Assessing the impact of climate change and a water management programme on white sturgeon physiology in the Nechako River, British Columbia.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is impacting river ecosystems, underlining the need for water management strategies to protect native species within these ecosystems. Here, we evaluate the impact of climate change and water management on the physiology of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Nechako River, British Columbia (Canada). Using the CEQUEAU hydrological-thermal model, we simulated daily water temperatures from 1980 to 2099 under two climate scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). We assessed thermal exposure risk (T_e ) for different developmental stages of white sturgeon, focusing on the warmest 6-month period. Our findings show that embryos and yolk-sac larvae exhibit resilience, with T_e values consistently <1 under both scenarios, signifying low

SUBMITTER: Oyinlola MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11891139 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature