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Fish as sentinel species for riverine ecosystem health assessment and conservation management
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This review paper shows how fish act as "canaries in the coal mine" for river health—since they absorb pollutants like heavy metals, pesticides, and microplastics from their water, scientists can study fish to catch contamination early, often before it becomes a bigger problem. This matters for us because the same rivers that harm fish often supply our drinking water and food, so healthier rivers (tracked through fish monitoring) mean lower risk of harmful chemicals and microplastics ending up in what we eat and drink.
Freshwater ecosystems are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities, including pollution, habitat fragmentation, hydrological alterations, climate change, and others, especially in the case of rivers. Fish occupy a range of trophic levels and possess varied sensitivities to environmental stressors, making them excellent sentinels for evaluating and monitoring the health of these dynamic ecosystems. In this context, we review the current knowledge on the integration of fish-based biomonitoring, ecotoxicological approaches, and conservation strategies, to provide a holistic framework for river ecosystem management. The paper reviews existing and emerging biomonitoring techniques, from traditional indices such as the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) and multimetric assessments to advanced molecular and omics tools (e.g., transcriptomics, metabolomics, and eDNA metabarcoding) that allow early detection of sublethal effects and community-level shifts. Reviews are provided on ecotoxicological perspectives, including bioaccumulation of contaminants (heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and microplastics), biomarker responses (histopathological, physiological and genetic) and complex interactions of multiple stressors. The ways in which these data contribute to causal diagnosis of ecosystem degradation and risk assessment are considered. Moreover, the review connects monitoring science to on-the-ground conservation by showcasing successful case studies where fish sentinel data have resulted in policy changes, habitat restoration, protected area establishment and species recovery programs. Critical discussions of challenges including data standardization, integration of big data analytics, climate-induced range shifts, and the need for interdisciplinary approaches. The paper argues for a “One Health” paradigm that connects fish health, ecosystem integrity and human well-being, and suggests an integrated framework for adaptive management of river basins globally. This review highlights the importance of fish as key indicators in the transfer of scientific knowledge to successful conservation results, ultimately leading to the sustainable management and restoration of threatened freshwater ecosystems.
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Riverine microplastics and their interaction with freshwater fish
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This paper reviews how microplastics enter river systems, how they move through waterways, and the risks they pose to freshwater fish. Researchers found that fish ingest microplastics that can accumulate in organs and carry toxic chemicals absorbed from the water. The review highlights that river fish, an important food source for many communities, face growing exposure to microplastics from urban runoff, wastewater, and agricultural sources.
Bioaccumulation of environmental contaminants in crayfish: monitoring aquatic pollution and food safety risks
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Crayfish soak up pollutants like heavy metals, microplastics, and industrial chemicals from the water and mud they live in, making them useful "canaries in the coal mine" for spotting contaminated freshwater. This review of existing research highlights that because crayfish are widely eaten, pollution in their environment—especially near mining or industrial areas—could pose real risks to people who consume them regularly. The takeaway: monitoring crayfish for contaminants could help catch environmental and food-safety problems before they become bigger public health issues.
Biomonitoring Environmental Contaminants in Aquatic Ecosystems: A One Health Perspective
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Fish, birds, and shellfish living in our lakes, rivers, and oceans are like early-warning systems for pollution—when scientists study the plastics, heavy metals, and chemicals building up in these animals, it reveals what's likely ending up in our water and food supply too. This review found surprisingly few studies (just 14) have connected the dots between wildlife pollution and human health, even though microplastics were the most commonly studied contaminant. The takeaway: we need more research linking environmental contamination in animals to human health risks, since what accumulates in fish and waterbirds today may be a preview of what affects us tomorrow.
Using historical fish collections to track microplastic contamination in Costa Rican freshwater ecosystems
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Scientists studied 180 fish specimens collected over 65 years to see how microplastic pollution in Costa Rica's rivers has changed over time. Every single fish had plastic fibers in its gut, and the amount has grown significantly, especially in rivers near heavily developed areas, showing that freshwater fish (a food source for many communities) are absorbing more plastic pollution as human activity increases. This matters because when we eat fish, we may also be consuming these accumulated microplastics, and the study highlights that reducing plastic waste and improving wastewater treatment could help curb this growing contamination.
Assessment and accumulation of microplastics in the Indian riverine systems: Risk assessment and implications of translocation across the water-to-fish continuum
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This review assessed microplastic pollution across Indian rivers and the fish that live in them, finding widespread contamination in both water and fish tissues. Microplastics were found to transfer from river water into fish organs including gills, gut, liver, and muscle tissue that people eat. Since Indian rivers support the livelihoods and food supply of hundreds of millions of people, this contamination pathway is a significant concern for human dietary exposure to microplastics.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.