Determining Barotrauma in the Pictus Catfish, Pimelodus pictus, Experimentally Exposed to Simulated Hydropower Turbine Passage

Journal Article · Thu Nov 29 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Marine and Freshwater Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1071/MF18142· OSTI ID:1526238

Do Vale Beirao, Bernardo ^[1]; Silva, Luiz G. ^[2]; Brown, Richard S. ^[1]; Walker, Ricardo W. ^[1]

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1. BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)
2. Universidade Federal de Sao Joao del-Rei

Hydropower capacity is to be developed by 73% globally. This great development poses severe threats to the aquatic diversity and ecosystems services. Downstream passage of fish through turbines and the entrance at the draft tube are important impacts affecting the fish diversity. During such events, fish suffer rapid decompression, which can lead to barotrauma and mortality. Despite the magnitude of mortality events, data to understand barotrauma on fish is scarce and largely focused in salmonids. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of rapid decompression on the Amazonian benthic species Pimelodus pictus, simulated in hypo-hyperbaric chambers. All fish were negatively buoyant throughout the experiments, hindering the calculation of the ratio of pressure change and posing challenges to data analysis. Instead, the pressure of neutral buoyancy and time to decompression were used to establish the likelihood of barotrauma. The most frequent injuries in P. pictus were swim bladder rupture, intestine rupture, internal hemorrhage and embolism. The occurrence and magnitude of those injuries were related to the pressure of neutral buoyancy, pressure variation and time to decompression. Barotrauma studies with benthic fish species deemed to be challenging and are likely to require the use of complementary approaches on such species.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1526238
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-136222
• Journal Information: Marine and Freshwater Research, Vol. 69, Issue 12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English