Potential sources of bacteriological pollution for two bays with marinas in Trinidad

Welcome Bay and Chaguaramas Bay in the northwest peninsula of Trinidad contain large marinas and smaller sections of bathing beaches. Bacteriological surveys were conducted at both bays to assess water quality and to determine potential sources of pollution. These surveys were conducted during the wet season of 1996 and the dry season of 1997. Eleven sample stations were established at Welcome Bay and 12 at Chaguaramas Bay. Freshwater samples were collected from rivers and drains within the survey area. Marine water samples were collected from marinas, bathing beaches and inshore and outer areas at both bays. Five water samples were collected from each sampling station during the wet season of 1996 and six during the dry season of 1997. The membrane filter technique was used to determine faecal coliform and Escherichia coli levels in all samples. There was a seasonal effect on water quality, with significantly higher faecal coliform levels in the wet season, when water quality was not in compliance with international standards. This represents a potential health risk in bathing areas. Water quality was better at the outer area of both bays. Water quality at the inner bay areas was most likely adversely affected by land-based sources of pollution identified in this study. These sources include three drains and two rivers, which discharged into the bays. Yachts were apparently not a source of sewage pollution: there was no significant relationship between yacht number and faecal coliform levels.     

Species-environment relationship in the herb-subshrub layer of a moist Savanna site, Federal District, Brazil.

The soils are seasonally or permanently saturated in the moist grassland savanna, locally known as Campo Limpo Umido. Soil moisture variation seems to determine spatial distribution of communities. The objective of this study is to analyse the relationship between environmental variables and the patterns of spatial distribution of species in the herbaceous-subshrub layer of an area of moist grassland at the Agua Limpa Farm, Brasília, DF (15 degrees 56' to 15 degrees 59' S and 47 degrees 55' to 47 degrees 58' W Gr.). An area of 400 x 400 m was divided into four sections of 200 x 200 m where four transects were randomly sampled. A line intercept method was adopted for the phytossociological study. Superficial soils samples (0-20 cm) were collected for chemical and textural analyses. Gravimetric soil moisture was measured quarterly during the study-year. A total of 85 species in 67 genera and 24 families were found. The diversity was high, Shannon's index, H', was 2.60 nats.cover(-1). Floristic composition of the transects in soils with a high gravimetric soil moisture and high content of organic matter and sand differed from those transects in soils with a lower gravimetric soil moisture indicating seasonal variation. A Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed significant correlations between soil texture and soil moisture features and species distribution. Gravimetric soil moisture, organic matter, clay, silt and sand were significantly correlated to species distribution in the moist grassland determining mosaics in the vegetation.     

Impacts of land use patterns on river water quality: the case of Dongjiang Lake Basin,China

Landscape pattern can regulate water quality, but determining the thresholds at which landscape metrics impact water quality remains a key issue. Thus, in this study, we investigated landscape metrics that affect the water quality of the rivers flowing into Dongjiang Lake, China, and their spatial and seasonal differences, were investigated using redundancy and partial redundancy analyses. Further, a raw water quality parameter-landscape metric data set was constructed. Threshold values of landscape metrics that induced sudden changes in water quality were analyzed using the bootstrap method applied to 1000 random samples extracted from data set. Finally, mechanisms of landscape patterns that affected river water quality were quantitively explored. The following results were obtained: (1) The key area of landscape that impacted water quality in the Dongjiang Lake Basin was the 400 m buffer zone; (2) Seasonal differences were observed in water quality changes, which better explained by landscape metrics in the dry season than in the wet season. Moreover, water quality was most influenced by landscape configuration metrics. The influence of landscape topographic metrics was greater than that of composition metrics in the dry season, whereas the opposite was true in the wet season; and (3) In this watershed, the largest patch index of grassland and landscape shape index of built-up land were the key metrics at the sub-basin and 400 m buffer zone, respectively. If the largest patch index of grassland was below 8.5% or the landscape shape index of built-up land exceeded 1.5, the water quality of the rivers flowing into the lake was prone to a risk of significant decline, which has an important guiding significance to the optimization of land use pattern.     

Richness and abundance of birds in riparian forest belts of varied breadths at the Sesesmiles river microwatershed, Copan, Honduras

Richness and abundance of birds in riparian forest belts of varied breadths at the Sesesmiles river microwatershed, Copan, Honduras. Riparian forests protect many species of plants and animals. We studied bird communities in riparian forest belts of the Sesesmiles river microwatershed, Copan, Honduras (140 degrees 43' 12" - 140 degrees 58' 35" N, 88 degrees 53' 23" - 89 degrees 14' 17" W). The main goal was to explore the effects of belt breadth on the richness and abundance of avian species visiting these forests. We selected 20 belts, and randomly established 30 observation points to monitor bird presence in the dry (March-April 2005) and rainy (June-July 2005) season (N= 60 observations). A total of 1,294 birds belonging to 145 species were recorded. Bird diversity was significantly correlated to the breadth of the riparian belts, with a greater number of species and individuals in belts 50 m wide or wider. Insectivorous and nectarivorous birds were the most abundant guilds. All bird species identified depend to some degree on riparian forests and are affected by belt breadth. Riparian belts over 50 m should be kept or established in order to conserve bird populations within agricultural and fragmented landscapes in similar tropical areas.     

The floristic compositions of vascular epiphytes of a seasonally inundated forest on the coastal plain of Ilha do Mel Island, Brazil

A 3,000 m2 area of seasonally inundated forest on the island of Ilha do Mel (25 degrees 30" S 48 degrees 23" W) in Paraná, Brazil, was sampled by collecting plants from all strata, using climbing equipment when necessary. The area harbors 103 species of epiphytes, in 49 genera and 20 families, of which 28 species are pteridophytes and 75 magnoliophytes (64 Liliopsida, 11 Magnoliopsida). The most common families are Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae, Polypodiaceae and Araceae, and frequent genera are Vriesea, Epidendrum, Maxillaria, Pleurothallis and Prosthechea. Eight families were represented by one species each. Most species were classified as obligatory holoepiphytes (62 %), followed by the relatively more rare preferential holoepiphytes (13 %), facultative epiphytes (11 %), hemiepiphytes (9 %) and accidental epiphytes (6 %).     

Remotely-sensed land use patterns and the presence of Anopheles larvae (Diptera: Culicidae) in Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia

Land use patterns and the occurrence of Anopheles species larvae were studied in Sukabumi District, West Java, Indonesia, from October 2004 to September 2005. Two land use maps derived using remote sensing were used. One map derived from Quickbird satellite images of 150 km2 of the Simpenan and Ciemas subdistricts (106 degrees 27' 53"-106 degrees 38' 38" E and 6 degrees 59' 59"-7 degrees 8' 46" S) in Sukabumi and one using ASTER images covering 4,000 km2 of Sukabumi District from 106 degrees 22' 15"-107 degrees 4' 1" E and 6 degrees 42' 50" - 7 degrees 26' 13" S. There was a total of 11 Anopheles spp. collected from 209 sampling locations in the area covered by the Quickbird image and a total of 15 Anopheles spp. collected from 1,600 sampling locations in the area covered by the ASTER map. For the area covered by the land use maps, ten species were found to have statistically positive relationships between land use class and species presence: Anopheles aconitus, An. annularis, An. barbirostris. An. flavirostris, An. insulaeflorum, An. kochi, An. maculatus, An. subpictus, An. sundaicus, and An. vagus. Quickbird and ASTER satellite images both produced land maps that were adequate for predicting species presence in an area. The land use classes associated with malaria vector breeding were rice paddy (An. aconitus, An. subpictus), plantation located near or adjacent to human settlements (An. maculatus), bush/shrub (An. aconitus, An. maculatus, An. sundaicus), bare land, and water body land use on the coast located < or = 250 m of the beach (An. sundaicus). Understanding the associations of habitat and species in one area, predictions of species presence or absence can be made prior to a ground survey allowing for accurate vector survey and control planning.     

Habitat use, migration pattern and population dynamics of chevron snakehead Channa striata in a rainfed rice farming landscape

Habitat use, migration, mortality and growth of the chevron snakehead Channa striata in a rainfed rice farming landscape of north‐east Thailand were studied through a tagging experiment. A total of 751 fish were captured, tagged and released during three distinct events in the late dry season, and in the beginning and at the end of the wet season. Rice fields provided the major wet season habitat for C. striata . Small trap ponds built to provide dry season habitat on farms provided 20% of catches and, if not harvested, could increase recruitment to the spawning stock by >30% despite accounting for <1% of dry season habitat by area. Migrations were localized (mostly <500 m). Up‐migration from perennial to seasonal water bodies at the beginning of the wet season involved longer distances and took place over a longer time than down‐migration at the end of the wet season. Natural mortality rates were extremely high, particularly during the period of down‐migration. Fishing mortality rates were high in absolute terms, but contributed only 6–36% to the total mortality. Growth was seasonal with a maximum towards the end of the wet season. Snakeheads have successfully colonized the rainfed rice farming landscape, where populations can withstand intensive exploitation and respond well to aquatic habitat management on farmland.     

Phytoplankton nyctemeral variation at a tropical river estuary (Itamaracá-Pernambuco-Brazil).

The Botafogo estuary is of socio-economical importance for Pernambuco State. It is located at the north of Santa Cruz Channel, Itamaracá, Pernambuco, Brazil (07 degrees 42' 50 "S and 34 degrees 52' 10" W). There is a critical need to understand its functioning because of the rate at which this area is being converted to land uses. The phytoplankton dynamics was studied to enhance the knowledge of and verify the possible changes which have occurred in this ecosystem. Sampling was carried out with a plankton net 65 micrometers mesh size for qualitative data, and a Van Dorn bottle for quantitative data. Concurrent hydrological and chlorophyll-a data were collected. Samplings were made in one fixed station in July 1996 (rainy season) and December 1996 (dry season), at 3-hour intervals during 24 hours. Eighty-seven specific and infra-specific taxa were identified from net plankton samples. Diatoms were most frequent, mainly Coscinodiscus centralis and Odontella regia in the rainy and dry seasons, respectively. Phytoplankton density varied from 205,000 to 1,210,000 cell.L-1 in the dry season, and from 230,000 to 2,510,000 cell.L-1 in the rainy season, indicating eutrophic conditions. Most numerically abundant were the diatoms Cyclotella meneghiniana and Cylindrotheca closterium and the phytoflagellates. The ecosystem is polluted, and deleterious effects are minimized by the marine influence which allows periodic water renewal.     

Composition, abundance and distribution of macrozooplankton in Culebra Bay, Gulf of Papagayo, Pacific coast of Costa Rica and its value as bioindicator of pollution

The abundance, distribution and composition of the macrozooplankton of Culebra Bay, Costa Rica (10 degrees 38' N - 85 degrees 40' W) were studied at four stations throughout the dry (February-May) and rainy (September-November) seasons of 2000. The samples were collected at two-week intervals using a 500 microm mesh net with a 0.5 m diameter opening. Copepods (23-31%) and ostracods (20-34%) were predominant throughout the year, followed by cladocerans (2.5-14%), zoea (6.6-9.5%), and siphonophores (2.5-7.2%). High densities of zooplankton were obtained in February and March with peak abundance on March 18. The lowest densities were observed on September 3 and November 5. Significant differences in abundances at each station were observed for the groups Acartia tonsa (Copepoda), Ctenophora, Medusae, Ostracoda, Zoea, and Amphipoda. Comparison of the dry and rainy seasons revealed significantly higher zooplankton abundance in the dry season and copepod domination of all stations; during the rainy season ostracods dominated the off-shore areas. Zooplankton abundance and distribution are influenced by upwelling, which occurs during the dry season in Culebra Bay.     

Environmental constraints on the foraging behaviour of a dwarf antelope (Madoqua kirkii)

Dik-diks (Madoqua sp.) inhabit semi-arid regions and experience very different conditions of food availability and quality between wet and dry seasons. By comparing the behaviour of dik-diks between these two seasons, we identified environmental constraints affecting their feeding strategies. In both seasons foraging time was limited by high mid day temperatures. In the wet season a high intake rate compensates for the loss in foraging time, but in the dry season water and protein become limiting. To meet minimum daily water requirements in the dry season dik-diks fed on plant species that they avoided during the wet season. Analysis at the plant species level showed higher species selectivity in the wet season than in the dry season. In a multiple regression analysis food species preferences were best explained by relative abundance and water content in the dry season, and by dry matter content in the wet season. In the wet season the daily dry-matter intake of dik-diks in the field was only about 10% higher than the theoretically predicted minimum for a ruminant of this body weight, while protein and water intake were about 3 times as high. This suggests that the most limiting dietary component in the wet season is energy. In the dry season the daily intake of all dietary components is lower than the theoretical minimum required, and also lower than the values suggested by laboratory studies of dik-diks. This dry season deficit is presumably met from body reserves. Dry season water intake was approximately 30% of the intake observed in laboratory studies indicating that dikdiks are even better adapted to arid conditions than suggested by physiological experiments.     

Spatial-Temporal variability of aquatic plant communities in the Venezuelan Llanos

The richness and abundance of aquatic plant communities were studied in 14 habitats of the Venezuelan "llanos" (07 degrees 35'-07 degrees 55' N-68 degrees 50'-69 degrees 00' W, Apure) during an annual cycle. Annual means were 27 degrees C, 115 mm rainfall and 77% relative humidity. A permanent transect was set in each habitat (ten consecutive square meter quadrats from the shore to the water). The plants and the area they covered in each quadrat were recorded monthly for a year. The total richness was 69 species. Alatalo and Alatalo's diversity analysis indicates that season, and its correlate, water level, influence species diversity and abundance more than habitat (spatial factor: geometric index-Euclidean distance).     

The role of wetlands in wildlife migration in the Tarangire ecosystem,Tanzania

Twenty-two years of rainfall data from six sites, 5 years of animal migration data and 2 years of water quality at 13 sites were explored to quantify the role of water in the Tarangire ecosystem. Inter-annual fluctuations in rainfall were large and not predictable solely from the Southern Oscillation Index. Seasonal fluctuations of rainfall were pronounced, with marked wet and dry seasons. In the dry season, the only drinking water available for wildlife was the Tarangire River and a number of small, scattered wetland-fringed water holes. Their salinity was often high (>8 ppt) and was higher in dry years than in wet years, as well as at the start of the wet season. Water quantity and quality may control the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, elephants and buffaloes. These animals aggregate in the dry season in areas with the least salty water. The timing of seasonal variations in rainfall is largely predictable and controls annual migration. All wildebeest and most zebras migrated out of Tarangire National Park and into the wider Tarangire ecosystem at the start of the wet season, and they returned into the park in the dry season. Some elephants and buffaloes also migrated in out of the park and a larger resident population remained, whose size may vary inter-annually depending on surface water quantity and quality. The extent of the migration zone may also vary inter-annually.This revised version wa published online in March 2005 with corrections to the issue cover date.     

Reproductive behavior and seasonal occurrence of Psecas viridipurpureus (Salticidae, Araneae)

The reproductive behavior and the seasonal occurrence of Psecas viridipurpureus were studied at the Esta??o Ecológica do Noroeste Paulista, a small conservation area in the northwest region of S?o Paulo State, Brazil (49 degrees 22'50"W and 20 degrees 48'36"S). P. viridipurpureus occurred on "gravatá", a bromeliaceous plant (Bromelia balansae, Bromeliaceae) which does not accumulate rain water. During the courtship display the couple occupied the median region of the "gravatá" leaves, with the male always located in a higher position than the female. The males of P. viridipurpureus showed a complex courtship behavior, which included five motor patterns. The courtship and mating behavior occurred preponderantly during the rainy season and the juvenile recruitment between December and July. The retreat of P. viridipurpureus differs from the Salticidae pattern, since the egg sacs are covered with a plain silk cover and are not wrapped in cocoons.     

Seasonal patterns of gas exchange,water relations and growth of it Roupala montana,an evergreen savanna species

Roupala montana is an evergreen species widespread in the seasonal savannas of the central plains of Brazil. I examined the degree of coupling of photosynthetic gas-exchange characteristics, water relations and growth responses of R. montana with regard to seasonal changes in soil water availability. Despite a rainless period of over three months soil water potential at 60 cm depth reached values of only about -1.0 MPa, while pre-dawn leaf water potential (^l) reached about -0.4 MPa by the end of the three-month drought. Thus, R. montana had access to deep soil water in the dry period, but pre-dawn ^l did not reach the high wet season values of -0.2 MPa. Most of the shoot growth was concluded in the onset of the rainy season. Although some individual branches might have shown some extension thereafter, most of them remained inactive during the rest of the rainy season and the subsequent dry season. New leaf production was also restricted to the first part of the wet period. R. montana remained evergreen in the dry season, but there was a 27% decrease in the number of leaves and herbivory removed about 16% of the leaf area still present in the plant. CO₂-exchange rates of these leaves reached only ca. 55% of the maximum rainy season values of 14 µmol m^-2 s^-1. Thus, the estimated potential daily carbon gain was about 34% of the maximum by the end of the dry period. These values will be even lower, if we considered the decrease in photosynthetic rates that occurred around midday. These reductions in photosynthetic rates as a result of partial stomatal closure were measured both in the wet and dry season and they were related to increases in the evaporative demand of the atmosphere. In conclusion, the combined effect of herbivory, leaf loss and reductions in photosynthetic rates limited plant productivity in the dry season.     

三峡库区古夫河水质时空分异特征

以湖北省神农架林区和兴山县境内长江三峡库区香溪河支流古夫河为研究对象,于2010年8月-2011年7月在整条河流中选取20个采样点,进行样本采集,并测定溶解氧、碱度、硬度、电导率、总磷、总氮、化学需氧量、二氧化硅、总有机碳共9项水质指标,运用多元统计方法,分析水质的时空分异特征.依据研究区土地利用类型差异,将20个采样点分成4组,即森林(A组)、耕地(B组)、水库(C组)和村镇(D组);根据该区域的水文节律,将5-10月归为湿季,其余月份为干季.判别分析和方差分析结果表明,古夫河水质具有时空显著性差异:总磷、二氧化硅、电导率、化学需氧量、总硬度和总碱度等指标具有空间显著性差异;总氮、化学需氧量、溶解氧、二氧化硅和总有机碳与季节存在显著相关性,所测9项水质指标在不同空间类别上呈现出显著的季节变化.主成分分析表明,不同空间类别上的干湿季节引起水质变化的主导因子是不同的:A组中,湿季主要体现为二氧化硅和总有机碳,干季主要体现为总磷、二氧化硅、总有机碳和化学需氧量,该组水质主要受地表径流、地质成因和风化作用等自然因素的影响;B组中,湿季主要体现为硬度和总有机碳,干季主要体现为总磷、化学需氧量、总碱度和总硬度,该组除了受自然因素的影响,还受如农业径流、未处理的生活污水排放等人为因素影响;C组中,湿季主要体现为二氧化硅、总氮和总磷,干季主要体现为总氮、总有机碳和二氧化硅,该组主要受农业径流、地表径流以及未经处理的生活污水等的影响;D组中湿季主要体现为二氧化硅、总氮和总磷,干季主要体现为碱度、硬度、总氮和总有机碳,该组主要受村镇生活污水和农业径流等的影响.结果表明,古夫河水质受自然和人为因素影响而发生变化,其中受人为因素影响更大.因此,加强水资源的管理和保护,改善水质,做好水源地的长期水质监测显得尤为重要.     

Forest river plants and water quality in Ghana

River plants and water chemistry in wet and dry seasons were sampled in a wide range of rivers with variable catchments in the forest zone of Ghana, in order to examine the relationships between the floristic composition within the river and river water and catchment environmental variables.Plant species occurring in the river or on its seasonally flooded banks along 500 m sample stretches were listed in 26 sites. Sample species richness was low (1–17 species per sample, mean 5.9). Only nine species were recorded that are confined to rivers. Cluster analysis defined five floristic groups which differed in catchment area, geology, turbidity and dissolved minerals.Analysis of water chemistry variables by principal components analysis revealed a strong principal gradient (42% of total variance) related to annual rainfall with low ionic concentrations under high rainfall. The second component described seasonal differences in water chemistry. Nitrate and chloride were more concentrated in the dry season, but sulphate and calcium were more concentrated in the wet season.Catchments with higher forest cover yielded more oligotrophic and less turbid water. Catchment geology influenced water chemistry so that sandstone areas yielded clear water, and ancient peneplain areas with bauxitic soil were characterised by exceptionally low silicon concentrations.The association of macrophyte composition with river chemistry and catchment conditions was somewhat tenuous, due to the low number of species, but the low turbidity, oligotrophic rivers under high rainfall and with a high percentage of species-rich forest cover were the more species rich. Prediction of river water quality at the scale of this study are more readily made from a knowledge of catchment rainfall and forest cover than from assessments of river plant composition.     

Occurrence Patterns,Habitat Associations,and Potential Prey of the River Dolphin,Inia geoffrensis,in the Cinaruco River,Venezuela1

The distribution, habitat association, group size, population structure, and prey availability of river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) were studied from November 1993-June 1994 in the Cinaruco River, a tributary of the Orinoco River that forms the southern boundary of Venezuela's Santos Luzardo National Park. Dolphins were sampled from a boat using modified strip-width transects, for a total of 418 h. The study area was 1.67 km², and contained 20 km of water courses. Like other rivers of this region, the Cinaruco River undergoes a seasonal flood cycle. Dolphins were seen most often during the period of falling water (41% of total sightings) and least often during the rising water period (24% of total sightings). Dolphins were seen most often in confluence areas (35% of total sightings) and were seldom seen in side channels (13% of total sightings). The presence of rocks or sandbanks was associated with a greater frequency of dolphin sightings, and sightings increased with habitat heterogeneity. Average group size for the 8-mo study was 2.0 (±1.0) and was largest during the rising water period. Calves were first sighted during the end of the dry season and became more common during the early flood season. Six individuals were photo-identified and resighted with one sighted eight times over 186 d. The fish diversity of the study area was high, with 161 species documented in our samples. The stomach of one Inia contained 15 fishes representing at least 4 species.     

珠三角河网浮游植物物种丰富度时空特征

对2012年珠三角河网浮游植物物种丰富度的时空特征进行了系统阐析。季节上,枯水期的物种丰度差异大,丰水期差异小;空间上,广州周边及河网中部个别站位的总种数高于其他站位。不同季节的空间特征显示,枯水期的物种丰度自西江沿线、河网中部、广州周边呈递增趋势;而丰水期呈现三角洲两侧的物种丰富度高于河网中部。各类群相对组成结果显示,硅藻在枯水季节占绝对优势,丰水期优势下降;空间上广州周边站位硅藻百分比明显低于其他站位。分析原因,径流相关的补充和稀释作用和水体搅动引起的底层藻类的悬浮补充不仅影响物种丰富度的季节变动,也影响不同类群的相对组成;水体交换能力和营养盐分别是决定丰水期和枯水期物种丰富度空间分布的关键因素。     

Water quantity and quality as the factors driving the Serengeti ecosystem,Tanzania

Thirty nine years of rainfall data from 232 sites, 5 years of river discharge data from 3 rivers, 4 years of animal migration data and 4 years of water quality data at 60 sites were explored to quantify the role of water in the Serengeti ecosystem. Seasonal variations in rainfall are largely predictable; interannual fluctuations are huge and not predictable solely from the Southern Oscillation Index. The wildebeest and zebras start their annual migration at the end of the wet season well before surface water runs out, however these waters are very saline (salinity 5–17 psu). The timing of the migration appears predictable from a salinity model. Salinity is also important for the vegetation because high salinity coincides with the transition between wooded savanna and grassland. This transition has moved markedly southward in the last 30 years, this change may be due to decadal changes in annual rainfall. Most rivers are commonly ponded, with ponds having a flushing rate of 1 month in the wet season and zero flushing in the dry season. These ponds form the only source of water for wildlife for several months a year. The water quality varies spatially and temporally. pH values vary between 5.9 and 10 and are correlated with salinity. Surface waters are heavily eutrophicated from animal dung. As a result, the dissolved oxygen concentration near the surface fluctuates widely between 1 and 200% of saturation. Direct solar heating is restricted to the top few cm because of low visibility. A strong thermal stratification in temperature (2 °C/m) results and inhibits aeration. Bottom waters can be anoxic and are aerated only when hippopotamus stir the water. Poor water quality may affect wildlife health and production.     

The distribution and abundance of wetland ichthyofauna, and exploitation of the fisheries in the Godineau Swamp, Trinidad--case study

The Godineau (South Oropuche) Swamp (3171 ha) on the southwestern coast of Trinidad (10 degrees l315'N, 61degrees 30-32'W) is heavily impacted by anthropogenic activities including fishing, oil exploration, drainage manipulation and wetland clearance. To reduce the negative effects of these activities and to manage the swamp more sustainably, more quantitative information is needed on the ecology of the wetland and the activities that occur within it. This study focuses on the distribution of the fish resources and exploited fisheries as a basis for more informed management directives. Sampling was conducted during 2002, in April-May (for dry season) and July-September (for wet season sampling). Ichthyofauna was sampled both day and night using trammel nets and a push seine. Fishing activities were assessed using a questionnaire and informal discussions with fishers. The wetland supports over 29 species of fish distributed over the freshwater, estuarine and saline zones (n=1454). Species distribution is seasonal, with evidence of the wetland being used as a spawning ground. Species richness and species diversity (Shannon-Weiner Index) for the wetland ranged over 2-11 and 0.162-0.967, respectively, in the dry season and 2-7 and 0.036-0.903, respectively, in the wet season. Communities inhabiting the saline and estuarine zones of the wetland were dominated by a single species, Hexanematichthvs bonillai. Percent Similarity Indices were 41.8% for freshwater, 72.7% for estuarine and 79.8% for estuarine-saline communities. The commercial species accounted for 18% of total catch sampled and consisted of Centropomus undecimalis, Megalops atlanticus, Hoplosternum littorale, Hoplias malabaricus, Ophioscion punctatissimus and Macrodon ancyclodon. Full-time and part-time fishers, including recreational fishers, accounted for 14.3% and 85.7%, respectively of all fishers surveyed (n=56). A conservative estimate of the revenue earned directly at point of sale for fish and shellfish, is approximately US$43 000 per annum. Fishing is important in the area. Management directives taking into account the ecology of the target organisms are needed to allow these fishing practices to be continued in a sustainable manner.