Implications of river damming: the influence of aquatic hypoxia on the diving physiology and behaviour of the endangered Mary River turtle

Abstract

Abstract River impoundments are characterized by low oxygen levels as a result of reduced water velocity and increased water depth. Bimodally respiring turtle species are likely to be highly sensitive to changes in aquatic PO 2 with decreases in oxygen levels impacting upon their diving ability. The acute and long‐term effects of aquatic hypoxia on dive duration, oxygen consumption and blood respiratory properties were examined in hatchlings of the endangered Mary River turtle Elusor macrurus . It was hypothesized that acute exposure to aquatic hypoxia would cause a decrease in dive duration as a consequence of a decrease in reliance on aquatic respiration. With long‐term exposure to hypoxia, we predicted that Elu. macrurus would have the capacity to compensate for the acute effect of hypoxia and that dive duration would increase due to an increase in aquatic respiration, haemoglobin concentration and oxygen affinity (P 50 ). When exposed to hypoxic conditions, aquatic respiration in Elu. macrurus was substantially reduced resulting in a 51% decrease in dive duration. Contrary to our predictions, Elu. macrurus hatchlings did not acclimate, and long‐term exposure to hypoxic conditions caused Elu. macrurus to lose significantly more oxygen to the hypoxic water than the normoxic acclimated turtles. The exacerbation of long‐term hypoxia on the respiratory physiology and diving ecology of Elu. macrurus raises concerns about the impacts of long‐term environmental change as a result of habitat alteration on the survival of freshwater turtle populations.