Hydrographic basin areas Acheloos, Alfios, Arachthos, Aoos and Aliakmon

Fish behaviour; Habitat characterisation

Project aims include the development of methodology for the assessment of the ecological status of upland rivers using fish as the tool for the assessment procedure. The following methodological steps will be followed: (a) Collection of data on human pressures in the study areas (b) Establishment of a biotic typology (c) Biological sampling in a number of stations (d) Selection of appropriate metrics (e) Assessment of reference conditions (f) Establishment of the metric scale that estimates deviation from the reference conditions (g) Development of a multimetric index for the assessment of ecological status of rivers. Procedures included site-specific fish sampling (153 sites) with electrofishing instruments, parallel recording of physicochemical parameters, description of habitat characteristics and assessment of anthropogenic pressures, in accordance with specific field protocols. Data were entered into ACCESS database. Quality control checks were performed.

Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Dept. of Inland Waters
46.7 km Athens - Sounio av.
Anavyssos
Attiki
19013
Greece