Publication
Title
Double whammy : nitrate pollution heightens susceptibility to both hypoxia and heat in a freshwater salmonid
Author
Abstract
Species persistence in a changing world will depend on how they cope with co-occurring stressors. Stressors can interact in unanticipated ways, where exposure to one stressor may heighten or reduce resilience to another stressor. We examined how a leading threat to aquatic species, nitrate pollution, affects susceptibility to hypoxia and heat stress in a salmonid, the European grayling (Thymallus thymallus). Fish were exposed to nitrate pollution (0, 50 or 200 mg NO3- L-1) at two acclimation temperatures (18 degrees C or 22 degrees C) for eight weeks. Hypoxia- and heat-tolerance were subsequently assessed, and the gills of a subset of fish were sampled for histological analyses. Nitrate-exposed fish were significantly more susceptible to acute hypoxia at both acclimation temperatures. Similarly, in 18 degrees C- acclimated fish, exposure to 200 mg NO3- L- 1 caused a 1 degrees C decrease in heat tolerance (critical thermal maxima, CTMax). However, the opposite effect was observed in 22 degrees C-acclimated fish, where nitrate exposure increased heat tolerance by similar to 1 degrees C. Further, nitrate exposure induced some histopathological changes to the gills, which limit oxygen uptake. Our findings show that nitrate pollution can heighten the susceptibility of fish to additional threats in their habitat, but interactions are temperature dependent. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Language
English
Source (journal)
The science of the total environment. - Amsterdam, 1972, currens
Publication
Amsterdam : 2021
ISSN
0048-9697 [print]
1879-1026 [online]
DOI
10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2020.142777
Volume/pages
765 (2021) , 10 p.
Article Reference
142777
ISI
000616232300045
Pubmed ID
33077222
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Adaptive responses of an aquatic vertebrate to chemical pollution.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 30.03.2021
Last edited 21.12.2024
To cite this reference