in both rivers in a year of overbank flooding. Movement of juvenile fish from the Darling River substantially influenced population structure in the lower Murray River, whereby post-flood population growth was largely due to the immigration of age-1+ fish. This study demonstrates the potential importance of tributary recruitment sources, dispersal and connectivity on main-stem population dynamics and the utility of otolith chemistry for spatially reconciling population structure and the life histories of freshwater fishes.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2015
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1071/MF07141
Abstract: Fishways are commonly used to restore native fish movements in regulated rivers. In the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, 14 fishways are to be built by 2011 to improve passage along 2225 km of the river. The first of these fishways, constructed in 2003, is a vertical-slot design with low water velocities (0.98–1.4 m s–1) and turbulence (average 42 W m–3). This design was selected to provide passage for in iduals between 20 and 1000 mm long. To determine passage success, trapping and a remote automated passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag reading system was used from October 2003 to February 2006. In 57 24-h s les at the exit (upstream end) and entrance (downstream end), 13 species and 30 409 fish were collected at a maximum rate of 4415 fish per day. Fish between 31 and 1030 mm successfully ascended the fishway. However, significantly smaller ( mm) fish and small-bodied ( mm) carp gudgeons (Hypseleotris spp.), a species previously considered non-migratory, were s led downstream from the entrance of the fishway. The remote PIT tag reading system revealed that 81% of native golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) and 87% of non-native common carp (Cyprinus carpio) successfully ascended the fishway. These data will help maximise the efficiency of future fishways against a series of pre-determined performance criteria.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2017
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-05-2007
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-10-2014
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/MF18299
Abstract: Understanding the influence of extrinsic factors such as hydrology and hydraulics on recruitment provides essential insight to inform management of fish populations. The critically endangered silver perch Bidyanus bidyanus is a long-lived, potamodromous pelagophil endemic to Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin. Declines of this species are often attributed to river regulation, although quantitative studies linking hydrology and hydraulics to key aspects of its life cycle are sparse. We used a multidecadal age-structured dataset collected from a locally abundant population of silver perch to quantify the relative importance of different abiotic drivers on year-class strength (recruitment). Silver perch recruited across highly variable hydrological conditions. The strongest year classes were associated with a combination of low to average river discharge (i.e. within channel) and high water temperatures over the peak spawning period, followed in the next year by extended high flows and widespread flooding that promoted survival of age-1+ juvenile fish. We suggest that conditions affecting the growth and dispersal of juvenile fish, in addition to the spawning period, are critical in governing recruitment dynamics. This highlights the need for multiyear flow plans for freshwater fish populations.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-05-2018
DOI: 10.1002/ECO.1965
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/MF17388
Abstract: Understanding the influence of river hydrology and connectivity on the migration and recruitment of diadromous fishes is fundamental for species management and conservation. We investigated the downstream catadromous spawning migration of adult female congolli (Pseudaphritis urvillii) using acoustic telemetry, and subsequent juvenile recruitment, in the lower reaches of the River Murray, Australia, in 2009–2011. The years 2009 and 2010 were characterised by diminished freshwater flow, closure of tidal barrages, and disconnection of freshwater and estuarine habitats however, a navigation lock was operated to facilitate downstream fish passage in 2010. In both years, % of in iduals tagged upstream undertook downstream migrations, in association with day-of-the-year (June–July) and moonphase (full), and accumulated upstream of the tidal barrages. In 2009, fish were unable to pass the barrages and remained upstream, but in 2010, an estimated in iduals passed through the navigation lock, including 40% of in iduals tagged upstream. These transitioned rapidly ( h) through the estuary and into the ocean. In association, abundances of upstream migrant juveniles in spring–summer 2010–2011 were up to 180 times greater than in spring–summer 2009–2010. Our study illustrates the potential impact of tidal barriers on migrations and population dynamics of catadromous fish, and the importance of understanding species-specific migration ecology.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/ZO10035
Abstract: To provide passage for migratory native fish, a series of 14 vertical-slot and lock fishways are being constructed on the Murray River in south-eastern Australia. Three of these vertical-slot fishways, at Locks 7, 9 and 10, have a conservative slope (1V : 32H) and are designed with internal hydraulics suitable for the passage of a broad size range of fish (30–1000 mm long). An assessment of these fishways was performed using a combined trapping survey and passive integrated transponder (PIT) approach to determine fishway effectiveness at passing an entire fish community. Fish were trapped within the three fishways between 2004 and 2006, where a total of 13 626 in iduals comprising 13 species were collected from 48 s le days (24 h each). Trapping data revealed that the three fishways successfully passed fish within the target size range, though significantly greater numbers of in iduals smaller (10–29 mm long) than the target size range could not ascend. PIT tagging revealed important information on fishway ascent times, descent times, seasonality and diel behaviour of medium and large fish. Although each method alone had advantages and disadvantages, the dual assessment approach was useful as it permitted an assessment of fishway success and also provided insights into migratory fish behaviour.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 02-09-2022
DOI: 10.1071/MF21033
Abstract: An understanding of population demographics and life history processes is integral to the rehabilitation of fish populations. In Australia’s highly modified Murray–Darling Basin, native fish are imperilled and fish deaths in the Darling River in 2018–19 highlighted their vulnerability. Golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) is a long-lived percichthyid that was conspicuous in the fish kills. To guide population rehabilitation in the Darling River, pre-fish kill age structure, provenance and movement of golden perch were explored using otolith microstructure and chemistry (87Sr/86Sr). Across the Lower and Mid-Darling River, recruitment was episodic, with dominant cohorts associated with years characterised by elevated discharge. There was substantial variability in age structure, recruitment source and movement patterns between the Lower and Mid-Darling River. In the Mid-Darling River, tributaries were an important recruitment source, whereas in the Lower Darling fish predominantly originated in the Darling River itself. Downstream movement of juveniles, upstream migration of adults and return movements to natal locations were important drivers of population structure. Restoring resilient golden perch populations in the Darling River will be reliant on mitigating barriers to movement, promoting a connected mosaic of recruitment sources and reinstating the hydrological and hydraulic factors associated with spawning, recruitment and dispersal. Globally, increasing water resource development and climate change will necessitate such integrated approaches to the management of long-lived migratory riverine fishes.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2006
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-04-2007
DOI: 10.1007/S00267-017-0855-Y
Abstract: Carp are a highly successful invasive fish species, now widespread, abundant and considered a pest in south-eastern Australia. To date, most management effort has been directed at reducing abundances of adult fish, with little consideration of population growth through reproduction. Environmental water allocations are now an important option for the rehabilitation of aquatic ecosystems, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin. As carp respond to flows, there is concern that environmental watering may cause floodplain inundation and provide access to spawning habitats subsequently causing unwanted population increase. This is a management conundrum that needs to be carefully considered within the context of contemporary river flow management (natural, environmental, irrigation). This paper uses a population model to investigate flow-related carp population dynamics for three case studies in the Murray-Darling Basin: (1) river and terminal lakes (2) wetlands and floodplain lakes and (3) complex river channel and floodplain system. Results highlight distinctive outcomes depending on site characteristics. In particular, the terminal lakes maintain a significant source carp population regardless of river flow hence any additional within-channel environmental flows are likely to have little impact on carp populations. In contrast, large-scale removal of carp from the lakes may be beneficial, especially in times of extended low river flows. Case studies 2 and 3 show how wetlands, floodplain lakes and the floodplain itself can now often be inundated for several months over the carp spawning season by high volume flows provided for irrigation or water transfers. Such inundations can be a major driver of carp populations, compared to within channel flows that have relatively little effecton recruitment. The use of a population model that incorporates river flows and different habitats for this flow-responsive species, allows for the comparison of likely population outcomes for differing hydrological scenarios to improve the management of risks relating to carp reproduction and flows.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-03-2017
DOI: 10.1111/FME.12205
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1071/MF07205
Abstract: Salinisation in lowland areas of the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia, has had noticeable effects on fish. The endangered endemic Murray hardyhead Craterocephalus fluviatilis is distributed patchily and confined mainly to saline waters (0.4–20 g L–1), whereas the unspecked hardyhead C. stercusmuscarum fulvus has a more continuous distribution but is absent from high salinities ( ). Osmoregulation was compared in these two congeners and an estuarine atherinid, the small-mouth hardyhead Atherinosoma microstoma, over a wide salinity range (0.03–85). All three species are euryhaline, although the osmoregulatory ability of C. s. fulvus falters above ~35 salinity. In low salinity ( ), C. fluviatilis is a better osmoregulator than A. microstoma, but both species tolerate hypersaline conditions (85). These data imply a physiological reason for the predominance of C. fluviatilis in inland saline waters, but the reasons for its absence from freshwater habitats ( .4) remain unclear. The findings have implications for other freshwater fish, especially populations of closely related species, subjected to the effects of salinisation or other stressors.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/MF20127
Abstract: Many freshwater fishes are imperilled globally, and there is a need for easily accessible, contemporary ecological knowledge to guide management. This compendium contains knowledge collated from over 600 publications and 27 expert workshops to support the restoration of 9 priority native freshwater fish species, representative of the range of life-history strategies and values in south-eastern Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin. To help prioritise future research investment and restoration actions, ecological knowledge and threats were assessed for each species and life stage. There is considerable new knowledge (80% of publications used were from the past 20 years), but this varied among species and life stages, with most known about adults, then egg, juvenile and larval stages (in that order). The biggest knowledge gaps concerned early life stage requirements, survival, recruitment, growth rates, condition and movements. Key threats include reduced longitudinal and lateral connectivity, altered flows, loss of refugia, reductions in both flowing (lotic) and slackwater riverine habitats, degradation of wetland habitats, alien species interactions and loss of aquatic vegetation. Ex les and case studies illustrating the application of this knowledge to underpin effective restoration management are provided. This extensive ecological evidence base for multiple species is presented in a tabular format to assist a range of readers.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2020
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12428
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-05-2018
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.12619
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 04-06-2022
DOI: 10.1071/MF20349
Abstract: Understanding the spatial and temporal scales over which key population processes occur is fundamental to effective fisheries management, especially when informing recovery actions following extreme events. In 2018–19, hypoxia-induced fish kills occurred in the lower Darling River, south-eastern Australia. We collected carcasses of three potamodromous species that perished during these events to reconstruct their lifetime movements and identify potential recovery mechanisms. Golden perch Macquaria ambigua, Murray cod Maccullochella peelii and silver perch Bidyanus bidyanus otolith 87Sr/86Sr profiles were compared with water 87Sr/86Sr ratios to better understand natal provenance and movement history, and to identify the scale at which migration influences population processes. Golden perch were predominantly locally spawned (Darling River), although we found some evidence of emigration into the nearby Murray River early in life and return movements into the Darling River. Murray cod were mainly locally spawned and thereafter lifelong residents, with some evidence of stocking supplementing populations. Silver perch were mostly immigrants, with the Murray River ( km away) the principal source of fish. For recovery of native fish populations to be effective in the Darling River, recovery actions are required that incorporate knowledge on the relevant spatial and temporal scales over which life history processes occur.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2008
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/MF10024
Abstract: River regulation can diminish freshwater flows to estuaries and compromise estuarine functionality. Understanding biotic responses to altered flow regimes is imperative to effectively manage aquatic ecosystems. The present study investigated temporal variation in fish assemblage structure and the recruitment of catadromous fish in the Coorong estuary at the terminus of the Murray River, in south-eastern Australia. Over the three-year study period, freshwater inflows to the estuary diminished and ultimately ceased, disconnecting freshwater and estuarine environments. It was hypothesised that these conditions would lead to (1) increases in estuarine salinities and concomitant changes in fish assemblage structure and abundance, and (2) decreased recruitment of catadromous fish. As freshwater inflow decreased, salinities immediately downstream of a series of tidal barrages increased from brackish to marine–hypersaline, species richness and ersity decreased, freshwater and diadromous species became less abundant and assemblages were increasingly characterised by marine species. Furthermore, the abundance of young-of-year catadromous fish decreased dramatically. Excessive regulation of freshwater inflows is resulting in the Coorong estuary resembling a marine embayment, leading to a loss in species ersity. We suggest, however, that even small volumes of freshwater may promote ersity in estuarine fish assemblages and some recruitment of catadromous species.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/MF12321
Abstract: Restoring fish populations in regulated rivers requires an understanding of relationships between hydrology and population dynamics. In the present study, spawning and recruitment of golden perch, Macquaria ambigua ambigua, were investigated in relation to flow in the regulated lower River Murray. All life stages were s led in three successive years, with peak flows of 8500 (2004–05), 15 000 (2005–06) and 7000 ML day–1 (2006–07). Larvae occurred only in November/December 2005, and young-of-year fish only in early 2006. Counts of daily increments in otolith microstructure indicated spawning in late October/early November 2005. Back-calculated birth years for adults, derived from otoliths and compared with the hydrograph for the preceding 25 years, revealed the dominance of three year classes spawned in association with increased discharge in 2000, 1998 and 1996. In 2007, an additional year class of 1-year-old fish appeared, following spawning in 2005. In each case, strong recruitment followed spring–summer spawning, when peak flows were 000 ML day–1 and water temperatures would have exceeded 20°C. Restoration of within-channel flows of 15–25 000 ML day–1 from late spring through summer would promote spawning and recruitment and improve the resilience of golden perch populations in the lower Murray.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-05-2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12091
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12092
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12093
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2013
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12050
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 28-02-2012
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: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/ZO12124
Abstract: Conservation of Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii), a large endangered fish species of Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin, relies on a detailed understanding of life history, including movement patterns and habitat use. We used radio-tracking to investigate the movement of 36 Murray cod in main channel and anabranch habitats of the lower River Murray during a flood and associated hypoxic blackwater event. During a flood peak of ~93 000 ML day–1, dissolved oxygen decreased to 1.2 mg L–1. Four movement types were observed: (1) localised small-scale movement, (2) broad-scale movement within anabranch habitats, (3) movement between anabranch and main channel habitats, and (4) large-scale riverine movement. Murray cod exhibited high fidelity to anabranch habitats but also moved extensively between anabranches and the main channel. Fish were consistently located in the main channel or permanent anabranches, suggesting that use of ephemeral floodplain habitats is limited, and highlighting the importance of connectivity between off-channel and main channel habitats. Mortality of radio-tagged fish was considerable (25%) in association with low dissolved oxygen concentrations, indicating that hypoxic blackwater may have had a substantial impact on Murray cod populations in the lower River Murray.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-08-2021
Abstract: Directional or stabilising selection should drive the expression of a dominant movement phenotype within a population. Widespread persistence of multiple movement phenotypes within wild populations, however, suggests that in iduals that move (movers) and those that do not (residents) can have commensurate performance. The costs and benefits of mover and resident phenotypes remain poorly understood. Here, we explored how the presence and timing of movements are correlated with annual somatic growth rates, a useful proxy for performance because it is easily measured and rapidly reflects environmental changes. We used otolith growth measurements and stable isotope analyses to recreate growth and among‐reach movement histories of a partially migrating, long‐lived freshwater fish, golden perch Macquaria ambigua . We compared the association between movement and growth at two temporal scales: (a) short‐term (annual) differences in growth, in the years preceding, during or following movement and (b) long‐term (lifetime) differences in growth. Overall, 59% of in iduals performed at least one among‐reach movement, with these in iduals subsequently more likely to move repeatedly throughout their lives. Movers grew faster than residents, with this difference most pronounced in the juvenile and early adult stages, when most movements occurred. Annual growth did not, however, change immediately prior to or following a specific movement event. Among‐in idual variation in growth was initially higher for residents than for movers but decreased with age, at a faster rate for residents than for movers, such that levels conformed after 5 years of age. Our results indicate that lifetime movement is linked to faster growth in the early years of a fish's life. These faster growing movers are likely to be larger at a given age, leading to numerous potential benefits. However, the persistence of resident phenotypes suggests that there is likely a cost–benefit trade‐off to moving. The presence of multiple movement phenotypes may contribute to the resilience of populations by buffering against naturally and anthropogenically exacerbated environmental variability.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/MF20056
Abstract: Effective fisheries management requires fish size, growth and mortality information representative of the population and location of interest. Golden perch Macquaria ambigua is long lived, potamodromous and widespread in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), Australia. Using a s le spanning 13 river systems and 10° of latitude, we examined whether the maximum size of golden perch differed by latitude and whether growth and mortality varied between northern and southern MDB regions. The length, weight and age ranges of golden perch s led (n=873) were 52–559mm, 2–3201g and 0+ to 26+ years respectively, and maximum length and weight were unaffected by latitude. Length and age–length distributions represented by age–length keys varied by region, with greater variability in age-at-length and a larger proportion of smaller in iduals in northern MDB rivers, which generally exhibit greater variability in discharge. Growth and mortality rates were similar between regions, and an MDB-wide von Bertalanffy growth model (L∞=447, k=0.32 and t0=–0.51) and instantaneous mortality rate (Z=0.20) best described the data. An MDB-wide length–weight equation also provided the best fit (W=6.76×10–6 L3.12). Our data suggest that the MDB can be treated as one management unit in terms of golden perch maximum size, growth and mortality parameters.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1086/674796
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-01-2019
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12358
No related grants have been discovered for Brenton Zampatti.