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The status of fish populations in the Clyde Estuary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

Anne R. Henderson  and
James D. Hamilton
Anne R. Henderson
Affiliation:
Clyde River Purification Board, Murray Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 OLA, Scotland
James D. Hamilton
Affiliation:
Biology Department, Paisley College of Technology, High Street, Paisley PA1 2BE, Scotland
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Synopsis

Changes in the status of fish populations in the Clyde Estuary between Woodhall and Glasgow since 1978 are described and data presented on species composition and distribution, temporal and spatial fluctuations in abundance and biomass and length frequency data for certain species are analysed.

The seaward part of the estuary is colonised by marine and euryhaline marine species dominated by flounder, while the ‘city reaches’ have a fresh water component dominated by three-spined stickleback and eel in addition to several euryhaline species, e.g. sand-goby and saithe.

The extent of biological recovery of the estuary from severe organic pollution can be gauged from the presence now of thirty-four species, including nineteen in the city reaches which were virtually fishless in the mid nineteenth century. The upper estuary is now able to support resident and migratory fish for much of the year, but species composition and abundance are markedly affected by seasonally variable fresh water flows to the estuary affecting primarily dissolved oxygen and salinity, leading to mortalities among resident species and providing a barrier to migrants.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 90: The Environment of the Estuary and Firth of Clyde , 1986 , pp. 157 - 170
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1986

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