Location
UMass Amherst
Event Website
http://fishpassage.ecs.umass.edu/Conference2012/
Start Date
5-6-2012 11:10 AM
End Date
5-6-2012 11:30 AM
Description
Safe fish passage affects not only migratory species, but also populations of resident fish by altering biomass, biodiversity, and gene flow. Consequently, it may be important to estimate turbine passage survival of a wide range of susceptible fish. Although fish-friendly turbines show promise for reducing turbine passage mortality, experimental data on their beneficial effects are limited to only a few species, mainly salmon and trout. For thousands of untested species and sizes of fish worldwide, the particular causes of turbine passage mortality and the benefits of fish-friendly turbine designs remain unknown. It is not feasible to measure the turbine-passage survival of every species of fish for every hydroelectric turbine design. We are attempting to predict fish mortality based on an improved understanding of turbine-passage stressors (pressure, shear stress, turbulence, and strike) and the morphological, behavioral, and physiological characteristics of different fish taxa that make them susceptible to these stressors. Computational fluid dynamics and blade strike models of the turbine environment are re-examined in light of laboratory and field studies of fish passage effects. Comparisons of model-predicted stresses to measured injuries and mortalities will help identify fish survival thresholds and the aspects of turbines that are most in need of re-design. In parallel, we are exploring the use of a Traits-Based Assessment (TBA) approach to group fish species based on their environmental, biological, behavioral, and life history characteristics. TBA provides a framework for identifying species most susceptible to turbine passage and species that share similar sensitivities to turbine passage stressors. TBA could be used to identify representative fish species for testing, assess impacts of new hydropower development, and evaluate the benefits of advanced turbines.
Session B1 - Using Fish Morphological Characteristics to Re-design Hydroelectric Turbines
UMass Amherst
Safe fish passage affects not only migratory species, but also populations of resident fish by altering biomass, biodiversity, and gene flow. Consequently, it may be important to estimate turbine passage survival of a wide range of susceptible fish. Although fish-friendly turbines show promise for reducing turbine passage mortality, experimental data on their beneficial effects are limited to only a few species, mainly salmon and trout. For thousands of untested species and sizes of fish worldwide, the particular causes of turbine passage mortality and the benefits of fish-friendly turbine designs remain unknown. It is not feasible to measure the turbine-passage survival of every species of fish for every hydroelectric turbine design. We are attempting to predict fish mortality based on an improved understanding of turbine-passage stressors (pressure, shear stress, turbulence, and strike) and the morphological, behavioral, and physiological characteristics of different fish taxa that make them susceptible to these stressors. Computational fluid dynamics and blade strike models of the turbine environment are re-examined in light of laboratory and field studies of fish passage effects. Comparisons of model-predicted stresses to measured injuries and mortalities will help identify fish survival thresholds and the aspects of turbines that are most in need of re-design. In parallel, we are exploring the use of a Traits-Based Assessment (TBA) approach to group fish species based on their environmental, biological, behavioral, and life history characteristics. TBA provides a framework for identifying species most susceptible to turbine passage and species that share similar sensitivities to turbine passage stressors. TBA could be used to identify representative fish species for testing, assess impacts of new hydropower development, and evaluate the benefits of advanced turbines.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fishpassage_conference/2012/June5/13
Comments
Dr. Glenn Cada has been actively involved in research and assessment of hydropower impacts for over 30 years. He provides technical support on environmental issues to the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Program. In that capacity, he has conducted research into instream flow assessment methodologies, water quality issues, upstream fish passage, and turbine passage effects on fish, including the development of environmentally enhanced turbines. He has authored over 100 publications on the effects of energy development on aquatic resources.