January 31, 2019, University of
Southampton
A University of Southampton study suggests that the membrane of
salmon eggs may evolve to cope with reduced oxygen levels in rivers, thereby
helping their embryos to incubate successfully.
The research, funded by the Environment Agency and published in
the journal Royal Society Open Science, has found that differences in the
structure of the thin film surrounding a salmon embryo
affects its ability to absorb dissolved oxygen from river water.
Atlantic salmon are in decline in their natural habitats and it's
thought this is partly due to a reduction in the quality of the water in which
they spawn. Sediments washed off the land can starve rivers of oxygen by
encouraging more organic matter to grow and by silting up the gravel beds where
salmon lay their eggs in nests (redds). The eggs rely on a sufficient flow of
oxygen across their membranes to successfully incubate and this latest study
examines how the structure of these membranes vary in different salmon
populations.
The researchers took a range of measurements from membranes of
eggs at a fish farm in Scotland and from conservation hatcheries in four
different UK rivers; Dorchart, Tilt, South Tyne and North Tyne. They were
chosen for their varying levels of sediment and oxygenation. The results
showed membrane thickness,
porosity and permeability varied according to each location.
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