Experimental removal of anoxic hypolimnion conditions in a lake increases perch growth

• Main Author: Torsson, Felix
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap 2021
• Subjects: Eurasian perch; oxygen limitation; individual condition; growth and stomach fullness.; Ecology; Ekologi
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-189019

Global warming leads to an increased browning of lakes across the northern hemisphere. This browning can due to benthic light-limitation cause hypoxic bottom conditions which can have negative impact on the fish production in the northern lakes. In this study, I obtained data from a large-scale experiment to test if the removal of anoxic bottom conditions in the hypolimnion affects Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) populations. This was done with a Before-After, Control-Impact design in two adjacent lakes by altering the oxygen conditions in the hypolimnion in one lake while the other remained as control. To analyse if experimental oxygenation of an anoxic hypolimnion altered perch performance, I analysed samples of individual growth (based on back-calculated growth from operculum bone readings), condition, diets and stomach fullness in perch before and after oxygenation from the control and impact lake. The results showed that growth, condition, and stomach fullness increased in the treatment lake but not in the control lake, suggesting that resource availability increased for perch with the removal of anoxic hypolimnion conditions. However, a decline in population abundances was also observed over time within both lakes, which may provide at least an alternative explanation of the observed responses. Still, I hypothesize that the oxygenation at least partially increased the resource abundance in brown lakes, thus increasing fish growth and size.