Elevated Winter Stream Temperatures below Wastewater Treatment Plants Shift Reproductive Development of Female Johnny Darter <i>Etheostoma nigrum</i>: A Field and Histologic Approach
River water temperatures are increasing globally, particularly in urban systems. In winter, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent inputs are of particular concern because they increase water temperatures from near freezing to ~7–15 °C. Recent laboratory studies suggest that warm overwinter temp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Fishes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/7/6/361 |
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| author | Catherine M. Adams Dana L. Winkelman Paula A. Schaffer Daniel L. Villeneuve Jenna E. Cavallin Michael Ellman Kelvin Santana Rodriguez Ryan M. Fitzpatrick |
| author_facet | Catherine M. Adams Dana L. Winkelman Paula A. Schaffer Daniel L. Villeneuve Jenna E. Cavallin Michael Ellman Kelvin Santana Rodriguez Ryan M. Fitzpatrick |
| author_sort | Catherine M. Adams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | River water temperatures are increasing globally, particularly in urban systems. In winter, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent inputs are of particular concern because they increase water temperatures from near freezing to ~7–15 °C. Recent laboratory studies suggest that warm overwinter temperatures impact the reproductive timing of some fishes. To evaluate winter water temperature’s influence in the wild, we sampled Johnny Darter <i>Etheostoma nigrum</i> from three urban South Platte River tributaries in Colorado upstream and downstream of WWTP effluent discharge sites. Fish were collected weekly during the spring spawning season of 2021 and reproductive development was determined from histological analysis of the gonads. Winter water temperatures were approximately 5–10 °C greater ~300 m downstream of the WWTP effluent compared to upstream sites, and approximately 3 °C warmer at sampling sites ~5000 m downstream of the effluent discharge. Females collected downstream of WWTP effluent experienced accelerated reproductive development compared to upstream by 1–2 weeks. Water quality, including total estrogenicity, and spring water temperatures did not appear to explain varying reproductive development. It appears that small increases in winter water temperature influence the reproductive timing in <i>E. nigrum</i>. Further investigations into how shifts in reproductive timing influence other population dynamics are warranted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:44:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8718e7bd1f194a4882c959731078c6ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2410-3888 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:44:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fishes |
| spelling | doaj.art-8718e7bd1f194a4882c959731078c6ee2023-11-24T14:48:26ZengMDPI AGFishes2410-38882022-11-017636110.3390/fishes7060361Elevated Winter Stream Temperatures below Wastewater Treatment Plants Shift Reproductive Development of Female Johnny Darter <i>Etheostoma nigrum</i>: A Field and Histologic ApproachCatherine M. Adams0Dana L. Winkelman1Paula A. Schaffer2Daniel L. Villeneuve3Jenna E. Cavallin4Michael Ellman5Kelvin Santana Rodriguez6Ryan M. Fitzpatrick7Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USAU.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USACVMBS Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology Department, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USAEnvironmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, MN 55804, USAEnvironmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, MN 55804, USAOak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN 55804, USAOak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN 55804, USAColorado Parks and Wildlife, Research, Policy, and Planning Section, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USARiver water temperatures are increasing globally, particularly in urban systems. In winter, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent inputs are of particular concern because they increase water temperatures from near freezing to ~7–15 °C. Recent laboratory studies suggest that warm overwinter temperatures impact the reproductive timing of some fishes. To evaluate winter water temperature’s influence in the wild, we sampled Johnny Darter <i>Etheostoma nigrum</i> from three urban South Platte River tributaries in Colorado upstream and downstream of WWTP effluent discharge sites. Fish were collected weekly during the spring spawning season of 2021 and reproductive development was determined from histological analysis of the gonads. Winter water temperatures were approximately 5–10 °C greater ~300 m downstream of the WWTP effluent compared to upstream sites, and approximately 3 °C warmer at sampling sites ~5000 m downstream of the effluent discharge. Females collected downstream of WWTP effluent experienced accelerated reproductive development compared to upstream by 1–2 weeks. Water quality, including total estrogenicity, and spring water temperatures did not appear to explain varying reproductive development. It appears that small increases in winter water temperature influence the reproductive timing in <i>E. nigrum</i>. Further investigations into how shifts in reproductive timing influence other population dynamics are warranted.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/7/6/361histologyJohnny Darterspawningurban riverswater temperaturewinter |
| spellingShingle | Catherine M. Adams Dana L. Winkelman Paula A. Schaffer Daniel L. Villeneuve Jenna E. Cavallin Michael Ellman Kelvin Santana Rodriguez Ryan M. Fitzpatrick Elevated Winter Stream Temperatures below Wastewater Treatment Plants Shift Reproductive Development of Female Johnny Darter <i>Etheostoma nigrum</i>: A Field and Histologic Approach Fishes histology Johnny Darter spawning urban rivers water temperature winter |
| title | Elevated Winter Stream Temperatures below Wastewater Treatment Plants Shift Reproductive Development of Female Johnny Darter <i>Etheostoma nigrum</i>: A Field and Histologic Approach |
| title_full | Elevated Winter Stream Temperatures below Wastewater Treatment Plants Shift Reproductive Development of Female Johnny Darter <i>Etheostoma nigrum</i>: A Field and Histologic Approach |
| title_fullStr | Elevated Winter Stream Temperatures below Wastewater Treatment Plants Shift Reproductive Development of Female Johnny Darter <i>Etheostoma nigrum</i>: A Field and Histologic Approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elevated Winter Stream Temperatures below Wastewater Treatment Plants Shift Reproductive Development of Female Johnny Darter <i>Etheostoma nigrum</i>: A Field and Histologic Approach |
| title_short | Elevated Winter Stream Temperatures below Wastewater Treatment Plants Shift Reproductive Development of Female Johnny Darter <i>Etheostoma nigrum</i>: A Field and Histologic Approach |
| title_sort | elevated winter stream temperatures below wastewater treatment plants shift reproductive development of female johnny darter i etheostoma nigrum i a field and histologic approach |
| topic | histology Johnny Darter spawning urban rivers water temperature winter |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/7/6/361 |
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