Abstract
Salmon recovery and the potential detrimental effects of dams on fish have been attracting national attention due to the environmental and economic implications. In recent years acoustic telemetry has been the primary method for studying salmon passage. However, the size of the existing transmitters limits the minimum size of fish that can be studied, introducing a bias to the study results. We developed the first acoustic fish transmitter that can be implanted by injection instead of surgery. The new injectable transmitter lasts four times longer and weighs 30% less than other transmitters. Because the new transmitter costs significantly less to use and may substantially reduce adverse effects of implantation and tag burden, it will allow for study of migration behavior and survival of species and sizes of fish that have never been studied before. The new technology will lead to critical information needed for salmon recovery and the development of fish-friendly hydroelectric systems.
Highlights
Salmon recovery and the potential detrimental effects of dams on fish have been attracting national attention due to the environmental and economic implications
F ive species of Columbia River Basin salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) and 13 of their 19 evolutionary significant units have been listed for protection as ‘‘threatened’’ or ‘‘endangered’’ under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to the significant population decline[1,2,3]
The challenge was that the available transmitters were large and, in the case of radio telemetry, required that an antenna be passed through the body of the fish so that it trailed bare in the water outside of the body of the fish, while the transmitter remained within the tagged fish’s stomach or abdomen
Summary
Salmon recovery and the potential detrimental effects of dams on fish have been attracting national attention due to the environmental and economic implications. To aid in the recovery, it is critical to develop better technologies for increased understanding of the behavior of migrating salmonids through impounded river systems in order to optimize the designs and operations of dam passage facilities and improve the survival rates of salmonids[9,10]. The process of increasing survivorship during dam passage required studies to evaluate the biological and engineering performance of the existing structures and operation, development of alternatives that could improve dam passage conditions, and implementation of the highest priority alternatives. This was followed by an assessment of the changes in dam passage survival, produced by modifications in dam structures and operations[12]. The result was the Juvenile Salmon www.nature.com/scientificreports
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