Fish Distribution in Fauna Data in Lagoon oFish Distribution in Fauna Data in Lagoon of Aveiro (North Portugal): a Comparative Analysis between 1758 and the Present — An Interdisciplinary Case Study

M.R Bastos,U.M Azeiteiro,A Vidal,J.A Dias

doi:10.5376/ijms.2013.03.0028

Abstract

The present study aims to identify fish species mentioned in the Parish Descriptions of 1758 to the lagoon of Aveiro, comparing them with those existing at present. By crossing and interpretation of the resulting data of these two analyses (1758 and timeliness), we can identify which species that remain and those who no longer have individuals in the habitats listed in historical source. Explanatory hypotheses are presented to the absence or presence of fish species. Special attention is also being paid to anadromous and catadromous fish which are extremely vulnerable to anthropic impacts meantime introduced in lagoon and river ecosystems.

Highlights

The lagoon of Aveiro, improperly called “Ria de Aveiro”, is located in the NW of Portugal, between the city of Coimbra and Porto, more properly between Espinho and Mira (Figure 1)
As a result of the need for further dialogue between various scientific disciplines, namely history, biology and geology, we developed an interdisciplinary work based on references to fishes found on historical sources from the 18th century and compared this information with the presently existing species taking into account the geomorphological modifications observed
At the same time we have anthropogenic actions: in past centuries we can highlight the construction of mills, dams and the extraction of aggregates that hinder or prevent the transit of the ichthyofauna

Summary

Introduction

The lagoon of Aveiro, improperly called “Ria de Aveiro” (because “rias” are flooded river valleys, whose paradigm can be found in Northern Spain Galician Rias), is located in the NW of Portugal, between the city of Coimbra and Porto, more properly between Espinho and Mira (Figure 1). Despite the relevance of his study the first work to draw attention, in a consistent perspective, for the major changes observed in the coastal zone occupied by the lagoon of Aveiro. In this case we will highlight the answers to the questions that allude to the fish fauna. The doctoral thesis of Amorim Girão (1922), building on the work and ideas of Lucci (1918), complemented them significantly and gave them more coherence and This last assertion only serves to reiterate one of the substance, both the geological and geomorphological aspects that enhance and enrich the information analysis, with archaeological data, historical documentation and old cartography. To the researcher did not escaped the relevance of the tectonic conditioning, in parts of the rivers Vouga and Caima, as well as the importance of careful geological cartography as a way to deduce the paleo-geographic regional configuration

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Conclusion