Lamprey ( Entosphenus sp. and Lampetra sp.) estuarine occupancy is regionally variable and constrained by temperature

Abstract

Temperature and sea level are predicted to rise with climate change, bringing an urgency to evaluating future viability of native fish. Lamprey are confronted with widespread habitat degradation, migratory barriers, and episodes of environmental change projected to be commonplace in the future. In California, range contraction likely shifted lamprey rearing downstream, but the extent and physiological constraints that restrict estuarine rearing are unclear. We used a single‐season occupancy model to describe juvenile lamprey estuarine distribution and found occupancy was regionally variable and constrained by temperature. Habitat and hydrology providing thermal refugia may be critical for future persistence.