Abstract: The combination of human population growth, increased water usage, and limited groundwater resources often leads to extensive damming of rivers and streams on tropical islands.  Ecological effects of dams on tropical islands can be dramatic because the vast majority of native stream fauna (fishes, shrimps, and snails) migrate between fresh and salt water during their lives.  Dams and associated water withdrawals have been shown to extirpate native fauna from upstream reaches and increase mortality of downstream drifting larvae.  A better understanding of both effects of dams and the behavior of tropical island stream fauna is providing insights into how we can mitigate the negative effects of existing dams and develop alternatives to dam construction while still providing fresh water for human use.  We review the ecological effects of dams on tropical island streams, provide means to mitigate some of these effects, describe alternatives to dam construction, and recommend research priorities.

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March, J. G., J. P. Benstead, C. M. Pringle, and F. N. Scatena. 2003. Damming tropical island streams: Problems, solutions, and alternatives. Bioscience 53: 1069-1078.

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