Bournemouth University

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Fish ecology

Centre for Conservation Ecology & Environmental Change

Brief introduction

The fish research at BU is undertaken by a new group created with staff from the Fish Ecology Group at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Dorset, and the Environment Agency. The mission of our group is to carry out both pure and strategic research on a wide range of aquatic ecology issues, principally in the field of invasion and behavioural ecology. Our group has a successful track record of working with others and funding comes both from core government funding (from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)) and from commissioned research (principally from other government departments such as Defra, EA).

Invasive fish

Invasive fish Current Projects:

Trophic ecology of topmouth gudgeon

Gudgeon

Impact of the invasive topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva on the food web and trophic structure of infested lakes in England (British Ecological Society)

The topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva is an Asian fish species that has already proved highly invasive across Europe following initial introduction in 1960. First recorded in the wild in the UK in 1996, there were only 4 infested sites reported in 2002, but there are at least 30 infested sites today.
Rarely attaining lengths >8 cm, this invader has been recorded in relatively high densities at infested sites (>40 m-2), but despite their increased distribution and invasive attributes, their ecological interactions and impacts on native fishes remain relatively poorly understood. A preliminary study conducted in 2006 at an infested lake in the West Midlands of England revealed an established population at densities approaching 60 m-2 only two years after introduction, comprising over 97% of fish abundance by number. Analysis of their trophic status in relation to five sympatric native/ naturalized fishes in the lake, using stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N), revealed significantly overlapping isotope values, particularly with carp Cyprinus carpio and roach Rutilus rutilus. In combination with their high density, this suggested a high probability of competition for food resources. Whilst providing evidence that this invasive fish may have an adverse ecological impact on the food web and trophic ecology of infested lakes, further work is required to quantify this in more detail and under different conditions. This is the basis of this proposed project.
The project is to investigate the food web and trophic ecology of three lakes in England infested with topmouth gudgeon, using stomach contents and stable isotope analyses. The output of the work will provide a greater insight into the trophic ecology of freshwater systems invaded by topmouth gudgeon and help assess their ecological impact on native foodwebs and ecosystems.

Invasion genetics of topmouth gudgeon

Gudgeon

Evolutionary aspects of topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva invasion: a healthy carrier of an emergent infectious disease (Fisheries Society of the British Isles).

The aim of the project is to characterise the genetic structure of topmouth gudgeon populations in its European range to provide evolutionary insights into their invasion and information on the rosette-like agent’s epidemiology, an emergent infectious disease threatening European fish biodiversity.
Evolutionary factors play a crucial role during the invasion process, with recent empirical evidence confirming post-introduction evolutionary processes often determine whether invasive species ultimately establish and disperse (Novak, 2007). Current literature is heavily plant biased and invasive fish populations are currently understudied. This project is a genetic study on the topmouth gudgeon, Pseudorasbora parva, the most invasive fish in Europe (Pinder et al., 2005), to provide evolutionary insights into their European invasion.
Topmouth gudgeon is also, arguably, the most threatening European invasive fish as it is a healthy host of the rosette-like agent (RLA) a pathogen which can have a devastating effect (Gozlan et al., 2005). In a number of European countries, topmouth gudgeon introduction has been associated with a rapid decline of native species (Wolfram-Wais, 1999). In other countries, however, topmouth gudgeon are co-habiting with no obvious decline. This marked geographic contrast in impact suggests that differences in the competitive ability and/ or parasite load exist between populations.
The research will provide valuable information about demographic events during the colonisation process and determine whether multiple introductions have occurred. These data will help establish topmouth gudgeon as a much needed model system to study the evolutionary aspects of fish invasion. Also, until better detection tools are developed for the presence of RLA, this insight into the genetics of the host is paramount for epidemiology studies, and assist managers prioritise efforts to minimise distribution and dispersal.

Coarse fish

Coarse fish Current projects:

Prime

Prime

Predicting Individual fish response as a Measure of Environmental change
(Prospective project for a Marie Cury Fellowship Fp7)

The environmental changes that aquatic organism will have to face in the future as a result of a change in land use or climate, are likely to generate an increase of water temperature as well as a change of flow pattern with anticipated low flows in the spring and summer. Allied to shifts in habitat resulting from shifts in environmental change are changes in the abundance of prey items, with a key process influencing the response of animal populations to environmental change being competition. Underpinning research has identified simple rules that determine how individual fish respond to changes in the abundance of their prey and competitors. The lack of such understanding had previously been a bottleneck in model development. Therefore, individual-based models (IBMs) have been developed to overcome these problems. Their key feature is that they are based on the assumption that individuals within animal populations always behave to maximise their own chances of survival and reproduction (i.e. maximising their fitness), no matter how much the environment changes. The decisions made by model animals are based on optimal foraging and game theory which are thought to provide a reliable basis for prediction. Therefore, animals in these individual-based models are expected to respond to environmental change in the same ways as real ones would.
The practical application of IBMs in conservation management has been demonstrated by the work of Railsback and co-workers on trout species in North American rivers, and Stillman and co-workers on coastal birds in European estuaries.

Aim:
The overall aim of this project is to develop and calibrate an individual-based model to test the applicability of this approach for European freshwater fishes, using northern pike, Esox lucius L. and brown trout, Salmo trutta L., two apex predators as model species. The IBM will not be used to predict the future environmental changes but rather the consequences of these environmental changes on aquatic communities and in particular fish. Although primarily applied to coastal birds, the IBM developed at Bournemouth University, has been designed to be very flexible and applicable to a wide range of other systems, and no changes to the model itself will be required before it can be parameterised for fish.
Therefore, the experimental approach of the project will be to parameterise Bounemouth’s IBM for pike and trout, based on the assumptions of fish behaviour used in Railsback’s models. The work will also be tested in situ using a combination of telemetry methodologies combined to a trophic analysis using Stable Isotopes Analyses (SIA). Management applications of the model will include prediction of the population level consequences of river management practises and climate change scenarios. Specific aims of the project are as follows:

Objectives:
1) To collect literature derived, experimental and field data to parameterize an IBM for E. lucius and S. trutta.
2) To use the parameterized IBM to predict the present day distribution and growth rates of E. lucius and S. trutta at a study site.
3) To test these predictions using an existing database and new data on distribution and growth rates of E. lucius and S. trutta in the study site.
4) Using outputs from objectives 1, 2 and 3, predict how individual fish will respond to changes in the abundance of their prey and competitors that result from various environmental change scenarios, with subsequent demonstration of the practical application to conservation management.
For more information please contact Dr R. E. Gozlan

Apron

Apron

Could the apron (Zingel Asper) become the Dodo of the 21st century
Collaborative work with the University of Aix-Marseilles I

Introduction
Amongst zingel species, all of which are on the red list of threatened fish species (ICES list), Zingel asper (apron) has the smallest population of all. In the second part of the 20th century, its distribution reduced so greatly that apron populations are now only found in some tributaries of the Rhône basin (France,). Its status of ‘legal protection’ has now reached the same situation as the Pyrenean bear and no angling is allowed. This species requires running, oxygen-saturated water. Man-made changes along the rivers, particularly damming and diminishing the velocity of the water flow, have resulted in deposition of silt in some river stretches. Changes in habitat and increasing pollution have caused its scarcity.
Very little is known about the ecology of apron, however population surveys have been undertake in the last five years, highlighting seasonal changes in population densities. The functional responses of apron populations to changes in environmental conditions such as discharge, turbidity or temperature are poorly understood, particularly in terms of spawning migration and spawning habitat use.
Many aquatic vertebrates, including freshwater fishes, utilise different habitats during their lifecycles and in response to changes in environmental conditions. However, unless these habitats can be identified, it is impossible to propose a conservation plan for a species. This is precisely what is needed to put a conservation management plan in place for the apron populations. What are the apron’s habitat requirements during the spawning season, the summer season when the water level has dropped dramatically or during the winter season when refuge habitats are needed as protection against torrential rains?
This research project proposes to answer these questions using radio-tracking equipments at two different sites of the River Durance. Although electric fishing enables sampling of the fish community in different habitats, it cannot provide fine spatial and temporal scale information of the influence of hydrology and environmental parameters on habitat use and the movement between habitats. By monitoring the activity of apron using telemetry, it will be possible to model the factors, which govern their behaviour. This information will greatly enhance practical conservation of apron stocks where assumptions are often made without an adequate basis of scientific information to permit evaluation of the ecological consequences. In future, local authorities will have the scientific knowledge to regulate and protect some habitats, which are essential in the completion of the apron life cycle.

Primary objectives
To monitor individual apron using radio tracking techniques to determine seasonal habitat use.
To develop an accurate description of space-use by fish from radio-locations.
To establish apron ‘home ranges’ and investigate con interactions.
To work towards modeling the abiotic and biotic factors which influence the distribution of these fish species.
To determine the potential for maintenance of viable populations (= avoidance of extinction) based on the size of the population, the quality of spawning and refuge habitat, the connectivity of the river.
For more information please contact Dr R. E. Gozlan

River Wensum Roach

Roach

Investigating factors affecting the reproduction, recruitment and survival of roach Rutilus rutilus (L.) in the River Wensum, Norfolk (Environment Agency, Anglian Region)

The two principal aims of the research are to:
- Investigate the dynamics of the juvenile component of the roach population in order to improve knowledge on their recruitment process and the constraints upon this
Investigate the dynamics of the mature component of the roach population in order to improve knowledge on their reproduction and survival, and the constraints upon these.

The research is being carried out by Helen Beardsley of the Environment Agency, Anglian Region, Eastern Area (Norwich) as postgraduate study, with fieldwork carried out in 2007 and 2008.
The outputs of the work will be used to assist formulation of river management strategies that are sympathetic to the sustainable future of roach in the river and enhance their present population

Climate change

Climate Change

Models for key stone species responses to climate change (Katja Sievers)

To examine the potential responses of key native and non-native fish species to climate change and thus inform the risk assessment process, doctoral studies will be undertaken at the University of Bournemouth, in collaboration with and co-supervised by Dr. G.H. Copp(Cefas) to: predict the impact of climate change on keystone native species, profile the non-native species likely to thrive under the climate change conditions, verify and calibrate the model via field studies (ground truthing), and to model the likely impacts on selected native keystone species under conditions of climate change.
Natural ecosystems perform essential 'functions' (e.g. decomposition and processing of waste materials, recycling of nutrients, secondary production) that in turn provide important 'goods and services' that are of benefit to mankind (e.g. the maintenance of healthy fisheries in freshwaters). The species communities that comprise ecosystems are linked to one another via a dynamic web of inter-specific interactions, with each species performing a different functional role in the ecosystem. Some species can have a disproportionate effect on the ecosystem relative to their abundance. These so-called ‘keystone species’ play a role in the environment — like the ‘keystone’ in an arch, the keystone species feels the least pressure of any species in the community, and indeed may represent a relatively small portion of ecosystem productivity or community biomass, but the ecosystem will experience a dramatic shift (equivalent to a collapse) if the species is removed and not replaced by a species of similar function (e.g. herbivore, detritivore, predator). However, keystone species are usually only noticed when they have been removed, or they disappear, from an ecosystem and dramatic changes take place in the community. This phenomenon has been observed in a wide range of ecosystems and for a wide range of organisms. For example, Pacific salmonid species appear to be key species in the boreal environment of north western North America, where they are a critical food source for bears, wolves, eagles as well as otters. However, the decline of salmonid fishes has much wider impacts, because the decaying carcasses of spent fish also act as fertilizer for the surrounding forest, and as such they represent the driving energetic force of some boreal ecosystems.
Although it is difficult to predict the impact of a climate change on our ecosystems, it is quite clear that some native species will decline and some introduced or novel species (through range expansion) will become more prominent. In addition, if the decline of native species includes one or more keystone species, then it is clear that changes in climate can be predicted to impact our ecosystems severely. At present, little effort has been put in place to identify the presence of keystone species in UK rivers and to test their resilience under a climate change scenario.
The models developed to predict the potential impact of climate driven changes in the native and non-native fish populations will require testing and validating under "natural conditions". Therefore, both laboratory and field based studies will need to bedeveloped to provide the necessary biological information to ground-truth the predictive models. Novel techniques and topic-specific studies will be trialled in order to answer this question. Specifically, a biomarker approach, based on stable isotope analysis of trophic levels, is expected to provide information on which components of the food web are being exploited by key fish species, with particular regard to predation/competition by non-native species.

Specific objectives:
Review the scientific literature on the quantification of stream food-web links, using different empirical measures of interaction strength
Identify key stone species of UK rivers and complete ground-truthing studies associated with the climate-response models for native species
Model the survival of keystone species under a set of climate change scenarios and profile the biological traits of non-native species expected to thrive under these conditions
Evaluate the impact of introduced species (e.g. pumpkinseed, topmouth gudgeon) on steam food web structure and ecosystem function.
For more information contact Dr R. E. Gozlan

LOCAR

LOCAR

Utilisation of off-river habitats by lowland-river fishes: influences of flow regime and implications for river management

It is becoming increasingly apparent that many fish species use a mosaic of habits at different times of their lives and for different purposes such as spawning, feeding and refuge. Most lowland rivers in a natural state have an intact floodplain with a variety of aquatic habitats that are permanently or temporarily connected to the main channel. However, processes such as urban development and flood prevention measures increasingly disconnect the river channel from these lateral habitats. Nevertheless, even in modified catchments, side connections such as drainage ditches may be useful habitats for fishes and other aquatic life, providing slow-moving water, that for example, may provide refuge during winter floods.
The project, based principally on the lower reaches of the Dorset Frome, close to BU and the River Laboratory facility at East Stoke, brings together a team of fish ecologists with expertise in studying spatial ecology of fishes and hydraulic modellers with expertise in quantifying and interpreting the river’s physical environment, particularly in terms of flow conditions. The project is highly innovative. We are developing new techniques for studying fish spatial behaviour, as well as generating improved hydraulic modelling techniques and combining these data on fish behaviour to make predictions about habitat use. Our use of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) telemetry, implanting microchips in the fishes, enables the remote recording of the times and dates of entry to and exit from streams and ditches of “bar-coded” fishes of a range of sizes and species, in relation to environmental conditions. Results to date show that a wide range of species and ages use side channel habitats of different types and at different times of the year, while ecohydraulic studies, tracking fish during semi-controlled high flow conditions are providing new insights into fish responses to high-flow episodes. The projects outputs will provide quantitative information to aid more sensitive and sustainable management of lowland catchments for their fish populations. For more information contact Dr R. E. Gozlan

LOCAR off river habitat

Salmonid fish

Salmonid Fish
Current projects:

WRST salmon egg box project

WRST project

The Wessex Rivers Salmon Trust is undertaking research in conjunction with a number of parties, including the Environment Agency, and being project managed by Dr. Jon Bass, that is aiming to increase the recruitment of juvenile salmon in the Hampshire Avon catchment using salmon egg boxes. We are providing fieldwork support to Dr Bass and completing habitat assessments on the study reaches using methodologies including HABSCORE.

The work is expected to continue into 2008 with outputs critical in the determination of how managers can maximise the reproductive output of salmon in this southern chalkstream catchment.

WRST Project

Conservation management & Policy

Current projects:

Publications

Peer-review journal papers

Beyer K., Copp G.H. & Gozlan R.E. 2007 Microhabitat use and interspecific associations of introduced topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva and native fishes in a small stream. Journal of Fish Biology (In press).
Baker R.H.A, Black R., Copp G.H., Haysom K.A., Hulme P.E., Thomas M.B., Brown A., Brown M., Cannon R.J.C., Ellis J., Ellis M., Ferris R., Garthwaite R., Glaves P., Gozlan R. E, Hol J., Howe L., Knight J.D., MacLeod A., Moore N.P., Mumford J.D., Murphy S.T., Parrott D., Peeler E., Sansford C.E., Smith G.C., St-Hilaire S. & Ward N.L. 2006. Developing a risk assessment scheme for all UK non-native species. Neobiota (In press).
Britton JR, Boar RR, Grey J, Foster J, Lugonzo J & Harper D (2007). From introduction to fishery dominance: the initial impacts of the invasive carp Cyprinus carpio in Lake Naivasha, Kenya, 1999 to 2006. Journal of Fish Biology (In press)
Britton JR, Davies GD, Brazier M & Pinder AC. (2007) A case study on the population ecology of a topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva population in the UK and the implications for native fish communities. Aquatic Conservation: Marine & Freshwater Ecosystems (In press)
Britton JR, Davies GD, Brazier M, Chare S. (in press). Case studies on eradicating the Asiatic cyprinid Pseudorasbora parva from fishing lakes in England to prevent their riverine dispersal. Aquatic Conservation: Marine & Freshwater Ecosystems
Bolland JD, Britton JR & Cowx IG (2007) Lifetime consequences of variable 0-group length in riverine populations of chub Leuciscus cephalus. Journal of Fish Biology (In press)
Britton JR. (2007) Reference data for evaluating the growth of common riverine fishes in the UK.  Journal of Applied Ichthyology (In press)
Britton JR & Davies GD (2007) Length weight relationship of the topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva in 10 lakes in the UK. Journal of Applied Ichthyology (In press)
Copp G.H., Templeton M. & Gozlan R.E. 2007 Propagule pressure and the occurrence of non-native fishes in regions of England. Journal of fish Biology. (In press)
Carpentier A., Gozlan R.E., Cucherousset J., Paillisson J-M. 2007. Is topmouth gudgeon responsible for the decline of sunbleak populations? Journal of Fish Biology (In press).
Ibanez AL, Britton JR & Cowx IG (in press) Relationship between scale growth checks, circuli formation rate and somatic growth in Rutilus rutilus, a fish farm reared cyprinid. Journal of Fish Biology
Nunn, A.D., Harvey, J.P., Britton, JR, Frear, P. & Cowx, I.G. (2007). Fish, climate and the Gulf Stream: the influence of abiotic factors on the recruitment success of cyprinid fishes in lowland rivers. Freshwater Biology 52, 1576-1586
Britton JR & Davies GD. (2007) First UK recording in the wild of the bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis. Journal of Fish Biology 70, 1280-1282.
Britton JR, Pegg J, Sedgwick R & Page R (2007) Using mark-recapture to estimate catch rates and growth of the European catfish Silurus glanis in a recreational fishery. Fisheries Management & Ecology 14, 263-268
Hodder, K.H., Masters, J.E.G., Beaumont, W.R.C., Gozlan, R.E., Pinder A.C., Knight, C. M. & Kenward, R.E. 2007. Techniques for evaluating the spatial behaviour of river-fish. Hydrobiologia. 582: 257-269.
Beyer K., Miranda R., Copp G.H. & Gozlan R.E. 2006 Biometric data and bone identification of topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva and sunbleak Leucaspius delineatus. Folia Zoologica 53 (3) 287-292.
Britton JR & Davies GD. (2006) Ornamental species of the Acipenser genus: new additions to the ichthyofauna of the UK. Fisheries Management & Ecology 13, 207-210.
Britton JR & Harper DM. (2006) Length weight relationships of some fish species in the Rift Valley Lakes of Kenya. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 22, 334-336.
Britton JR, Pegg J, Shepherd J & Toms S. (2006) Prey items of the otter Lutra lutra in South west England, as revealed by stomach contents analysis. Folia Zoologica 55, 167-174.
Britton JR & Davies G.D. (2006) First recording of the white catfish Ameiurus catus in Great Britain. Journal of Fish Biology 69, 1236-1238.
Britton JR & Brazier M. (2006). Eradicating the invasive topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva from a recreational fishery in Northern England. Fisheries Management & Ecology 13, 329-335.
Copp GH, Carter MG, England J & Britton JR. (2006) The re-occurrence of the white sucker Catostomus commersonii in the River Gade (Hertfordshire). London Naturalist 85, 115-119
Gozlan R.E., St-Hilaire S., Feist S.W., Longshaw M. & Peeler E.J. 2006. The effect of microbial pathogens on the diversity of aquactic populations, notably in Europe. Microbes & infections 8: 1358-1364.
Musk R, Britton JR, Axford S. (2006). The effect of subjective fish scales ageing on growth and recruitment analyses: a case study from the UK. Acta Icthyologica et Piscatoria 36, 81-84.
Britton JR, Shepherd JS, Toms S. & Simpson V (2005) Recording of carp Cyprinus carpio in the diet of the otter Lutra lutra. Fisheries Management & Ecology 12, 221-223.
Britton JR & Shepherd JS. (2005) Biometric data to facilitate the diet reconstruction of piscivorous fauna. Folia Zoologica 54 193-200
Britton JR &Harper DM (2005) Assessing the true status of Labeo cylindricus in Lake Baringo, Kenya. African Journal of Aquatic Science 30, 203-205
Britton JR &Harper DM (2005) Preliminary investigations into the age and growth of a large mouth bass population in an equatorial lake. Journal of East African Natural History 94, 363-370.
Gozlan R.E., St-Hilaire S., Feist S.W., Martin P. & Kent M.L. 2005. Disease threats on European fish. Nature. Vol 435, 1045.
Gozlan R.E. & Copp G.H. 2005. Early ontogenetic ecology of sofie Chondrostoma toxostoma: an integrated approach to organism-environment relationships. Journal of Fish Biology, (Suppl. B) 67: 86-99.
Gozlan R.E. & Beyer K. 2005. First evidence of hybridisation between Pseudorasbora parva and Leucaspius delineatus. Folia Zoologica. 55, 1: 53-60.
Beyer K., Kochanowska D., Longshaw M., Feist S.W. & Gozlan R.E. 2005 A potential role for invasive sunbleak in the further dissemination of a non-native parasite. Journal of Fish Biology. 67: 1730-1733.
Pinder A.C., Gozlan R.E., Beyer K. & Bass J. 2005. Ontogeny induced shifts in the ecology of sunbleak, Leucaspius delineatus during early development. Journal of Fish Biology, (Suppl. B ). 67: 205-217.
Copp G. H., Bianco P. G., Bogutskaya N. G., Erős T., Falka I., Ferreira M. T., Fox M. G., Freyhof J., Gozlan R. E., Grabowska J., Kováč V., Moreno-Amich R., Naseka A. M., Peňáz M., Povž M., Przybylski M., Robillard M., Russell I. C., Stakėnas S., Šumer S., Vila-Gispert A. & Wiesner C. 2005. To be, or not to be, a non-native freshwater fish? Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 21: 242-262.
Copp G. H., Garthwaite R. & Gozlan R.E. 2005. A risk assessment protocol for non-native freshwater fishes. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 21: 371-373.
Pinder A.C., Gozlan R.E. & Britton J. R. 2005. Dispersal of the invasive topmouth gudgeon, Pseudorasbora parva in the UK: a vector for an emergent infectious disease. Fisheries Management & Ecology. 12: 411-414.
Masters JEG, Hodder K.H., Beaumont W. R. C., Gozlan R.E., Pinder A. C., Kenward R. E., Welton J. S. 2005. Spatial behaviour of pike Esox lucius L. in the river Frome, UK. In Aquatic Telemetry Advances and Applications, FAO/COISPA. 295p.
Britton JR, Cowx IG & Peirson G. (2004) Sources of error in the ageing of stocked cyprinids. Fisheries Management & Ecology 11, 415-417.
Britton JR, Axford SN, Cowx IG & Frear P (2004) An overview of recruitment patterns of roach Rutilus rutilus (L.) between 1969 and 2001 in the rivers of England and their influence on population abundance. Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology 4, 91-102
Hickley P, Boar RR, Britton JR & Muchiri M (2004) Discovery of carp in the already stressed fishery of Lake Naivasha, Kenya. Fisheries Management & Ecology 10, 1-5.
Hickley P, Muchiri  M, Boar R, Britton JR, Adams C., Gichuru N, Harper D (2004) Habitat degradation and subsequent fishery collapse in Lakes Naivasha and Baringo, Kenya. Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology 4, 503-517.
Pinder A.C. & Gozlan R.E. 2004. Early life ontogeny of Leucaspius delineatus (Heckel). Journal of Fish Biology. 64: 762-775.
Taylor A.A., Britton JR, Cowx I.G. (2004) Does the stock density of stillwater catch and release fisheries affect the growth performance of introduced cultured barbel? Journal of Fish Biology 65, 308-313
Davies, J.M., Holden, T., Feltham, M.J., Wilson, B.R., Britton, J.R., Harvey, J.P. and Cowx, I.G. (2003) The use of a Monte Carlo Simulation model to estimate the impact of Great Cormorants at an inland fishery in England. Cormorant Ecology & Management: Vogelwelt 124, 309-317.
Gozlan, R. E., Flower C.J. & Pinder. 2003 A. C. Reproductive success in male sunbleak, a recent invasive fish species in the UK. Journal of Fish Biology. 62 (Suppl. A): 131-143.
Gozlan, R. E., Pinder A. C. & Durand S. 2003. Could the small size of Leucaspius delineatus be an ecological advantage in invading British watercourses? Folia Zoologica 52: 99-108.
Černỳ, J., Copp G. H., Kováč V., Gozlan R. E. & Vilizzi L. 2003. Initial impact of the Gabčíkovo hydroelectric scheme on the species richness and composition of 0+ fish assemblages in the Slovak floodplain, River Danube. River Research and Applications 19: 1-18.
Pinder A.C. & Gozlan R.E. 2003. Sunbleak and toupmouth gudgeon – two new additions to Britain’s freshwater fishes. British Wildlife. 15 (2): 77-83.
Wilson, B.R., Feltham, M.J., Davies, J.M., Holden, T., Britton, J.R., Harvey, J.P. and Cowx, I.G. (2003) Increasing confidence in impact estimates – The Monte Carlo approach. Cormorant Ecology & Management: Vogelwelt 124, 375-387.
Gozlan, R. E., Pinder A. C., Shelley J. 2002. Occurrence of the Asiatic cyprinid Pseudorasbora parva in England. Journal of Fish Biology 61: 298-300.
Master, J. E. G., Welton J. S., Beaumont W. R. C., Hodder K. H., Pinder A. C.,
Gozlan R. E. & Ladle M. 2002. Habitat utilisation by pike Esox lucius L. during winter floods in a southern English chalk river. Hydrobiologia 483: 185-191.
Gozlan, R.E., Mastrorillo S., Copp G.H. & Lek S 1999. Predicting the structure and diversity of young-of-the year fish assemblages in large rivers. Freshwater Biology 41: 809-820.
Gozlan, R.E., Copp G. H. & Tourenq J-N. 1999. Early development of the sofie, Chondrostoma toxostoma. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 56: 67-77.
Gozlan, R.E., Copp G. H. & Tourenq J-N. 1999. Comparison of growth plasticity in the laboratory and field, and implications on the onset of juvenile development in the sofie, Chondrostoma toxostoma. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 56: 67-77.
Gozlan, R.E., Mastrorillo S., Dauba F., Tourenq J.N. & Copp G.H. 1998. Multi-scale analysis of habitat use during late summer for 0+ fishes in the River Garonne (France). Aquatic Sciences. 60: 99-117.

Book Chapters and CD ROM

Britton JR, Cowx IG & Axford S. (in press) Assessing the ecological status of riverine coarse fish using age structure. In: Cowx I.G. (ed) Assessing the Ecological Status of Rivers, Lakes and Transitional Waters. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications.
Britton JR, Cowx IG, Harvey JP, Davies, JM,  Holden, T,  Feltham, MJ, and Wilson, BR (2003) Key factor analysis to assess cormorant depredation on inland fisheries in the UK. In Cowx I.G (ed) Interaction between fish and birds: implications for management. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications. pp14-27
Wilson, BR, Davies, JM, Holden, T,  Feltham, MJ, , Cowx, IG, Harvey, JP & Britton JR. (2003) A quantitative assessment of the impact of goosander Mergus merganser on salmonid populations in two upland rivers in England and Wales. In Cowx I.G (ed) Interaction between fish and birds: implications for management. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications. pp 119-138
Davies, JM, Holden, T, Feltham, MJ, Wilson, BR, Cowx, IG, Harvey, JP & Britton JR. (2003) The relationship between cormorant and fish populations at two fisheries in England: an overview. In Cowx I.G (ed) Interaction between fish and birds: implications for management. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications. pp 28-42.
Britton JR, Cowx IG, Harvey JP, Davies, JM, Holden, T, Feltham, MJ, and Wilson, BR (2002) Compensatory responses of fish populations in a shallow eutrophic lake to heavy depredation pressure by cormorants and the implications for management. In: Cowx I.G. (ed) Management and Ecology of Lake and Reservoir Fisheries. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications, pp 170-183.
Gozlan, R. E. 2001. Le toxostome ou la sofie, Chondrostoma toxostoma (Vallot, 1837). pp. 387. In: Atlas des poisons d’eau douce de France. P. Keith and J. Allardi, editors. Publications scientifiques du museum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, France. ISBN 2-85653-532-1.

Non-peer review publication

Gozlan, R. E. & J-N. Tourenq. 1997. La sofie: Une espèce en danger. Adour Garonne, Revue de l’Agence de l’Eau 41: 7-10.
Gozlan, R. E. 2001. Identifying functionally descriptive fish species to assess rivers integrity. pp. 65 In: proceeding of the Lillehammer (Norway) CONNECT Workshop: ‘Physical Habitat Restoration in Canalised Watercourses – Possibilities and Constraints’ Eds. T. Taugbǿl and J-H L’Abée-Lund.
Pinder, A. C. & Gozlan R.E. 2003. Sunbleak and Topmouth gudgeon – two new additions to Britain’s freshwater fishes. British Wildlife. 15 (2):77-83.
Britton JR, Davies GD, Page, R & Pegg J. (in press). Stocking of non-native fish into recreational fisheries: what makes a successful introduction? Proceedings of the Institute of Fisheries Management Annual Study Course 2006, Minehad, UK.
Hewlett NR, Britton JR & Snow J. (in press) Disease related fish mortality incidents in England and Wales – a failure of fisheries management? Proceedings of the Institute of Fisheries Management Annual Study Course 2006, Minehad, UK.
Hickley P, Muchiri M, Britton JR, Cowx IG & Boar R (in press) Introduced species in the freshwater fisheries of Kenya: ecology vs Economy. Proceedings of the Institute of Fisheries Management Annual Study Course 2006, Minehad, UK.
Pegg J, Britton JR, Angelopoulos N, Simpson V & Toms S (in press) The return of the otter to our fisheries: A welcome home or an unwelcome intruder? Proceedings of the Institute of Fisheries Management Annual Study Course 2006, Minehad, UK.
Britton JR, Davies GD, Beck M & Hewlett N. (2006). Implications of climate change for the establishment of non-native species in fisheries in England. Proceedings of the Institute of Fisheries Management Annual Study Course 2005.
Britton JR, Ng’eno JBK, Lugonzo J & Harper D. (2006) Can an introduced, non-indigenous species save the fisheries of Lakes Baringo and Naivasha, Kenya? Proceedings of the XI World Lake Conference, Nairobi, Kenya
Musk R, Britton JR, Axford S. (2005) Consequences of age misclassification during year class strength analysis. Proceedings of the Institute of Fisheries Management Annual Study Course 2004.

Collaborations

Collaborative Projects:

UK Collaborators

Dr Stephen W. Feist [http://www.cefas.co.uk/homepage.htmExternal Link ] (Aquaculture & Fish disease, CEFAS Weymouth Laboratory. Histopathology of fish diseases.
Dr Gordon H. Copp [http://www.cefas.co.uk/homepage.htmExternal Link ] (Fisheries biology, CEFAS Lowestoft). Assessing the risk and impact of non-native species
Dr Sían Griffith [http://www.cf.ac.uk/biosi/research/biodiversity/staff/griffiths.htmlExternal Link](Cardiff School of Bioscience, University of Cardiff). Reproductive behaviour & sex pheromones of nest guarding cyprinids.
Dr Martin Lucas [http://www.dur.ac.ukExternal Link/ ] (School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham). Habitat utilisation by lowland fishes using PIT telemetry.
Dr. Ian Cowx, Dr. Andy Nunn, University of Hull International Fisheries Institute http://www.hull.ac.uk/hifi/index.htmlExternal Link. Many aspects of freshwater fisheries ecology.
Dr. Bernd Hanfling, School of Biological Sciences, University of Hull (http://www.hull.ac.uk/biosci/staff/academic/
MolecularEcologyandEvolution/DrBerndHanfling.htmlExternal Link). Genetics of topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva
Dr David Harper, University of Leicester (http://www.le.ac.uk/bl/staff/bldmh.htmExternal Link). Ecology of Kenyan Rift Valley lakes.
Dr. Jonathan Grey, Queen Mary University, London (http://www.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/people/jonathan_grey.shtmlExternal Link). Trophic ecology of aquatic invasive species
Dr. Christopher Harrod, Queen Mary University, Belfast. Trophic ecology of topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva

France

Professor Rémi Chappaz & Dr Laurent Cavalli [http://www.up.univ-mrs.fr/External Link] (Biodiversity laboratory,University of Aix-Marseille II).Home range characterisation of Apron Zingel asper an endangered fish species.
Dr Bénédicte Nguyen-The & Dr Laurent Cavalli [http://www.up.univ-mrs.fr/External Link] (Biodiversity laboratory,University of Aix-Marseille II). Impact of discharge reduction on freshwaterr food web and on The soufie, Leuciscus souffia, and the spirlin, Alburnoides bipunctatus in particular

Spain

Dr Emili Garcia-Berthou [http://www.rimsat.com/rimsat/Partners_top/University_of_Girona/
university_of_girona.htmlExternal Link] (Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica & Dept. Ciències Ambientals, Ecologia, University of Girona) Pathways analysis of alien fish species in Europe.
Dr Rafael Miranda [http://www.unav.es/english/External Link] (Facultad de Ciencas, University of Navarra). Interactions between the native Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) and fishes of the Somerset Levels, with emphasis on non-native and angling amenity species

USA

Dr Sophie St-Hilaire [http://www.isu.edu/External Link] (Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University)
Director Mickael L. Kent [http://oregonstate.edu/dept/salmon/External Link] (Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University)
Dr Kristen D. Arkush [ www.bml.ucdavis.eduExternal Link] (University of California, Bodega Marine Laboratory)
Dr Chris Wipps [http://oregonstate.edu/dept/salmon/External Link] (Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University)

Consultancy

Institutions and organisations that wish to collaborate, or commission research and/ or consultancy work, should contact Dr. Rudy Gozlan in the first instance.

The services and expertise we can offer include:

Fish stock assessment by electric fishing
Larval and juvenile fish surveys
Fish behaviour experiments using our state-of-the-art tank room (144 tanks, video capture equipment, temperature controlled)
Telemetry of river fishes (radio-tracking, PIT tagging etc)
Fish scale and otolith ageing
Age and growth analysis
Independent advice on aquatic invasive species, including management of invasive fishes
Invasive species risk assessment
Analysis of the diet of piscivorous fauna (cormorant, otter etc.)
Impact assessment of piscivorous fauna
In-stream river habitat assessment

School of Conservation Sciences
Bournemouth University
Christchurch House
Talbot Campus
Poole
Dorset
BH12 5BB
UK
 Email: consci@bournemouth.ac.uk
Website: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/cceec/
Tel: +44 (0) 1202 965178
Fax: +44 (0) 1202 965530
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