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The effect of algal blooms on fish in their inshore nursery grounds in the Gulf of Gdańsk

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 September 2017

Anna J. Pawelec*
Affiliation:
Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Al. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
Mariusz R. Sapota
Affiliation:
Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Al. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
Justyna Kobos
Affiliation:
Department of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Al. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: A.J. Pawelec Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Al. M. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland email: anna.pawelec@ug.edu.pl
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Abstract

Studies of cyanobacterial bloom dynamics show that the highest biomass accumulation of Nodularia spumigena is observed in the shallowest area of the Gulf of Gdańsk in summer. In the same region and time, the highest fish abundance is observed. Mostly young individuals of gobies, small sandeel, flounder, three-spine stickleback and young herring occur. In this work we compare how toxic blooms of cyanobacteria influence the number and structure of fish communities in a coastal zone. The results obtained in our study were rather unexpected. More fish species were caught and the biomass of fish was higher during a bloom than in a month following the sampling (no bloom).

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2017 
Figure 0

Fig. 1. Study area in the Redłowo territory in the western part of the Gulf of Gdańsk.

Figure 1

Table 1. Gillnet (Nordic Nets 64) parameters (CEN, 2005; Psuty, 2011).

Figure 2

Table 2. Average of water temperature (°C), salinity, abundance (100 µm filaments dm−3) and biomass (mg dm−3) of N. spumigena during fish sampling. Concentration of nodularin (NOD) after Mazur-Marzec et al. (2013) and unpublished data.

Figure 3

Table 3. Abundance, biomass (ind./mass (g)) and length range (June)/(July) of fish species in samplings.

Figure 4

Fig. 2. Fish abundance, biomass and species composition in samplings during and after cyanobacterial bloom.

Figure 5

Fig. 3. Similarity between gillnet samplings (Ward's, 1-Pearson's r).

Figure 6

Fig. 4. Statistical similarities between fish assemblages present during sampling (the number and biomass), A – PCA, without rotation: factor 1–62.10%, factor 2–32.10%; B – Ward's, 1-Pearson's r.