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Assessing the impact of climate change and a water management program on white sturgeon physiology in Nechako River, British Columbia Oyinlola, Muhammed; Mostafa Khorsandi; Rachael Penman; Madison L. Earhart; Richard Arsenault; Steve McAdam; Colin J Brauner; André St-Hilaire
Description
Climate change is impacting river ecosystems, underlining the need for water management strategies to protect native species within these ecosystems. Here, we evaluate the impact of climate change and water management on the physiology of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Nechako River, British Columbia (Canada). Using the CEQUEAU hydrological-thermal model, we simulated daily water temperatures from 1980 to 2099 under two climate scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). We assessed thermal exposure risk (Te) for different developmental stages of white sturgeon, focusing on the warmest six-month period. Our findings show that embryos and yolk-sac larvae exhibit resilience, with Te values consistently below 1 under both scenarios, signifying low thermal stress. In contrast, feeding larvae and juveniles experience elevated Te values, indicating significant future thermal stress. For feeding larvae, Te values exceeded 1 under both scenarios, reaching up to 1.5 by the mid-century (2050s) and up to 1.8 by the end of the century (2090s) under SSP5-8.5. Juvenile white sturgeon also faced increased thermal risks, with Te values rising above 1 during July and August, reaching 1.4 and 1.8 by the 2050s and 1.8 and 2.0 by the 2090s under SSP5-8.5, compared to the 1980s. These results underscore the need to evaluate the existing water management program to better accommodate the projected changes in thermal conditions associated with climate change. Additionally, regulated river discharge, which can both increase and decrease downstream temperatures, offers a strategic opportunity to mitigate some climate impacts through strategic dam discharge management.
Item Metadata
| Title |
Assessing the impact of climate change and a water management program on white sturgeon physiology in Nechako River, British Columbia
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| Creator | |
| Contributor | |
| Date Created |
2025; 2025-02-04
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| Date Issued |
2025-02-04
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| Description |
Climate change is impacting river ecosystems, underlining the need for water management strategies to protect native species within these ecosystems. Here, we evaluate the impact of climate change and water management on the physiology of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Nechako River, British Columbia (Canada). Using the CEQUEAU hydrological-thermal model, we simulated daily water temperatures from 1980 to 2099 under two climate scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). We assessed thermal exposure risk (Te) for different developmental stages of white sturgeon, focusing on the warmest six-month period. Our findings show that embryos and yolk-sac larvae exhibit resilience, with Te values consistently below 1 under both scenarios, signifying low thermal stress. In contrast, feeding larvae and juveniles experience elevated Te values, indicating significant future thermal stress. For feeding larvae, Te values exceeded 1 under both scenarios, reaching up to 1.5 by the mid-century (2050s) and up to 1.8 by the end of the century (2090s) under SSP5-8.5. Juvenile white sturgeon also faced increased thermal risks, with Te values rising above 1 during July and August, reaching 1.4 and 1.8 by the 2050s and 1.8 and 2.0 by the 2090s under SSP5-8.5, compared to the 1980s. These results underscore the need to evaluate the existing water management program to better accommodate the projected changes in thermal conditions associated with climate change. Additionally, regulated river discharge, which can both increase and decrease downstream temperatures, offers a strategic opportunity to mitigate some climate impacts through strategic dam discharge management.
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| Subject | |
| Geographic Location | |
| Type | |
| Date Available |
2025-02-04
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| Provider |
University of British Columbia Library
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| License |
CC-BY 4.0
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| DOI |
10.14288/1.0447960
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| URI | |
| Publisher DOI | |
| Rights URI | |
| Country |
Canada
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| Aggregated Source Repository |
Dataverse
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Licence
CC-BY 4.0