Abstract
The fish community of the Forth estuary, Scotland, has several components — estuarine resident species, diadromus migratory species, marine and freshwater adventitious species, marine juvenile migrants using the area as a nursery, and adults of marine species with seasonal migrations. The population changes during the period 1981–1988 in six species representative of the last two categories are described here. The species are the juvenile gadoids, whiting, Merlangius merlangus (L.) and cod, Gadus morhua L., juvenile flatfish, plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L. and common dab, Limanda limanda (L.), and the adult clupeids, sprat, Sprattus sprattus (L.) and herring, Clupea harengus L.
The species' population changes are described in relation to aspects of wider significance such as commercial fishing for these species in North Sea areas. In particular, the underlying decline of the juvenile cod populations since 1981 in the Forth Estuary is discussed in relation to the recent reduction in commercial fishing quotas.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ajayi, O. D., 1983. Some aspects of the Ecology of Flatfish in the Firth of Forth. Unpublished Ph. D. thesis, Heriot-Watt university.
Bannister, R. C. A., 1978. Changes in plaice stocks and plaice fisheries in the North Sea. Rapp. P.-v Réun. Cons. int. Explor. Mer. 172: 86–101.
Blaber, S. J. M., T. G. Blaber, 1980. Factors affecting the distribution of juvenile estuarine and inshore fish. J. Fish Biol. 17: 143–162.
Burd, A. C., 1978. Long term changes in North Sea herring stocks. Rapp. P.-v Reun. Cons. int. Explor. Mer. 172: 137–153.
Claridge, P. N., I. C. Potter, 1984. Abundance, movements and size of gadoids (Teleostei) in the Severn Estuary. J. mar. biol. Ass. UK. 64: 771–790.
Claridge, P. N., I. C. Potter & M. W. Hardisty, 1986. Seasonal changes in movements, abundance, size composition and diversity of the fish fauna of the Severn Estuary. J. mar. biol. Ass. UK; 66: 229–258.
Crossan, R., 1985. Observations on the abundance, growth and feeding of whiting and cod in the Forth Estuary. Unpublished Hons. Thesis, University of Stirling.
Daan, N., 1978. Changes in cod stocks and cod fisheries in the North Sea. Rapp. P.-v. Reun. Cons. int. Explor. Mer. 172: 39–57.
Dankers, N. M. J. A., J. F. de Veen, 1979. Variations in relative abundance in a number of fish species in the Wadden Sea and the North Sea coastal areas. In: Wolff, W. J. (ed.). Ecology of the Wadden Sea, Vol. 2. Balkema, Rotterdam, 5: 77–105.
Eleftheriou, A., N. A. Holme, 1984. Macrofaunal techniques, Chapter 6 In: N. A. Holme & A. D. McIntyre, (eds.) Methods for the Study of Marine Benthos. 2nd ed., Blackwells, Oxford, p. 140–216.
Elliott, M., A. H. Grifliths, 1986. Mercury contamination in components of an estuarine ecosystem. Wat. Sci. Technol. 18: 161–170.
Elliott, M., A. H. Grifliths, 1987. Contamination and effects of hydrocarbons on the Forth ecosystem, Scotland. Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. 93B: 327–342.
Elliott, M., A. H. Grifliths & C. J. L. Taylor, 1988. The role of fish studies in estuarine pollution assessment. J. Fish Biol. 33(A): 51–61.
Elliott, M., C. J. L. Taylor, 1983. The structure and dynamics of fish populations in the Firth Estuary. Unpubl. rept; ES2/83, Forth River Purification Board.
Elliott, M., C. J. L. Taylor, in press. The structure and functioning of an estuarine/marine fish community in the Forth estuary, Scotland. Proceedings of the 21st European Marine Biology Symposium, Gdansk.
Evans, P. R., 1981. Migration and dispersal of shorebirds as a survival strategy. In: N. V. Jones & W. J. Wolff (eds.) Feeding and Survival Strategies of Marine Organisms. Plenum Press, New York, p. 275–290.
Fonds, M., 1979. The seasonal distribution of some fish species in the Western Dutch Wadden Sea. In: W. J. Wolff, (ed.) Ecology of the Wadden Sea, Vol. 2. Balkema, Rotterdam, 5: 42–77.
Gee, J. M., 1983. Sampling and analysis of fish populations. Chapter 7 in: A. W. Morris (ed.) Practical Procedures for Estuarine Studies, Natural Environmental Research Council, Swindon
Gordon, J. D. M., 1977. The fish population of inshore waters of the W. Coast of Scotland. The distribution, abundance and growth of the whiting (Merlangus merlangus L.). J. Fish Biol. 10: 587–596.
Haedrich, R. L., 1983. Estuarine fishes, Chapter 7. In: Ketchum, B. (ed.) Ecosystems of the World 26, Estuaries and Enclosed Seas. Elsevier, Amsterdam p. 183–207.
Hardisty, M. W., R. J. Huggins, 1975. A survey of the Fish Populations of the Middle Severn Estuary Based on Power Station Sampling. Int. J. envir. Stud. 7: 227–242.
Jones, R., 1978. Competition and co-existence with particular reference to gadoid fish species. Rapp. P.-v. Reun. Cons. int. Explor. Mer. 172: 292–300.
Kuipers, B., 1975. On the efficiency of a 2-metre beam trawl for juvenile plaice (Pleuronectesplatessa). Neth. J. Sea Res. 9(1): 69–85.
Lewis, J. R., 1984. Temporal and spatial changes in benthic communities: COST 47 Approach. Mar. Poll. Bull. 15(11): 397–402.
Lutz, P. L., 1975. Adaptive and evolutionary aspects of the ionic content of fish. Copeia 1975: 369–373.
McLusky, D. S. (ed.), 1987. The natural environment of the estuary and Firth of Forth. Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. 93B (3/4): 235–571.
Pomfret, J. R., G. S. Turner & S. Phillips, 1988. Beam trawl surveys as a monitoring tool in polluted estuaries in north east England. J. Fish Biol. 33(A): 71–77.
Poxton M. G., 1987. Fisheries studies in the estuary and Firth of Forth, Scotland. Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. 93B: 495–508.
Rauck, G., 1979. The possibility of long-term changes in stock size of fish species living in the Wadden Sea. In: Wolff, W. J. (ed.) Ecology of the Wadden Sea, Vol. 2, Balkema, Rotterdam 5: 33–42.
Taylor, C. J. L., 1984. Studies of the Zooplankton of the Forth Estuary. Unpubl. MSc Thesis, University of Stirling.
Van den Broek, W. L. F., 1979. A seasonal survey of fish populations in the lower Medway estuary, Kent, based on power staion screen samples. Est. Coast. Mar. Sci. 9: 1–15.
Wharfe, J. R., S. R. Wilson & R. A. Dines, 1984. Observations on the fish populations of an east coast estuary. Mar. Poll. Bull., 15(4): 133–136.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elliott, M., O'Reilly, M.G. & Taylor, C.J.L. The forth estuary: a nursery and overwintering area for North Sea fishes. Hydrobiologia 195, 89–103 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00026816
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00026816