How White Sturgeon Handle Warming and Low Oxygen
Author Information
Author(s): Dichiera Angelina M, Hannan Kelly D, Kwan Garfield T, Fangue Nann A, Schulte Patricia M, Brauner Colin J
Primary Institution: The University of British Columbia
Hypothesis
Prior exposure to one stressor may improve the tolerance to a subsequent stressor through 'cross-tolerance'.
Conclusion
Young-of-the-year White Sturgeon are resilient to warming and hypoxia, but the order of stressor exposure significantly affects their tolerance.
Supporting Evidence
- White Sturgeon showed a high capacity for thermal acclimation.
- Thermal tolerance increased linearly with acclimation temperature.
- Prior thermal exposure reduced hypoxia tolerance in tested fish.
- Naïve fish demonstrated better hypoxia tolerance than previously tested fish.
- Warm-acclimated fish had lower relative ventricular mass.
Takeaway
White Sturgeon can adapt to warmer temperatures and low oxygen, but if they experience heat first, they might struggle more with low oxygen later.
Methodology
Fish were acclimated to five temperatures for one month before testing their thermal and hypoxia tolerance.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from the order of stressor exposure affecting results.
Limitations
The study may not fully capture the long-term effects of stressor exposure due to the short recovery period.
Participant Demographics
Young-of-the-year White Sturgeon from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers and San Francisco Estuary.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website