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Larval Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasi) Survival in Suspended Sediment

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Abstract

Pacific herring early life stages provide good model systems for studying effects of suspended sediments on estuarine organisms. To investigate effects on the herring larval stage, we used environmentally relevant particle concentrations for San Francisco Bay (200–400 mg/L of particles <50 μm in size) and exposure times of 16 h in a novel two-pump sediment suspension mesocosm. There were no mortalities during the 16-h suspended sediment incubation. Following sediment exposure, larvae were cultured in sediment-free water for up to 10 days during which survival and condition were measured. None were affected by previous sediment treatment. Four criteria for larval condition included growth, heart rate, prey capture, and critical swimming velocity. These results provide a framework for implementing regulatory decisions on anthropogenic activities such as dredging.

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Acknowledgments

The research was funded through the San Francisco Bay LTMS Environmental Windows Science Work Group by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) San Francisco under contract W912P7-08- P-0077 and W62A2B=8217-0648. We thank Dr. William Brostoff and Peter LaCivita, USACE, for consultation and oversight during the project. The Larval Sediment Treatment System was designed, constructed, and maintained by Karl Menard, Joe Newman, and the Bodega Marine Laboratory Aquatic Resources Group. The Port of Redwood City dredged sediment was supplied for a previous project, originally by Charles Anderson, USACE. Toxicity testing information for Port of Redwood City sediment was provided by Michael Donnely and Neil Hedgecock, USACE. Ryan Watanabe of the California Department of Fish and Game provided ripe herring from their adult surveys. We thank Dr. Vic Chow and Suzy Jackson for their assistance with statistical analyses, as well as editorial input. This publication is a contribution of the Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, PO Box 247, Bodega Bay, CA, 94923, USA

    Frederick J. Griffin, Theresa DiMarco, Karl L. Menard, Joe A. Newman, Edmund H. Smith, Carol A. Vines & Gary N. Cherr

  2. Departments of Environmental Toxicology and Nutrition, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Gary N. Cherr

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  1. Frederick J. Griffin
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  2. Theresa DiMarco
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  3. Karl L. Menard
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  5. Edmund H. Smith
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  6. Carol A. Vines
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  7. Gary N. Cherr
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Correspondence to Frederick J. Griffin.

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Griffin, F.J., DiMarco, T., Menard, K.L. et al. Larval Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasi) Survival in Suspended Sediment. Estuaries and Coasts 35, 1229–1236 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9518-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9518-7

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