Seasonal habitat use of three predatory fishes in a freshwater ecosystem

To understand the spatiotemporal overlap in the habitat use of sympatric predators, we studied longitudinal activity and reservoir section and depth use of pike (Esox lucius), pikeperch (Sander lucioerca) and catfsh (Silurus glanis) in the Římov Reservoir, using an autonomous telemetry system for 11 months. We found signifcant diferences among these species in studied parameters that varied considerably over tracked period. Pike consistently used the same sections of the reservoir, while pikeperch and catfsh frequently visited a tributary during the warm season (late spring and early autumn), and moved closer to the dam during the cold season (late autumn to early spring). Pike longitudinal activity was highest in the cold season, pikeperch in the warm season, and catfsh activity peaked in both seasons. Overlap in the depth use among species was higher in the warm season, when all species used the upper layer of the water column, and lower in the cold season, when pikeperch and catfsh used deeper areas. These results demonstrated overlay and temporal variation of habitat use among these predators, as well as potential spatiotemporal space for their direct ecological interactions. Acoustic telemetry · Predators · Habitat use · Movement ecology · Winter ecologypublishedVersio

A simple fish-based approach to assess the ecological quality of freshwater reservoirs in Central Europe

The assessment of ecological quality in freshwater ecosystems is a key issue in many countries, but conditions for the development of assessment methodologies are often country-specific. This study proposes a simple methodology for the assessment of the ecological potential of reservoirs based on fish communities using a dataset covering major environmental and pressure gradients in reservoirs in the Czech Republic. Fish data obtained by gillnet sampling were correlated with a proxy of eutrophication as a key indicator of anthropogenic pressure for selecting appropriate fish-based indicators, establishing scoring criteria and developing the index of ecological quality. Expert judgement was also used to select potential fish indicators. Nine indicators were selected for the final fish-based index, fulfilling the criteria required by the Water Framework Directive. Two steps were used to validate the fish-based index quantification of its inter annual stability and sensitivity analysis of individual indicators. Finally, the index was compared to a previously developed general index for Central and Western Europe. Our study demonstrates that a combination of expert judgement and strict validation methods can result in an informative assessment of the ecological conditions, which can help identify conservation and restoration priorities. © P. Blabolil

Long-term monitoring of fish in a freshwater reservoir: Different ways of weighting complex spatial samples

Anthropogenic activities continue to pose the greatest challenges to freshwater ecosystems. Therefore, long-term monitoring is essential for the management and conservation of these resources. Monitoring programs for freshwater bodies often use a range of indicators, including biological elements such as fish. Existing European standard provides a depth-stratified gillnet sampling approach mainly in benthic habitats and at the deepest part of lakes to account for the uneven distribution of fish. However, the commonly used CEN (European Committee for Standardization) protocol does not weight sufficiently habitat volumes and underrepresent pelagic habitats to calculate whole-lake catch and biomass per unit effort (CPUE and BPUE, respectively). Extended European standard gillnet (4 larger mesh-sizes added in the geometric series) catch data collected over 18 years (2004–2021) in Římov Reservoir (Czech Republic) were used for a method comparison on indices for relative abundance and biomass of fish: CEN protocol without volume-weighting and two volume-weighted approaches. We also evaluated changes in species composition and trends in these fish population over time. Results indicated interannual changes in species composition, relative abundance, and biomass of fish community. The CEN protocol tended to put greater emphasis on benthic habitats which generally have larger CPUE and BPUE. Consequently, the two volume-weighting approaches produced lower estimates of the two parameters, with the exception of the most dominant pelagic bleak Alburnus alburnus (L.). All approaches consistently showed an increasing trend in whole-reservoir fish abundance and a decreasing trend in biomass over the study period. Following our assessment, we put forward the volume-weighting approach that considers the Volume of the depth Stratum (VOST) for weighting as the most realistic approximation of fish populations and therefore recommend its use

Spatiotemporal distribution and shoaling behaviour of fish (Časoprostorová distribuce a hejnové chování ryb)

The dissertation thesis is focused on pelagic fish distribution in the large freshwater bodies and the main factors affecting it. Paper 1 describes fish behaviour in a mouth of a midwater trawl during different day time periods as fish activity may importantly affect abundance estimates of the sampled fish stock. Acoustically recorded avoidance behaviour in a vertical direction is described. The second part of the thesis refers to the diel distribution and behaviour of the pelagic fry communities with a particular focus on the vertically migrating bathypelagic percid fry that occupy open water during early ontogeny. Paper 2 shows that the vertically migrating community can create a dominant part of fry assemblages in the reservoir, which is in contrast to many previous observations of an usually prevailing non-migrating epipelagic community. At their day refuge, bathypelagic percid fry (BPF) created dense shoals whose physical parameters are described. Paper 3 for the first time demonstrates that vertical shifts of BPF were under direct light control, hence were not a genetically fixed behaviour. A unique large-scale field experiment with the simultaneously operating up-looking and down looking transducers was carried out under artificially controlled light regime. Moreover effect of predation as the main ultimate cause of vertical shifts is discussed. The introductory part of the thesis opens with the current possibilities of assessing distribution and behaviour of fish in the open water. Benefits of shoaling/schooling behaviour during defence against predators, foraging and learning abilities of fish are mentioned and some implications of fish behaviour on the fish capture process are pointed out. The second chapter deals with the diel shifts between habitats that belong among the most common activities of fish. However, distribution of fish varies also over the long temporal scale and currently has been strongly affected by changing climate. Therefore, the main affects of climate change on the world´s fish populations are introduced using examples from both freshwater and marine environment

Fish behaviour in response to a trawl gear

Předkládaná práce by měla čtenáře blíže seznámit s chováním ryb, které tito živočichové vykazují vůči vlečným sítím během vzorkování pelagiálu vodních těles. Zaměřuje se na oblast v ústí tralu, kde je spektrum reakcí nejširší. Některé specifické rysy chování jsou uvedeny na příkladech z mezinárodních výzkumů v teoretické části. Jsou zde rovněž přiblíženy základní techniky, používané při studiu chování ryb ve vztahu k vlečným sítím. Praktickou částí je dvouletý výzkum (2009 a 2011) chování ryb na českých údolních nádržích Želivka a Římov ve vztahu k tralovým sítím. Chování ryb v ústí pelagického tralu bylo monitorováno prostřednictvím vertikálního sonaru SIMRAD EK 60 o frekvenci 38 kHz. Předmětem výzkumu bylo studium reakcí jednotlivých ryb se zaměřením na vertikální složku jejich pohybu. Zjišťovali jsme rozdíly mezi denní a noční aktivitou ryb, rychlost a sklon ve vodním sloupci, přímočarost trajektorie pohybu, souvislost mezi velikostí ryb a jejich rychlostí, a v neposlední řadě také vliv abiotických faktorů, které únikové chování podstatně ovlivňují. Znalost tohoto typu chování pomůže vypovědět o selektivitě zařízení, kterou je vhodné znát pro efektivní průzkum zdejších nádrží. Stejně tak užitečné jsou nové informace o vlastním chování ryb, které jsou přínosem nejen pro ekologii

Permanent Vascular Access for Haemodialysis with Regard to Diabetes Mellitus Diagnosis

This bachelor thesis deals with the issue of permanent vascular access for hemodialysis with regard to presence of diabetes mellitus (hereinafter DM). It focuses on peripheral hemodialysis vascular access, which include the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and arteriovenous fistula created using synthetic material, such as graft (hereinafter AVG). The main objective is to highlight the fact that the vascular system is often affacted by systemic diseases like diabetes or atherosclerosis and creating AVF in such patients is often a complicated matter. By intensive postoperative monitoring imminent complications may be detected and prevented. The research is focused on peripheral HCP (AVF, AVG) and on detecting differences in dependance on their individual representation and their functional characteristics at 40 patients treated in Department of Internal Medicine Strahov, General Teaching Hospital Prague. The average age was 70 years. The first group consisted of 21 patients with DM and a the second group 19 non-diabetic paients. AVF is preferable to AVG even in patients with DM. The actual values of blood flow were measured by a team of nurse and clinical engineer and calculated using special formulas from reagular measurements in both groups of respondents. The obtained values of acutal blood flow have..

Fish avoidance behaviour in response to a trawl gear

The main objective of the thesis is an introduction to the problematics of fish avoidance behavior in response to a trawl gear towed by one or two trawlers (motor boats). Avoidance or escape reactions are dependent on many factors and ecological conditions influencing animals´ behaviour therefore it is necessary to refer about fish sensory organs and perception. The content also deals with methods useful for studying fish behaviour in the wild. These are invasive and noninvasive technics and methods like acoustics, video cameras and towed gears (mainly trawls). All of them have become an important tool in recent surveys of marine environment as well as freshwater lakes and reservoires

ELECTROCHEMICAL DETECTOR WITH ELECTRODES ARRAY AND ROTATING DISK

The thesis deals with the testing and optimization of hydrodynamic conditions of the electrochemical detector, which consists of a flow cell containing the electrochemical sensor with an array of electrodes. The flow cell includes a rotating disc-shaped component, which allows radial flow of analytes along the sensor electrodes. This principle imitates the rotating disk electrode, with the difference that here the electrodes are immobile. Hydrodynamic phenomena in this case are similar to RDE. Therefore, the theoretical part of my work deals with hydrodynamics and mass transfer for the well-described case of rotating disk electrode. It was found that in the current set-up under certain conditions, an analyte flowed back from the output cell channel to the sensor, even at the laminar flow. This causes a nonlinear response of the electrodes and their low reproducibility. The solution is to reduce the distance between the rotation component and the electrodes surface and reduce flow speed of analyzed liquid towards the sensor. A novel type of sensor with annular electrodes was designed and tested. It showed four times higher conversion rate of the analyte compared with the originally used AC9 electrochemical sensor having electrodes in the form of full circles lying on a circumference of a common circle. Based on calculations, conversion of the analyte on the plane electrode can be increased up to 100% when using this annular sensor, adjusting flow cell and reducing of the input flow rate. The detector was connected to the liquid chromatograph and its function was tested on two substances - ascorbic acid and dopamine. For the current detector these parameters were set: dynamic range, linearity, noise, detection limit, time constant and the temperature range at which the detector can be operated

Effect of home training during the COVID-19 lockdown on physical performance and perceptual responses of team-sport athletes: a mini-review

This article aims to summarize the effects of home training performed during the COVID-19 lockdown on physical performance and perceptual responses among team-sport athletes. Studies with comparison of pre-post lockdown results of physical performance and perceptual responses were considered. A search was made in PubMed and SPORTDiscus databases. The PICO criteria were used for the keywords “athlete” AND “home-based training” AND “performance” OR “mental health”, with their respective entry terms. The multistage process of selection followed the PRISMA 2020 recommendations. Of 586 records identified, 9 articles were available for the final process. Physical performance was evaluated for 8 studies with the VO2max change ranging from 5.7% to -9%; an increase in the duration of sprint test ranging from 0.4% to 36%; an increase of agility duration of 12.4%; a decrease in maximal repetition load of 2.9%; and changes in countermovement jump height ranging from -4.7% to +15.4% after home training. Regarding the perceptual responses, no significant changes in wellbeing and mental index and a significant decrease in motivation and perceived effort were reported during the home training in lockdown. Based on the articles selected, home training programmes performed by athletes from team sports during the COVID-19 lockdown presented inconsistent results in physical performance, decreasing by up to 36%, and maintaining the wellbeing and mental index, but with a significant drop in training motivation and perceived effort. Caution should be taken considering the small number of articles included in the study

Recovery of the Velky Bolevecky Pond (Plzen, Czech Republic) via biomanipulation - Key study for management.

Promotion of successful examples of biomanipulation and long-term monitoring is important for encouragement of similar activities, which are still relatively scarce. A project to improve water quality in the Velky Bolevecky pond (Plzeň, Czech Republic) began in 2006. The main activities in this project were: large scale fish reduction; stocking of predatory fish; usage of phosphorus binding coagulants; and reintroduction of macrophytes. During five years the impact of a eutrophic system with massive cyanobacterial blooms with low water transparency transformed into a clear water system with high water transparency and well developed macrophyte cover. All aspects relating to the ecological status of the water body such as total phosphorus concentration, chlorophyll-a concentration and cyanobacterial and other phytoplankton density improved significantly during or immediately after the project realization. For example, water transparency increased three fold. Zooplankton density also increased, however the difference was not significant. Oligotrophication of the system became evident also in the species composition of zooplankton and phytoplankton. Species adapted to nutrient reduction and macrophyte cover developed. Seven years after the project was over, the fish stock remained on the low densities naturally. A good ecological stage was achieved with low nutrient levels, high water transparency, very low densities of cyanobacteria and other phytoplankton together with a well-developed macrophyte cover. All of which has been maintained without any expensive impact. The highest expenditure is, paradoxically, due to macrophyte harvesting because their massive explosion in the pond is not in accordance with recreational and sporting utilization. It seems, that reduction of nutrient loading and switching of a formerly eutrophic system to an oligotrophic one is possible and sustainable over a relatively long time period in a shallow temperate pond. Subsequent good management of the system will, of course, be necessary