Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-02-17eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag009
Jorge Arturo Vargas-Abúndez, Carlos Rosas, Kurt Paschke, Claudia Caamal-Monsreal, Gabriela Rodríguez Fuentes, Fernando Diaz, Ana Denisse Re Araujo, Maite Mascaró, Efraín M Chávez Solís
{"title":"Osmoregulation and hypoxia tolerance in the cenote isopod <i>Creaseriella anops</i>: insights into its distribution in karst subterranean estuaries.","authors":"Jorge Arturo Vargas-Abúndez, Carlos Rosas, Kurt Paschke, Claudia Caamal-Monsreal, Gabriela Rodríguez Fuentes, Fernando Diaz, Ana Denisse Re Araujo, Maite Mascaró, Efraín M Chávez Solís","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coag009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Groundwater systems of the Yucatan Peninsula form one of the world's most intricate aquifer systems, supporting a unique and ecologically essential subterranean fauna. The physiological capacities of resident species, and their tolerance or ability to cope with changing environmental challenges is unknown for most species. Considering the vertical stratification of anchialine ecosystems, accelerated climate change and anthropogenic pressures, we sought to investigate the physiological characteristics of a key groundwater-restricted species (stygobionts) that is broadly distributed in the Yucatan Peninsula and has been observed in fresh- and marine groundwater. Thus, we (i) characterized the respiratory metabolism, osmoregulatory capacity and thermal tolerance of the cave isopod <i>Creaseriella anops</i> and (ii) evaluated how variations in salinity and oxygen concentration impact its physiological performance and antioxidant defence system. Our findings indicate that <i>C. anops</i> is isosmotic at 17.7‰ (580.8 mOsm/kg) and possesses a strong osmoregulatory capacity. When acclimated to freshwater (0‰) at 26 ± 1°C, <i>C. anops</i> demonstrated a maximum critical temperature of 33.6 ± 1.3°C and a minimum critical temperature of 19.0 ± 2.0°C, with an aerobic scope of 0.053 mg O₂/g/h. Dissolved oxygen levels (15 to 100% saturation) did not influence routine oxygen consumption rates. Acute shifts in salinity (from 0‰ to 8, 14 or 35‰) initially elevated oxygen consumption rates, which returned to routine levels within three hours across all salinity conditions. This metabolic response was associated with a slight activity increase in antioxidant enzymes and elevated protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation. In summary, <i>C. anops</i> showed outstanding osmoregulatory, metabolic and antioxidant capacities that likely contribute to its wide distribution within the YP's anchialine ecosystems, providing insights into how this species may respond to future environmental shifts.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag009"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12910624/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146221797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-02-17eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag008
Worapong Kosaruk, Janine L Brown, Chatchote Thitaram
{"title":"Ambient fine particulate matter exposure influences oxidative stress and glucocorticoid concentrations in captive Asian elephants in Thailand.","authors":"Worapong Kosaruk, Janine L Brown, Chatchote Thitaram","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coag008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Asian elephants, an iconic flagship species, are increasingly exposed to seasonal pollution and ambient fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) due to land burning and regional air pollution across Northern Thailand. Unlike humans and domesticated animals, captive elephants often spend prolonged periods outdoors with minimal air quality or mitigation measures, yet the physiological consequences of chronic PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure remain poorly understood. This study investigated how daily PM<sub>2.5</sub> levels affected oxidative stress and physiological stress biomarkers in Asian elephants involved in tourist activities in Thailand. A total of 27 elephants from seven tourist facilities in Northern Thailand were repeatedly sampled for serum 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG, a marker of oxidative DNA damage), serum malondialdehyde (MDA, a marker of lipid peroxidation) and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM, a marker of stress). Daily PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations were classified into tertiles (low, moderate, high). Linear mixed-effects models were used to test associations between PM<sub>2.5</sub> and each biomarker, with elephant ID and camp as random intercepts. Elephants exposed to high PM<sub>2.5</sub> showed approximately 40% higher DNA damage and 35% higher stress hormone concentrations compared to low PM<sub>2.5</sub> conditions. In contrast, lipid peroxidation concentrations were about 15% lower under high PM<sub>2.5</sub> conditions, suggesting possible compensatory antioxidant responses. The strongest changes occurred when pollution increased from low to moderate levels, further increases produced smaller effects. These findings suggest that seasonal air pollution elevates stress hormones and triggers complex, at times counterintuitive, changes in oxidative biomarkers, likely due to physiological buffering in elephants, with potential health implications. Integrated multi-biomarker panels are therefore essential for accurately monitoring air quality impacts on captive megafauna. Proactive management should prioritize reducing exposure and providing nutritional support during peak pollution conditions to mitigate cumulative stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag008"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12910621/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146221786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-02-14eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag012
{"title":"Correction to: Characterization of darter (Etheostoma spp.) interspecific energetic responses to acute temperature elevations.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coag012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaf027.].</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag012"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12908410/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146214989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-02-12eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag007
Drew M Arbogast, Lara C Metrione, Marieke K Jones, Elizabeth M Donelan, Terri L Roth, Elizabeth W Freeman, Louisa A Rispoli
{"title":"Pregnancy- and age-associated variation in serum dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations in black and white rhinoceroses.","authors":"Drew M Arbogast, Lara C Metrione, Marieke K Jones, Elizabeth M Donelan, Terri L Roth, Elizabeth W Freeman, Louisa A Rispoli","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag007","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an important hormone precursor for androgen and oestrogen sex steroids, yet it is understudied in wildlife and has not been measured in rhinoceroses. The objective of this study was to examine serum DHEA concentrations in <i>ex situ</i> black (<i>Diceros bicornis</i>; <i>n</i> = 22 male, 18 female) and white (<i>Ceratotherium simum</i>; <i>n</i> = 25 male, 46 female) rhinoceroses. A commercially available DHEA immunoassay was validated for use with rhino serum, and monthly samples (<i>n</i> = 1029) were analysed. Analytical validation included demonstrating parallel displacement curves between serially diluted standards and pooled extracts, as well as 91% extraction efficiency in a spike and recovery test. Differences in DHEA concentrations relative to species, age, sex and pregnancy status were analysed using linear mixed models. Serum DHEA concentrations were higher (<i>P</i> < 0.001) in black (194 ± 14.2 pg/ml) versus white (123 ± 8.0 pg/ml) rhinoceroses and demonstrated a non-linear relationship with age in both species, with concentrations peaking around 15 years of age before declining thereafter. No sex differences between males and non-pregnant females were detected in either rhinoceros species. White rhinoceros DHEA concentrations were higher (<i>P</i> < 0.001) in pregnant (309 ± 31.9 pg/ml, <i>n</i> = 15) compared to non-pregnant (120 ± 10.4 pg/ml, <i>n</i> = 41) females; pregnant black rhinoceroses similarly produced elevated DHEA concentrations during pregnancy (1092 ± 90.3 pg/ml; <i>n</i> = 2) compared to non-pregnant (229 ± 8.1 pg/ml; <i>n</i> = 17) females. DHEA concentrations also increased throughout gestation particularly during mid- to late gestation in both species. These findings provide new insight into rhinoceros endocrinology and suggest potential utility of DHEA for monitoring pregnancy status.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag007"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12894765/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146203769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-02-05eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag001
Harriet R Goodrich, Finlay Rossiter-Hill, Asta Audzijonyte, Barrett W Wolfe, Rachel Breslin, Sean R Tracey
{"title":"Phenotypic divergence of sand flathead (<i>Platycephalus bassensis)</i> between heavily and lightly fished regions in Tasmania, Australia.","authors":"Harriet R Goodrich, Finlay Rossiter-Hill, Asta Audzijonyte, Barrett W Wolfe, Rachel Breslin, Sean R Tracey","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag001","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fishing is one of the most sustained forms of human-wildlife interaction and can alter trait distributions through selective harvest and repeated disturbance. Such changes, whether plastic or evolutionary, may alter productivity, resilience, and recovery in exploited species. The sand flathead (<i>Platycephalus bassensis</i>), a benthic ambush predator with strong site fidelity, supports lutruwita (Tasmania's) largest recreational fishery and is exposed to contrasting levels of fishing pressure across its range. In southern Tasmania, fishing mortality exceeds natural mortality more than fivefold and biomass has fallen below 20% of unfished levels, while northern regions remain comparatively lightly fished. This regional contrast offers a natural setting in which to investigate whether sustained harvest is associated with regional differences in physiology and behaviour, and whether such variation is more consistent with fishing pressure, environmental conditions, or their interaction. We compared mass-specific metabolic rate, boldness, and size-at-age between sand flathead from heavily and lightly fished regions. Metabolic rate was measured using intermittent flow-through respirometry, and boldness was quantified in a shuttlebox based on exploration latency and bait strikes. Fish from the heavily fished south exhibited smaller size-at-age, a 62% higher mean metabolic rate, and a transient post-capture elevated metabolic rate consistent with greater metabolic reactivity or stress responsiveness, whereas boldness did not differ between regions. Our findings align with other exploited systems and raise the possibility that trait diversity of sand flathead in southern regions of Tasmania have been shaped, at least in part, by fisheries selection. We discuss the relevance of these results for fisheries management and emphasize the importance of assessing trait variation in wild populations, where expression is likely shaped by the interactive effects of fishing pressure and local ecological conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag001"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12885885/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146167955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-02-05eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag010
{"title":"Correction to: Endurance swimming performance and physiology of juvenile Green Sturgeon (<i>Acipenser medirostris</i>) at different temperatures.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coag010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaf003.].</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag010"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12880180/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146144713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-02-05eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag004
Arden Blumenthal, Deona Harris, Bret A Moore, Edward F Melvin, Esteban Fernández-Juricic
{"title":"Effects of a high-power laser eye exposure on avian foraging behaviour: implications for the safety of laser bird deterrents.","authors":"Arden Blumenthal, Deona Harris, Bret A Moore, Edward F Melvin, Esteban Fernández-Juricic","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag004","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To prevent human-bird conflict, lasers have been developed as nonlethal wildlife control methods despite being known to cause eye injury in humans. However, little is known about how much laser exposure can affect visually driven activities critical for survival, such as foraging. We assessed how laser exposure and its output energy affected avian visual exploratory behaviour during foraging and food consumption. We exposed house sparrows to a high-energy laser (Seabird Saver) under controlled conditions and measured within Week 1 after exposure and within Week 2 after exposure their foraging behaviour when visually locating millet seeds against a high contrast (easy task) and low contrast (difficult task) background. We found that house sparrows arrived at the food patch quicker and decreased their use of binocular vision within Week 1 after exposure compared to before exposure. Within Week 1 and within Week 2 after exposure, birds changed their rates of scanning depending on the difficulty of the foraging task. They also developed laterality by increasing foveal (i.e. high acuity) visual exploration rate using more the left compared to the right eye, particularly with increasing laser energy levels. Laser exposure increased pecking rates and seed consumption rates both within Week 1 and within Week 2 after exposure. This result is consistent with variations in body mass, which decreased markedly right after laser exposure, but animals recovered their pre-exposure weight over a few days. Our findings suggest that exposure to a high-energy laser (Seabird Saver) can alter visual exploratory behaviour in the context of foraging and influence foraging effort and food consumption rates. We discuss the implications for the use of lasers as wild bird deterrents at airports, landfills, fisheries, etc.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag004"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12880189/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146144682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-01-28eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag002
Marta Rafael, Eliana Fonseca, Nuno Santos, Mónia Nakamura
{"title":"Could hair cortisol in free-ranging cattle be a proxy of wolf predation patterns?","authors":"Marta Rafael, Eliana Fonseca, Nuno Santos, Mónia Nakamura","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag002","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cortisol is a biomarker of grey wolf (<i>Canis lupus</i>) prey selection on wild ungulates. Throughout its range, wolves may prey on free-range livestock, leading to conflicts with humans. This can compromise wolf conservation through culling or poaching. We investigate whether glucocorticoid concentration could be a biomarker of individual prey selection by grey wolves that depredate on free-ranging cattle (<i>Bos taurus</i>). To achieve this, cortisol concentration in hair samples from live (<i>n</i> = 46) and wolf-preyed (<i>n</i> = 19) cattle was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The effects of intrinsic and extrinsic variables-namely age, sex and food availability-on hair cortisol concentration (HCC) were investigated through linear mixed models with farm as a random effect. The analysis revealed that, against our initial hypothesis, wolf-preyed cattle had significantly lower HCC than live cattle (<i>P</i> = 0.009). Additionally, HCC was lower in subadults than in adults (<i>P</i> = 0.002), and was negatively correlated with food availability in adults, but not in subadults (<i>P</i> = 0.003). These results suggest that predation risk does not necessarily equal long-term physiological stress. Alternatively, it may indicate that cattle chronically exposed to stressors (i.e. presenting higher HCC) may exhibit more effective anti-predatory behaviours. Additionally, food availability for cattle may influence wolf predation patterns, as cattle may expand their foraging area by exploring unfamiliar areas, thereby increasing the likelihood of predator encounters. Further research is required to understand the relationship between the multitude of stressors acting on free-range cattle and wolf prey selection, with the aim of assessing the risk of individual cattle and eventually managing predation risk and human-wolf conflict.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag002"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12851633/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146088052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-01-28eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag003
Joslyn Blessing Kent, Kari Renee Dawson, Shingo Fukada, Masae Makabe, Isao Kawazu, Ken Maeda, Roldán A Valverde
{"title":"Biomarkers of foraging and reproduction in captive adult female hawksbill sea turtles (<i>Eretmochelys imbricata</i>).","authors":"Joslyn Blessing Kent, Kari Renee Dawson, Shingo Fukada, Masae Makabe, Isao Kawazu, Ken Maeda, Roldán A Valverde","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag003","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hawksbill sea turtles (<i>Eretmochelys imbricata)</i> are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). To implement best conservation practices for this species, its biology should be well understood. Attempting to characterize the foraging physiology of free-ranging hawksbill sea turtles is complicated by the fact that sampling is typically limited to nesting females during the reproductive season. Without data from non-reproductive periods, it is difficult to determine whether observed physiological values reflect baseline conditions or are specific to the energetically demanding nesting season. Accordingly, in this study, we described the physiology of foraging in a captive-held population of hawksbill sea turtles for an entire year. Across the year, we sampled a total of five captive adult female hawksbills at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan. We measured the concentration of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), triglycerides (TRGs) and testosterone. Foraging biomarkers BHB and TRGs were both significantly higher during gonadal recrudescence and breeding than during gonadal quiescence, consistent with mature animals that were not foraging actively during breeding activities. Testosterone concentration also was higher during breeding months than during non-breeding months, especially in May, which marked the onset of mating. Elevated BHB during breeding activities indicated that captive hawksbills accumulated energy reserves during the non-breeding season to invest it in breeding activities. Additionally, elevated TRGs are correlated to vitellogenesis occurring in the breeding female hawksbills.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag003"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12851632/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146088082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-01-28eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag005
Bass Dye, Myron A Peck, Karen E van de Wolfshaar, Anieke van Leeuwen
{"title":"Disentangling the effects of resource level and temperature dependence on the performance of fish in different guilds.","authors":"Bass Dye, Myron A Peck, Karen E van de Wolfshaar, Anieke van Leeuwen","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag005","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The ability to predict how fishes respond to changes in temperature and resource variability is paramount to developing sustainable management plans and for projecting the direct and indirect effects of climate change. We developed a versatile, physiological model capable of providing size-specific estimates of fish growth and fecundity across varying temperatures and resource levels. The model includes a mechanistic representation of individual-level life history processes across diverse biogeographic and functional fish guilds, using direct, species-specific parameter estimates. We demonstrate its application to five marine species (Atlantic cod, Atlantic herring, five-bearded rockling, European sprat and thinlip mullet), which differ in life history strategies and biogeographic distributions, but all rely on intertidal nursery habitats-areas particularly susceptible to anthropogenic change. In all simulations, resource availability had a stronger influence on fish performance than temperature. Nevertheless, the model also revealed how and why higher temperatures often decreased fitness and/or survival of specific types of species. We made no changes to the model structure for different species, and the resulting model predictions were not fitted but were based on eco-physiological first principles. Comparison between modelled and empirical data collected in the shallow Wadden Sea (southern North Sea) confirmed benefits of warming to thermophilic, range-expanding species, while core (established) species at their lower latitudinal limits of their distribution face local extirpation. The model allows insight into more variables than often reported from survey and monitoring efforts, such as reproductive output. The model's broad applicability across a range of species, geographic regions and research objectives makes it valuable for generating knowledge needed to buttress actions aimed at addressing ecological and conservation challenges in a future climate.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag005"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12851634/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146088080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}