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Fish-farming bolsters algal fouling and negatively affects condition and reproduction in European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis)

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Abstract

Fish-farming can lead to eutrophication of freshwater environments through the increase in organic matter resulting from food supplementation and fish wastes. Eutrophication can induce an excessive development of plants and algae on various substrates, including living organisms (algal epibiosis). Although algal epibiosis has been shown to reduce mobility by increasing drag in marine species, its consequences on host species in freshwater ecosystems remain poorly known. In this study, we investigated the individual (age and sex) and environmental (extensive versus intensive fish-farming) determinants of epizoic algae presence and abundance on European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis). We also explored the potential consequences of algal epibiosis on fitness-related traits of E. orbicularis. Based on a large sample size (1112 turtles from 23 ponds), we found that the abundance of algae growing on turtles increased during spring and summer. However, such increase was different across ages and sex; presumably reflecting the influence of thermoregulation (required to increase metabolic rates to sustain growth and reproduction) and thus, periodical drying of the shell, in reducing algal cover. We also found that intensive fish-farming increased algal epibiosis, especially when fish-farming involved food supplementation. Finally, we found that adult female body condition and reproduction of turtles were negatively linked to algal cover, thereby suggesting a potential negative impact of algal fouling on some fitness-related traits of adult female turtles. Future studies should usefully assess the demographic consequences of algal epibiosis induced by fish farming in this long-lived vertebrate.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the volunteers and the staff from the Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Chérine for their help during field work and especially J. Lemaire, J. Morgnieux and N. Delmas. Two anonymous reviewers as well as the editor provided insightful comments that improved a previous version of this manuscript.

Funding

Funding was provided by the Agence de l’Eau Loire-Bretagne, the WWF (World Wide Fund), the Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Chérine and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre D’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CEBC UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France

    Frédéric Beau & François Brischoux

  2. Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Chérine, Maison de la Nature et de la Réserve, 36290, Saint-Michel-en-Brenne, France

    Frédéric Beau

Authors
  1. Frédéric Beau
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  2. François Brischoux
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Contributions

F.Br. and F.Be. conceived and designed the study; F.Be. collected the data; F.Be. and F.Br. conducted the analyses, interpreted the data, designed the figures and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to François Brischoux.

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This work was approved by the French authorities (DDT-Indre # 36–2018-05–16-003).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Communicated by: Oliver Hawlitschek

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Appendix

Appendix

Table 1 European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis). Summary of the results of algal presence and abundance on turtle plastron
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Beau, F., Brischoux, F. Fish-farming bolsters algal fouling and negatively affects condition and reproduction in European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis). Sci Nat 108, 12 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-021-01723-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-021-01723-3

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