<p>Two decades ago the recruitment of YOY perch (<em>Perca fluviatilis</em>) started to decline along the Swedish east cost of the Baltic Sea. Factors that influence recruitment are e.g. eutrophication that causes habitat losses and overfishing of cod (<em>Gadus morhua</em>) which causes cascading effects in the food web. Filamentous cyanobacterial blooms are often toxic and has increased in the Baltic Sea and its coastal waters. The aim of this field study was to evaluate the effects of salinity and cyanobacterial exposure on fitness related parameters of young of the year (YOY) perch (<em>Perca Fluviatilis</em>) in a natural environment. Our study was performed in the Curonian Lagoon (Lithuania) in August 2009. The lagoon offers a temporary salinity gradient (wind induced influxes from the Baltic Sea) ranging from 7 psu in the north to 0 psu in the south. Submerged enclosures containing YOY perch were set up at three different locations along the salinity gradient in the Lagoon (referred to as North, Middle, South). The duration of the experiment was 21 or 27 days, depending on treatment. Measurements of perch condition were specific growth rate, somatic condition index (SCI) and whole fish lipid and protein content. Average chl <em>a</em> values for the three stations during the experimental time were: north 180 ± 70 µg/l chl <em>a</em>, middle 133 ± 36 µg/l chl <em>a</em> and south 180 ± 52 µg/l chl <em>a</em>. The North and the Middle stations experienced two different salinity influxes reaching a maximum salinity of 6.5 psu at the northern station. The duration of each saline influx was approximately 4-6 days. The saline water did not reach the Southern station at any time. Results show that perch from the southern station were in best condition in terms of specific growth rate and contents of total lipids. Compared to the South the perch condition declined to the Middle station and was lowest at the Northern station which experienced the highest degree of fluctuation in terms of salinity and cyanobacterial exposure. Examination of the abundance of the main food resource at the different stations revealed no statistical differences, which suggest that availability of food was not a factor in explaining the differences in growth.  The results possibly indicate that a changing environment with the potential synergistic negative effects of salinity and cyanobacteria has a higher negative impact on YOY perch condition compared to constantly high concentrations of cyanobacteria.</p>

Two decades ago the recruitment of YOY perch (Perca fluviatilis) started to decline along the Swedish east cost of the Baltic Sea. Factors that influence recruitment are e.g. eutrophication that causes habitat losses and overfishing of cod (Gadus morhua) which causes cascading effects in the food web. Filamentous cyanobacterial blooms are often toxic and has increased in the Baltic Sea and its coastal waters. The aim of this field study was to evaluate the effects of salinity and cyanobacterial exposure on fitness related parameters of young of the year (YOY) perch (Perca Fluviatilis) in a natural environment. Our study was performed in the Curonian Lagoon (Lithuania) in August 2009. The lagoon offers a temporary salinity gradient (wind induced influxes from the Baltic Sea) ranging from 7 psu in the north to 0 psu in the south. Submerged enclosures containing YOY perch were set up at three different locations along the salinity gradient in the Lagoon (referred to as North, Middle, South). The duration of the experiment was 21 or 27 days, depending on treatment. Measurements of perch condition were specific growth rate, somatic condition index (SCI) and whole fish lipid and protein content. Average chl a values for the three stations during the experimental time were: north 180 ± 70 µg/l chl a, middle 133 ± 36 µg/l chl a and south 180 ± 52 µg/l chl a. The North and the Middle stations experienced two different salinity influxes reaching a maximum salinity of 6.5 psu at the northern station. The duration of each saline influx was approximately 4-6 days. The saline water did not reach the Southern station at any time. Results show that perch from the southern station were in best condition in terms of specific growth rate and contents of total lipids. Compared to the South the perch condition declined to the Middle station and was lowest at the Northern station which experienced the highest degree of fluctuation in terms of salinity and cyanobacterial exposure. Examination of the abundance of the main food resource at the different stations revealed no statistical differences, which suggest that availability of food was not a factor in explaining the differences in growth.  The results possibly indicate that a changing environment with the potential synergistic negative effects of salinity and cyanobacteria has a higher negative impact on YOY perch condition compared to constantly high concentrations of cyanobacteria.

The rapid expansion of Great Cormorant populations during the second part of the 20th century has caused many conflicts, mostly with fisheries. Cormorants are often considered as important reason for depleted fish stocks, although evidences are often insufficient. This study of the Great Cormorant diet took place in the largest Lithuanian colony near Juodkrantė. Important for the impact evaluation cormorant nutrition aspects, including diet composition, its temporal variation and feeding selectivity, were determined. The reliability of pellet analysis for quantitative dietary assessments was evaluated for the first time using a stable isotope mixing model. Great Cormorant impact on spatial fish distribution was also assessed for the first time. Long-term fish community monitoring data were used for Cormorant impact assessment in the Curonian Lagoon. The results of our study are important for providing improved assessments of the long-term effects of Cormorants on fish communities in large, complex, highly productive aquatic systems. The practical significance of this study is its evaluation of competition between cormorants and commercial fishermen, which enables to substantiate the need to regulate cormorant population. Assessments of Cormorant impact on invasive Round Goby populations is also important. / XX amžiaus antroje pusėje didžiųjų kormoranų populiacijos Europoje staigus augimas sukėlė eilę konfliktų, daugiausia su žvejais ir žuvų augintojais. Kormoranai dažnai kaltinami dėl mažėjančių žuvų išteklių, tačiau moksliniais tyrimais pagrįstų įrodymų dažnai trūksta. Šiame tyrime buvo tiriama didžiųjų kormoranų mityba didžiausioje Lietuvoje Juodkrantės kolonijoje. Darbe buvo nustatyti svarbūs kormoranų poveikio vertinimui mitybos aspektai – raciono sudėtis ir jos kitimas laike, mitybos selektyvumas. Pirmą kartą buvo įvertintas atrajų analizės metodo patikimumas raciono sudėties kiekybiniam vertinimui, naudojant stabiliųjų izotopų sudėties analizės metodą. Taip pat pirmą kartą buvo vertinamas didžiųjų kormoranų poveikis žuvų populiacijoms erdvėje. Remiantis daugiamečio monitoringo duomenimis, buvo įvertintas kormoranų poveikis žuvų populiacijoms Kuršių mariose. Šio tyrimo rezultatai leidžia geriau įvertinti didžiųjų kormoranų ilgalaikį poveikį žuvų bendrijoms didelėse sudėtingose aukšto produktyvumo vandens sistemose. Praktinę vertę šiame darbe turi kormoranų ir žvejų verslininkų tiesioginės ir netiesioginės konkurencijos įvertinimas, leidžiantis pagrįsti kormoranų populiacijos reguliavimo priemonių tikslingumą. Svarbus praktiškai yra ir kormoranų poveikio invazinio juodažiočio grundalo populiacijai įvertinimas.

Dumbliai – mikroskopiniai planktono organizmai – vienas iš pagrindinių hidroekosistemų komponentų, pirminiai organinės medžiagos producentai. Didėjant vandens telkinių trofiškumui, mažėja dumblių rūšių įvairovė, keičiasi vyraujančių rūšių kompleksas. Dažnai eutrofikuotuose vandens telkiniuose ima dominuoti prokariotiniai autotrofiniai mikroorganizmai – melsvabakterės, kurios sukelia intensyvius vandens „žydėjimo“ procesus ežeruose, jūrinėse lagūnose, jūrose bei vandenynuose. Dėl šios priežasties blogėja vandens kokybė. Pastaraisiais dešimtmečiais išsamių tyrimų objektu visame pasaulyje tampa toksiniai fitoplanktono dumbliai ir melsvabakterės. Tyrimais yra nustatyta, kad pusė iš visų vandens „žydėjimo“ atvejų yra toksiški (RAPALA, LAHTI, 2002). Pasaulyje atliekami monitoringiniai tyrimai, siekiant įvertinti toksinių dumblių ir melsvabakterių vystymosi tendencijas, priklausomybę nuo aplinkos sąlygų, toksinio vandens „žydėjimo“ priežastis. Pasitelkiant cheminius bei genetinius metodus, nustatoma toksinių medžiagų cheminė sudėtis, vertinamas jų poveikis gyviems organizmams. Šiaurinės Kuršių marių dalies vasariniame planktone 2004-2006 m. aptiktos 223 dumblių rūšys, priklausančios 5 klasėms. 97 rūšys (43 %), priklauso Chlorophyceae klasei, 71 rūšis (32 %) – Cyanophyceae, 40 rūšių (18 %) – Bacillariophyceae, 9 rūšys (4 %) – Euglenophyceae ir 6 rūšys (3 %) – Dinophyceae klasei, iš jų aptiktos 26 potencialiai toksinės dumblių ir melsvabakterių rūšys, priklausančios 3 klasėms, 14... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Curonian Lagoon is a shallow transitional water basin located in the south-eastern part of the Baltic Sea. The southern and central parts of the lagoon contain freshwater due to discharge from the Nemunas River, while the salinity in the northern part varies from 0 to 8 PSU, depending on winds activity affecting brackish water inflow from the Baltic Sea. The investigation was carried out in the fresh-brackish water mixing zone (Influence zone of Baltic Sea), in the central part and Nemunas River influence zone in July-August 2004 - 2006. Changes in physico-chemical parameters, chlorophyll a concentration, phytoplankton and toxic algae cell density were monitored. Totally 223 species and varieties mainly belonging to Chlorophyceae (43 %) and Cyanophyceae (32 %) were found. 26 algae species from 3 algae classes (Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae and Dinophyceae) were identified as potential toxic species in the northern part of Curonian Lagoon during 2004 and 2006 summer time. Dominated toxic species Ahpanizomenon flos-aquae, Microcystis aeruginosa, M. viridis, M. wesenbergii, Woronichinia compacta. Phytoplankton biomass in Curonian Lagoon surface ranged from 12,27 to 50,22 mg/l. The peak of phytoplankton (33,11 mg/l) and potential toxic algae (28,67 mg/l) biomass in 2004 summer time was observed near by Klaipeda Strait, were Aphanizomenon flos-aquae contain 36 % from total biomass. In 2005 summer time the highest phytoplankton (50,22 mg/l) and toxic algae (21.46 mg//l) biomass were... [to full text]