Sublethal salinity stress contributes to habitat limitation in an endangered estuarine fish.

ABSTRACT: As global change alters multiple environmental conditions, predicting species' responses can be challenging without understanding how each environmental factor influences organismal performance. Approaches quantifying mechanistic relationships can greatly complement correlative field data, strengthening our abilities to forecast global change impacts. Substantial salinity increases are projected in the San Francisco Estuary, California, due to anthropogenic water diversion and climatic changes, where the critically endangered delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) largely occurs in a low-salinity zone (LSZ), despite their ability to tolerate a much broader salinity range. In this study, we combined molecular and organismal measures to quantify the physiological mechanisms and sublethal res

SUBMITTER: Komoroske LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4999527 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature