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Marine and Freshwater Research Marine and Freshwater Research Society
Advances in the aquatic sciences
Table of Contents
Marine and Freshwater Research

Marine and Freshwater Research

Volume 71 Number 12 2020

RESEARCH FRONT: Further Wetland Research in China

MF19366Ecosystem threats and management strategies for wetlands in China

Nasreen Jeelani 0000-0002-3887-7321, Wen Yang, Lu Xia 0000-0001-6041-3008, Hai Liang Zhu and Shuqing An
pp. 1557-1563

China has experienced serious loss of wetlands owing to rapid population growth and industrialisation. Some of the major threats and challenges to wetlands are related to habitat degradation, loss of biodiversity and weaknesses in their protection and management. Herein we review the distribution of wetlands in China and discuss the key factors that degrade these wetlands.

MF19255Research on Spartina alterniflora using molecular biological techniques: an overview

Lu Xia, Wen Yang, Qifang Geng, Nasreen Jeelani and Shuqing An
pp. 1564-1571

Spartina alterniflora Loisel. is a coastal invasive species, and biological invasion is a global issue. In this article, previous studies investigating S. alterniflora using molecular biological techniques that have contributed to our understanding of the competitive advantage and invasion mechanism of S. alterniflora are summarised from the individual, population and application perspectives.

MF20103Status of wetland research in China

Jie Zhang 0000-0002-7317-615X, Shuqing An 0000-0001-7948-6450 and Xin Leng
pp. 1572-1591

This article reviews wetland research in China. In all, 31 794 relevant articles (published from 1999 to 2019) were retrieved from the Web of Science database and analysed using a bibliometric approach. Articles were systematically reviewed to ascertain the progress of wetland research in four focus areas: climate change; pollution; plants and microorganisms; and conservation and management. This review provides a theoretical basis for further in-depth and systematic research into and realisation of a sustainable development strategy for wetland resources in China.


Samples from 15 farms were used in the present study and analysed by nine microsatellite DNA loci. High heterozygosity and polymorphism information content values were obtained. The genetic differentiation was small, suggesting genetic homogeneity among hatchery-produced offspring. The most immediate and effective conservation priority should be maintaining the current genetic diversity.

MF19262Ecological improvement by restoration on the Jialu River: water quality, species richness and distribution

Xiangshi Kong 0000-0003-3541-5663, Kai Tian 0000-0002-7049-0549, Yanyan Jia, Zaihua He, Siyuan Song, Xingbing He, Changguo Xiang, Shuqing An and Xingjun Tian 0000-0002-0251-2582
pp. 1602-1615

After an ecological restoration project in the Jialu River, there were decreases in total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand and ammonium nitrogen of 38.69, 40.52, 39.06 and 45.07% respectively. More novel native species (31 species) were found and, on average, species richness had increased 65.61% after the restoration with the main functioning groups represented. In all, 155 species were identified, with most species (71.71%) occurring in only one or two sites.

MF19399The Yellow Sea Warm Current flushes the Bohai Sea microbial community in winter

Caixia Wang 0000-0003-2847-5959, Yibo Wang, Pengyuan Liu, Lin Wu, James S. Paterson, James G. Mitchell, Andrew T. Revill and Xiaoke Hu
pp. 1616-1627

The impact of the Yellow Sea Warm Current on the Bohai Sea microbial community is unknown. Nearly every year in winter there is a stream of powerful, warm and saline Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) that moves northward through the Yellow Sea Trough and flows into the Bohai Sea. We found that the YSWC disturbed the hydrological environment in the Bohai Sea and, ultimately, flushed the microbial community.

MF20012Sea catfishes (Ariidae) feeding on freshwater floodplains of northern Australia

Bradley J. Pusey 0000-0002-7446-7186, Timothy D. Jardine, Stuart E. Bunn and Michael M. Douglas
pp. 1628-1639

Eleven species of sea catfishes were collected from floodplains and adjacent estuarine habitat in two rivers of the Australian wet–dry tropics. Estuarine species were largely restricted to the flooded estuarine habitat, whereas freshwater species were recorded feeding on floodplains. Stomach content analysis and stable isotope analysis indicated dietary partitioning and between-river differences for one abundant species, namely Neoarius graeffei.

MF19337Cryptic diversity of the spotted scat Scatophagus argus (Perciformes: Scatophagidae) in the South China Sea: pre- or post-production isolation

Yun-Rong Yan, Kui-Ching Hsu, Mu-Rong Yi, Bo Li, Wei-Kuang Wang, Bin Kang 0000-0002-1299-5311 and Hung-Du Lin 0000-0002-2841-1886
pp. 1640-1650

Scatophagus argus is generally distributed around the Indo-West Pacific region and is a popular aquarium species around the world and a food fish in South-east and South Asia. Two lineages were identified in this study along the South China Sea coast, and genetic patterns indicate that these two lineages are both genetically and ecologically distinct populations; these results suggest the existence of cryptic species in S. argus. This study offers important resources for the further investigation of S. argus hybridisation, speciation, fishery and conservation.

MF20056Size, growth and mortality of riverine golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) across a latitudinal gradient

Daniel W. Wright 0000-0002-6063-9530, Brenton P. Zampatti, Lee J. Baumgartner, Steven Brooks, Gavin L. Butler, David A. Crook, Ben G. Fanson, Wayne Koster 0000-0002-9428-3739, Jarod Lyon, Arron Strawbridge, Zeb Tonkin and Jason D. Thiem
pp. 1651-1661

Information on fish size, along with growth and mortality rates, is critical to effective fisheries management, but must be relevant to a location. Throughout the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), Australia, riverine golden perch were found to have similar maximum sizes between latitudes, and comparable growth and mortality rates between northern and southern regions. This suggests that the MDB can be considered a single management unit for these parameters, aiding in the future management of this important recreational species.


This study investigated the associated bacterial community of harmful algal bloom-causing dinoflagellates Karenia mikimotoi (toxic) and Prorocentrum donghaiense (non-toxic). Alteromonadaceae was the predominant bacterial family and the relative abundance of Marinobacter was high in both cultures. Various aromatic hydrocarbons capable of degrading bacteria were detected in the K. mikimotoi culture, but not in the P. donghaiense culture; this may contribute to the toxicity or toxin synthesis of K. mikimotoi.


We used data collected by Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System to investigate variation in zooplankton distribution and structure at three coastal National Reference Stations located on the western seaboard of Australia. The results suggest that the oceanography of the region, largely driven by the Leeuwin Current which flows poleward along the Western Australian coast, is an important influence in structuring zooplankton populations in these waters.


Three types of laboratory-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands (CWs) were constructed and subjected to partial intermittent aeration (PIA), intermittent aeration throughout the CWs or no aeration. PIA resulted in higher total nitrogen removal efficiency (mean 60.6%); the ammonia mono-oxygenase subunit A (amoA) gene was abundant in aerated areas and the nitrate reductase genes narG and nitrite reductase genes nirK and nirS were abundant in anaerobic areas.


The present study estimated the precise age and growth of three stocks of Sperata aor from the Ganges River. Vertebrae provided precise age estimates and showed annulus formation once a year. The stocks of target fish species show rapid growth relative to theoretical maximum length. The inferences from this study can be used to successfully manage the S. aor stocks.


Wetlands are picturesquely described as the kidneys of the Earth. Overgrowth of aquatic vegetation can accelerate the terrestrialisation of natural wetlands. It’s well-known that rhizospheric microbial communities play a significant role in plant growth and succession. Profiling microbial communities in the rhizospheric soil of Zizania latifolia will contribute to our understanding of species overgrowth, wetland degradation and loss.


The present study has helped explain the observation that dinoflagellates are often more resistant to crude-oil toxins than are other groups of marine protozoa, and that this may be due in part to the bacterial community associated with these dinoflagellates. Highlights of the study include the finding that bacterial communities (BC) exposed to the combined conditions of crude oil and light enhanced harmful dinoflagellate Karenia brevis growth, but bacterial communities grown under dark conditions with oil did not promote growth.


Biological characteristics and habitat use of two data-deficient spurdog shark species, namely Squalus japonicus and Squalus brevirostris, are described from fishery-independent bottom trawl surveys. Prey overlap was high between species and estimated length at sexual maturity suggested that populations of either species have not declined. Body length and sex ratio distributions of these two spurdog species suggest that they segregate over the continental slope and that there was a maturity-based segregation.

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