Endangered river fish: threats and conservation options

: Colorado River in the Grand Canyon by Craig Paukert.

Globally, riverine fish face many threats associated with human activity including altered hydrology, migration barriers, fisheries exploitation, riparian and flood plain alteration, environmental change, and introduction of invasive species. Collectively, these threats have made riverine fish some of the most threatened taxa on the planet. This special issue will explore the range of threats facing riverine fish with a focus on species or large river systems that are particularly imperilled. In addition, it will examine various alternatives available to conserve and restore endangered river fish populations and riverine ecosystems (e.g.use of aquatic protected areas, co-management and stakeholder engagement, refinements in flows, restoration of connectivity, control of non-native fishes). We anticipate contributions that span large river-resident and diadromous fish species which are not only listed as endangered by federal governments or international organizations, but have been defined by local and regional agencies as imperilled. We are particularly interested in case studies from around the globe that integrate the science and practice of river fish conservation and environmental management.

The issue will be finalized in late 2011. In recognition of the importance of this topic, Inter-Research will be making all articles freely available to the scientific community by granting Open Access without cost to authors.

ESR prides itself on rapid review and rapid online publication of accepted papers. If you are considering making a submission we encourage you to contact the editorial team (below) and be sure to indicate in your cover letter at time of submission (and via the online submission system) that the paper is to be considered for inclusion in the Theme Section on “Endangered River Fish”.

Questions regarding the Theme Section should be directed to Dr. Steven Cooke (Steven_Cooke(at)carleton.ca)

Editorial Team for Theme Section: Dr. Steven Cooke, Carleton University, Canada (Responsible Editor); Dr. Craig Paukert, USGS/University of Missouri (Guest Editor; paukertc(at)missouri.edu); Dr. Zeb Hogan, University of Nevada/National Geographic (Guest Editor; zebhogan(at)cabnr.unr.edu)

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Hasler CT, Donaldson MR, Sunder RPB, Guimond E, Patterson DA, Mossop B, Hinch SG, Cooke SJ

Osmoregulatory, metabolic, and nutritional condition of summer-run male Chinook salmon in relation to their fate and migratory behavior in a regulated river

ESR 14:79-89 | Full text in pdf format

Thiem JD, Binder TR, Dawson JW, Dumont P, Hatin D, Katopodis C, Zhu DZ, Cooke SJ

Behaviour and passage success of upriver-migrating lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in a vertical slot fishway on the Richelieu River, Quebec, Canada

ESR 15:1-11 | Full text in pdf format

Kemp A

Comparison of embryological development in the threatened Australian lungfish Neoceratodus forsteri from two sites in a Queensland river system

ESR 15:87-101 | Full text in pdf format

Hahn L, Agostinho AA, English KK, Carosfeld J, da Câmara LF, Cooke SJ

Use of radiotelemetry to track threatened dorados Salminus brasiliensis in the upper Uruguay River, Brazil

ESR 15:103-114 | Full text in pdf format

Baisez A, Bach JM, Leon C, Parouty T, Terrade R, Hoffmann M, Laffaille P

Migration delays and mortality of adult Atlantic salmon Salmo salar en route to spawning grounds on the River Allier, France

ESR 15:265-270 | Full text in pdf format

Lintermans M

Managing potential impacts of reservoir enlargement on threatened Macquaria australasica and Gadopsis bispinosus in southeastern Australia

ESR 16:1-16 | Full text in pdf format

Drauch Schreier A, Rodzen J, Ireland S, May B

Genetic techniques inform conservation aquaculture of the endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus

ESR 16:65-75 | Full text in pdf format

Jepsen N, Deacon M, Koed A

Decline of the North Sea houting: protective measures for an endangered anadromous fish

ESR 16:77-84 | Full text in pdf format

Koehn JD, Lintermans M

A strategy to rehabilitate fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin, south-eastern Australia

ESR 16:165-181 | Full text in pdf format

Mateus CS, Rodríguez-Muñoz R, Quintella BR, Alves MJ, Almeida PR

REVIEW: Lampreys of the Iberian Peninsula: distribution, population status and conservation

ESR 16:183-198 | Full text in pdf format

Butler GL, Wooden IJ

Dietary habits of a large, long-lived endangered Australian percichthyid, the eastern freshwater cod Maccullochella ikei

ESR 16:199-209 | Full text in pdf format

Schloesser JT, Paukert CP, Doyle WJ, Hill TD, Steffensen KD, Travnichek VH

Heterogeneous detection probabilities for imperiled Missouri River fishes: implications for large-river monitoring programs

ESR 16:211-224 | Full text in pdf format

Spindler BD, Chipps SR, Klumb RA, Graeb BDS, Wimberly MC

Habitat and prey availability attributes associated with juvenile and early adult pallid sturgeon occurrence in the Missouri River, USA

ESR 16:225-234 | Full text in pdf format

Pasbrig CA, Koupal KD, Schainost S, Hoback WW

Changes in range-wide distribution of plains topminnow Fundulus sciadicus

ESR 16:235-247 | Full text in pdf format

McRae CJ, Warren KD, Shrimpton JM

Spawning site selection in interior Fraser River coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch: an imperiled population of anadromous salmon from a snow-dominated watershed

ESR 16:249-260 | Full text in pdf format

Walter RP, Hogan JD, Blum MJ, Gagne RB, Hain EF, Gilliam JF, McIntyre PB

Climate change and conservation of endemic amphidromous fishes in Hawaiian streams

ESR 16:261-272 | Full text in pdf format

Paragamian VL

Kootenai River white sturgeon: synthesis of two decades of research

ESR 17:157-167 | Full text in pdf format

Knight JT, Arthington AH, Holder GS, Talbot RB

Conservation biology and management of the endangered Oxleyan pygmy perch Nannoperca oxleyana in Australia

ESR 17:169-178 | Full text in pdf format

Cooke SJ, Paukert C, Hogan Z

OVERVIEW: Endangered river fish: factors hindering conservation and restoration