25 Haz 2025 Çarşamba
Seasonal variation in Indian river ecosystems influence fish biodiversity and nutritional composition
Abstract : Seasonal variations in physicochemical parameters of Indian rivers significantly impact fish biodiversity and tissue composition. Disturbances in water quality parameters influence species distribution, reproductive cycles, and their nutritional value. Seasonally induced dynamic changes in temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and nutrient levels impact fish population directly or indirectly. Most often monsoon season generally enhance species richness and reproductive success due to favorable riverine conditions, whereas oxygen depletion and temperature associated stress is observed in summer, which adversely affect fish physiological functions and survival. Extreme shift in seasons make river environment challenging that potentially influence fish biochemical, hematological, and nutritional profile. Fish fatty acid such as omega-3 and omega-6 are often degraded by factors like high temperature and inadequate availability of food. Season escorted changes severely affect nutritional quality of fish that subsequently become susceptible to diseases, and not fit for human consumption. This review highlights species-specific adaptations, conservation challenges, and sustainable management strategies including recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and selective breeding programs, which are essential for climate-resilient aquaculture, improved water quality policies, and community-driven conservation efforts. Government driven policies such as National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) and the Namami Gange Mission (2014) have shown great promise in ecological monitoring, though a research gap remained in long-term ecological monitoring of Indian rivers. Advanced monitoring tools and ecosystem-based conservation models should integrated to sustain fish biodiversity and ensuring ecological health of Indian river systems.