title: The effects of tertiary treated municipal wastewater on fish communities of a small river tributary in Southern Ontario, Canada.
abstract: Fish community changes associated with a tertiary treated municipal wastewater effluent outfall in the Speed River, Ontario, Canada, were evaluated at nine sites over two seasons (2008) using standardized electrofishing. Habitat evaluations were conducted to ensure that the riffle sites selected were physically similar. The fish community was dominated by several species of darters that differed in their response to the effluent outfall. There was a significant decrease in Greenside Darter (Etheostoma blennioides) but an increase in Rainbow Darter (E. caeruleum) abundance directly downstream of the outfall. Stable isotope signatures (δ(13)C and δ(15)N), which indicate shifts in energy utilization and flow, increased in Rainbow Darter downstream, but showed no change in Greenside Darter. Rainbow Darter may be exploiting a food source that is not as available at upstream sites giving them a competitive advantage over the Greenside Darter immediately downstream of the outfall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada. carolyn.brown06@gmail.com
authors.forename: Carolyn J M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Brendan W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: McMaster
authors.forename: Kelly R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Munkittrick
authors.forename: Ken D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Oakes
authors.forename: Grald R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Tetreault
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Servos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002170:Canada; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D010471:Perches / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D011157:Population Dynamics; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical