The value of estuarine producers to fisheries: A case study of Richmond River Estuary.

ABSTRACT: Nutrient input from estuarine producers underpins coastal fisheries production and knowing which producers are the most responsible for fish diet helps effectively protect and restore coastal ecosystems. Focussing on the Richmond River in Australia as a case study, we sampled the main estuarine producers and estimated their proportional contributions of nutritional input to seven commercially important fisheries species using Bayesian isotope mixing models. We valued the dietary input of estuarine producers to the commercial fisheries by combining dietary contribution estimates with total annual catch data from commercial fishers. A conservative estimate is that estuarine producers in the Richmond River Estuary contribute at least 82 725 kg (78%) of the total annual catch of the seven comm

SUBMITTER: Janes H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8847513 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature