Introduction
Freshwater fish of the salmon group have a high economic value, and therefore their artificial farming requires compliance with special conditions. However, unlike farmed species, wild salmon species living in the natural environment of freshwater ecosystems are at greater risk due to the lack of control. Consequently, any fluctuations in the external environment, whether temperature changes or water pollution, can have a destructive effect on the quality of life of such wild species. It is expected that populations of wild salmonid fish may decline rapidly due to water pollution instead of farmed species because the effects of water pollution are deleterious. Specifically, this could include radical changes in trophic chains, oxygen depletion, and localized temperature increases: these changes together have the potential to cause wild populations of freshwater salmon to decline at a faster rate.
Testing this hypothesis is an essential piece of critical research that will provide applied knowledge that provides a better understanding of the ecological security of freshwater ecosystems. The findings are expected to be a valuable resource for environmental policy change. Including, if the study uncovers other patterns that were not originally anticipated, it will create a more extensive and fundamentally promising contribution to improving procedures for the ecological safety of salmonid fish.
Materials and Methods
Materials
- Salmonid fish (2×50)
- Water from the American River
- Water from the American River mixed with sewage water
- Fish food
- Temperature sensor, light sensor, and water oxygenation sensor.
The design of the experiment will be based on the use of two comparison groups, an experimental and a control group. Each sample is to be represented by fifty individuals caught at random from the waters of the American River. Initially, identical conditions will ensure that systematic error is minimized. It is proposed that the experimental sample of salmonids be placed in an artificial tank with water mixed with sewage waste, while the control group is placed in a tank of the same size and under the same physical conditions, with the difference being that the water filling it must be favorable to the fish, that is, from their usual habitat. Control variables would include feeding regimen, amount of light ingested, and water temperature, while the water quality in which the fish swim would differ. This quality is expected to influence the population dynamics of the samples.
Results
Preliminary studies offering a foundation for the current experiment have yielded several impressive results. First, water pollution is associated with the development of diseases in fish, including epidermal papilloma, fin rot, and hyperplasia (Austin, 1998). Second, changes in oxygen saturation in the freshwater ecosystem have resulted in radical changes in fish behavior (Reebs, 2009). This suggests that contaminated water will harm the salmon population size. Specifically, habitat contamination is expected to show the mortality of a more significant proportion of fish in the experimental group, even in the short term. In contrast, for the control group, no significant changes are expected to be seen because the natural conditions of the fish have been maintained.
Discussion
This study aimed to investigate the effects of polluted waters on the quality of life of salmonid fish. Specifically, population dynamics were used as the dependent variable. The experimental fish population was expected to decline due to the deleterious effects of polluted waters. This deleterious effect could be realized through a decrease in population size — which is one of the most expected outcomes — or through changes in fish behavior, which scientific papers have predicted. In either case, the effects of water pollution are predicted to be noticed. Potential sources of error in the study could be smaller vessels, which would inevitably change salmon behavior. In addition, the experimental groups may be different due to mutational mechanisms that were not evident in the selection.
The results will prove extremely useful in terms of environmental safety. It will help environmentalists monitor natural habitats in more detail and model changes. In addition, the proposed study could easily be expanded: additional fish species could be used as such variations, and the more targeted effects of different contaminants on population welfare could be studied. Taking into account considerations of ecological safety and economic value of salmonid fish, the present study deserves to be carried out.
References
Austin, B. (1998). The effects of pollution on fish health. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 85(S1), 234-242. Web.
Reebs, S. G. (2009). Oxygen and fish behaviour [PDF document]. Web.