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A food web analysis of the Río de la Plata estuary and adjacent shelf ecosystem: trophic structure, biomass flows, and the role of fisheries

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Abstract

This article performed a comprehensive assessment of the structure and functioning of the Río de la Plata estuary and adjacent shelf ecosystem, including the effect of fishing. A formerly implemented 37 trophic groups’ mass-balance model (Ecopath) was used to (1) evaluate the particular role of individual biotic components on the ecosystem; (2) characterize the ecosystem in terms of aquatic food web theory; and (3) assess the role of diverse fishing fleets on the ecosystem. Our results indicate a trophic structure and functioning common to other estuaries, where outstanding primary production exceeds consumption, and detritus accumulates in the system. Moreover, our analysis revealed an elevated total system throughput, herbivory outweighing detritivory, and an intermediate state in terms of ecosystem growth and development. Fisheries analyses showed widespread impacts produced by industrial bottom trawl fleets, and specific impacts produced by artisanal fisheries over several groups. Unexpectedly, the evaluation of the effects of fishing showed minor ecosystem consequences by the loss of secondary production and suggests exploitation rates at sustainable levels. This study sets up the basis for temporal ecosystem-level monitoring of the state of the Río de la Plata estuary and adjacent shelf ecosystem.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful for the constructive comments made by two anonymous referees that substantially improve the manuscript. We also thank all the people that produced fundamental information for the implementation of the ecosystem model for the Río de la Plata. English language final revision by D. Szteren is also acknowledged. Support from projects PDT 7107 and DINARA/FAO/GEF (ID 3410) is also recognized. DC was partially supported by CSIC-UdelaR Grupos I + D Programme 1037. We are grateful to the Uruguayan National Aquatic Resources Office (DINARA, Uruguay) for providing useful information during 2007.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Diego Lercari, Sebastían Horta & Danilo Calliari

  2. Centro Universitario Región Este (CURE), Universidad de la República, Rutas 9 y 15 s/n, Rocha, Uruguay

    Diego Lercari & Danilo Calliari

  3. Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos (DINARA), Constituyente 1497, 11200, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Gastón Martínez

  4. School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology (GIST), Gwangju, Republic of Korea

    Leandro Bergamino

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  1. Diego Lercari
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  2. Sebastían Horta
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  3. Gastón Martínez
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  4. Danilo Calliari
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  5. Leandro Bergamino
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Correspondence to Diego Lercari.

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Handling editor: Pierluigi Viaroli

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Lercari, D., Horta, S., Martínez, G. et al. A food web analysis of the Río de la Plata estuary and adjacent shelf ecosystem: trophic structure, biomass flows, and the role of fisheries. Hydrobiologia 742, 39–58 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-1964-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-1964-8

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