27/05/2019 - 16:15

 

Fish kills are perceived as indicators of problems in water quality and ecosystem health, but extensive studies examining quantitatively this events are missing. The present study investigated the factors related to a total of 41 fish kills that occurred from 1995 to 2017, in 67 Iberian reservoirs. From a total of 12 explanatory variables, reservoir depth, surface area oxygen and chlorophyll a concentrations were the variables that, together, best discriminated between reservoirs with and without fish kills. A future projection, made with 2 different climate change scenarios, indicated an increase in the likelihood of fish kills, aligned with the trend observed in the studied period. Oligotrophication is likely the only strategy to consistently reduce fish kills in Mediterranean reservoirs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keywords: Reservoirs, Fish kills, Iberian Peninsula, Climate change, Oligotrophication

Link to the article found here