Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 

About: Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management is an academic journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Water quality & Phytoplankton. It has an ISSN identifier of 1463-4988. Over the lifetime, 1154 publications have been published receiving 17852 citations. The journal is also known as: Aquatic ecosystem health and management.

Instream flow assessments for regulated rivers in South Africa using the Building Block Methodology

Abstract: The demand for water from South Africa's growing population is creating an ever-increasing pressure on the country's rivers. The urgent need to provide more water services often conflicts with the desire to maintain or improve the ecological condition of the rivers. To provide guidance on the sustainable use of a river's water-resources, the Building Block Methodology (BBM) has been developed for assessing the instream flow requirement for any river. Development has been done jointly over the last five years by the national Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) and river scientists, and the accent is on identifying a complex of different magnitude flows for maintenance of entire river ecosystems. The BBM caters for the almost universal reality in South Africa of having rapidly to provide scientific guidance on such flows for a river in cases where biological data and understanding of the functioning of the river are limited. However, the methodology works equally well in data-rich situa...

Dams and fisheries in the Mekong Basin

Abstract: This paper draws on approaches in ecology, biology and policy analysis to examine the tensions between dams and fisheries in the Lower Mekong Basin. We review the exceptional importance of Mekong fisheries in terms of total catch, economic value and their role in rural livelihoods. The ecological conditions necessary to sustain the fish production are also analysed. The paper then considers the implications of dam development in the Mekong Basin, drawing on recent research to review predicted changes in hydrology and the resulting impacts on fishery resources. We then consider why, given the importance of fisheries, these potential impacts are not being addressed in regional policy processes.

Fish diversity in the upper Paraná River basin: habitats, fisheries, management and conservation

Abstract: The Parana River is the second longest river in South America and the tenth largest river in the world in water discharge. The upper stretches are characterized by high human occupation and intense anthropogenic activities, and few areas are still in pristine conditions. Despite this, fish diversity is remarkably high in the upper Parana River basin, and the existence of different habitats greatly influences fish biodiversity. Although most species are sedentary, migratory species are considered the most important, since they have historically sustained commercial and recreational fisheries. Recently, stocks of migratory species have diminished in many rivers due to overfishing and habitat modifications caused by dams. Impoundments have a long history in the basin and constitute the main source of impacts for both sedentary and migratory fish species. Government agencies have implemented management actions to mitigate the effects of damming on fish populations, which included fish stocking (using native a...

Freshwater fishes of the Amazon River basin: their biodiversity, fisheries, and habitats

Abstract: Stretching more than seven million square kilometers, the Amazon River basin is the largest river basin in the world and discharges about one-sixth of all freshwater from the continents to the oceans of the world. The age of this ecosystem, its position near the equator and the enormous diversity of its aquatic habitats, have produced the most diverse fish fauna on the planet. About 2,500 fish species have already been described and it is estimated that more than 1,000 new species remain to be discovered. Knowledge concerning this multitude of fish species is still insufficient, which makes their management and protection difficult. About 50% of the species are thought to occur in the large rivers and connected floodplains and another 50% in headwater streams. Inland fisheries give rise to 450,000 t of fish each year and thus contribute substantially to the protein supply of local populations. However, despite their economic importance, these fisheries receive little attention from the respective governme...

Heavy metal pollution status in the Malaysian aquatic environment

Abstract: The objective of this paper was to review the status of the Malaysian aquatic environment with respect to heavy metals. Much of the work on metals focused on measurements in biota and sediments, but very little research has been done on dissolved and particulate metals in water, metal speciation in sediments or on the bioavailability of metals. Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) received much attention but due to technical difficulties, Arsenic, (As), Mercury (Hg), Tin (Sn) and other hydride elements have not been well studied. The sources of metal pollution come from manufacturing, agriculture, sewage and motor vehicle emissions. The few reliable studies on metals in water indicate that some rivers were contaminated with Pb, Cu and Zn. Measurements in fish, bivalves and shrimp indicate no contamination of these resources by metals. However contamination by Cd and Pb was noted in some littoral shore molluscs such as Thais sp. as well as rock oysters (Saccostrea sp.) which may be due to non...