Food web structure of fish communities of Doce River, 5 years after the Fundão dam failure

Abstract

The rupture of the Fundão dam is considered the largest mining failure in history, which had a particularly detrimental impact on fish populations, as the mud from the ore tailings significantly altered the water quality and habitat of Doce River basin. This study aimed to assess the trophic structure of fish communities in areas impacted and not impacted by the dam rupture in the Doce River basin. To evaluate the food web structure, community-wide trophic niche, and trophic positions of fish, stable isotopes of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) were utilized across ten sites (seven impacted and three control). In general, fish appeared to assimilate resources such as invertebrates, algae, and periphyton, although the importance of each resource varied among sites. The site closest to the dam rupture exhibited a more simplified trophic structure compared to the control sites and those nearer the river mouth. In this site, most fish species occupied a similar trophic position. Trophic niches also exhibited the greatest dissimilarity between the site closest to the dam failure and those farther away from it, with an expansion of trophic niche breadth observed with an increase in the distance from the dam rupture. Our study provided valuable insights into the trophic structure of fish communities within the Doce River basin, shedding light on the trophic ecology of the 59 fish species investigated. We also emphasize the importance of our study for future assessments of ore tailings dam failure disasters and evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation measures for Doce River basin recovery.

Keywords: Mariana disaster; Ore tailings; Stable isotopes; Trophic niche; Trophic position.