Breitmeyer Sara E, McLaughlin Paul, Blazer Vicki S, Noe Gregory B, Smalling Kelly L, Wertz Timothy, Wagner Tyler
Pennsylvania Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Downingtown, PA, 19335, USA.
Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Environ Monit Assess. 2025 Aug 8;197(9):998. doi: 10.1007/s10661-025-14412-9.
Fish diseases in freshwater ecosystems pose significant ecological and socioeconomic challenges, yet monitoring them in wild populations is complex due to interactions between pathogens, hosts, and environmental conditions. We examine the prevalence and watershed-scale landscape drivers of external deformity, erosion, lesion, tumor, and parasite (DELT) anomalies in 57 riverine fish species using a large dataset (577,266 individuals collected 2008-2019) from the Chesapeake Bay watershed that originated from state and federal agencies. Overall, DELT prevalence was low (1.4%), but was higher in larger, longer-lived species, including Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) (18.9%), Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris) (7.6%), Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) (7.3%), Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) (5.6%), and Yellow Bullhead (Ameiurus natalis) (5.1%), signifying their potential as regional environmental health indicators. Spatial analysis indicated warmer temperatures increased the estimated probability of DELT occurrence, whereas higher precipitation often mitigated the probability of DELT occurrence. Conservation strategies (e.g., best management practices) had mixed effectiveness in reducing DELT occurrence probability across agricultural and urban landscapes. Across the landscape, various drivers, including harvested forest, impervious land, and pesticide use, influenced DELT occurrence probability differently across species. However, uncertainty remains partly due to low prevalence and variability in sampling methods across agencies. Despite low overall prevalence, DELT occurrence is a rapid fish health indicator. Future research could emphasize species-specific responses and longitudinal studies that incorporate life stages and health indicators. Understanding these intricate, multi-scale interactions is vital for effective monitoring, conservation, and adaptive management of freshwater ecosystems.
淡水生态系统中的鱼类疾病带来了重大的生态和社会经济挑战，但由于病原体、宿主和环境条件之间的相互作用，在野生种群中监测这些疾病很复杂。我们使用来自切萨皮克湾流域的一个大型数据集（2008 - 2019年收集的577,266个个体），该数据集源自州和联邦机构，研究了57种河流鱼类外部畸形、侵蚀、损伤、肿瘤和寄生虫（DELT）异常的患病率及流域尺度景观驱动因素。总体而言，DELT患病率较低（1.4%），但在体型较大、寿命较长的物种中较高，包括沟鲶（Ictalurus punctatus）（18.9%）、岩钝鲈（Ambloplites rupestris）（7.6%）、小口黑鲈（Micropterus dolomieu）（7.3%）、棕牛头鲇（Ameiurus nebulosus）（5.6%）和黄牛头鲇（Ameiurus natalis）（5.1%），这表明它们有潜力作为区域环境健康指标。空间分析表明，温度升高会增加DELT发生的估计概率，而降水量增加通常会降低DELT发生的概率。保护策略（如最佳管理措施）在降低农业和城市景观中DELT发生概率方面效果不一。在整个景观中，包括采伐森林、不透水土地和农药使用在内的各种驱动因素对不同物种的DELT发生概率影响不同。然而，部分不确定性仍然存在，这是由于患病率较低以及各机构采样方法的变异性所致。尽管总体患病率较低，但DELT的发生是鱼类健康的一个快速指标。未来的研究可以强调物种特异性反应以及纳入生命阶段和健康指标的纵向研究。了解这些复杂的多尺度相互作用对于淡水生态系统的有效监测、保护和适应性管理至关重要。
