Marine distribution, trophic ecology, and potential impact of exotic anadromous salmonids in the Southern Patagonian Shelf Ecosystem

JAVIER CIANCIO; MIGUEL PASCUAL

Viña del Mar Chile

Workshop; Darwin workshop Molecular Ecology of Aquatic Invasions.; 2007

Darwin Initiative

The effects and interactions of introduced salmonids in freshwater habitats around the world have been intensely studied. Meanwhile, the role of anadromous populations in marine environments remains largely unknown. Considering that salmonids have high feeding rates and populations may be numerous, they are potential competitors with many protected species and could be predators on species of commercial interest. We studied the marine distribution, the trophic position, and the potential ecological impact of the three anadromous species inhabiting the Southern Patagonian Shelf Ecosystem (SPSE): chinook salmon, rainbow trout, and brown trout. Fishermen surveys, geographic information systems, satellite image data, stable isotopes analysis, together with population and bioenergetic modeling, are combined to provide the first interpretation of the functional role of salmon in the SPSE.