American eel state of buoyancy and barotrauma susceptibility associated with hydroturbine passage
Abstract
American eel are likely to encounter and pass through hydropower turbines, particularly during the downstream spawning migration, where exposure to stressors can potentially lead to injuries and mortality. Previous research has recovered dead eels downstream of hydropower facilities and, for some fish, injuries were easily attributed to blade strike; however, others showed no external signs of injury suggesting that other stressors, such as rapid decompression may be a potential source of mortality. For this research, yellow– and silver-phase American eel were held and allowed to acclimate to 172 kPa (absolute pressure) in hyper/hypobaric hydro-chambers for about 1 d. After acclimation, the state of buoyancy was determined prior to exposure to a rapid decompression simulating pressures encountered during hydroturbine passage. Fish were then examined for signs of barotrauma. Eel did not attain a state of neutral buoyancy but rather maintained negative buoyancy suggesting that eels, and possibly other benthic species, likely maintain a state of negative buoyancy to facilitate occupancy on or near the substrate. Additionally, eel were found to be resilient to rapid decompression, displaying no instantaneous mortality and minimal injuries, suggesting that barotrauma is not likely a major concern for American eel passing downstream through hydroturbines.
- Authors:
-
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Earth Systems Science Division
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Water Power Technologies Office
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1524149
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-138255
Journal ID: ISSN 1961-9502
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 420; Journal Issue: 420; Journal ID: ISSN 1961-9502
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 13 HYDRO ENERGY; downstream fish passage; rapid decompression; hydropower; swim bladder; hyperbaric; hypobaric
Citation Formats
Pflugrath, Brett D., Harnish, Ryan, Rhode, Briana, Beirao, Bernardo, Engbrecht, Kristin, Stephenson, John R., and Colotelo, Alison H. American eel state of buoyancy and barotrauma susceptibility associated with hydroturbine passage. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1051/kmae/2019012.
Pflugrath, Brett D., Harnish, Ryan, Rhode, Briana, Beirao, Bernardo, Engbrecht, Kristin, Stephenson, John R., & Colotelo, Alison H. American eel state of buoyancy and barotrauma susceptibility associated with hydroturbine passage. United States. https://doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2019012
Pflugrath, Brett D., Harnish, Ryan, Rhode, Briana, Beirao, Bernardo, Engbrecht, Kristin, Stephenson, John R., and Colotelo, Alison H. Thu .
"American eel state of buoyancy and barotrauma susceptibility associated with hydroturbine passage". United States. https://doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2019012. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1524149.
@article{osti_1524149,
title = {American eel state of buoyancy and barotrauma susceptibility associated with hydroturbine passage},
author = {Pflugrath, Brett D. and Harnish, Ryan and Rhode, Briana and Beirao, Bernardo and Engbrecht, Kristin and Stephenson, John R. and Colotelo, Alison H.},
abstractNote = {American eel are likely to encounter and pass through hydropower turbines, particularly during the downstream spawning migration, where exposure to stressors can potentially lead to injuries and mortality. Previous research has recovered dead eels downstream of hydropower facilities and, for some fish, injuries were easily attributed to blade strike; however, others showed no external signs of injury suggesting that other stressors, such as rapid decompression may be a potential source of mortality. For this research, yellow– and silver-phase American eel were held and allowed to acclimate to 172 kPa (absolute pressure) in hyper/hypobaric hydro-chambers for about 1 d. After acclimation, the state of buoyancy was determined prior to exposure to a rapid decompression simulating pressures encountered during hydroturbine passage. Fish were then examined for signs of barotrauma. Eel did not attain a state of neutral buoyancy but rather maintained negative buoyancy suggesting that eels, and possibly other benthic species, likely maintain a state of negative buoyancy to facilitate occupancy on or near the substrate. Additionally, eel were found to be resilient to rapid decompression, displaying no instantaneous mortality and minimal injuries, suggesting that barotrauma is not likely a major concern for American eel passing downstream through hydroturbines.},
doi = {10.1051/kmae/2019012},
journal = {Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems},
number = 420,
volume = 420,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Apr 11 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Thu Apr 11 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
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Cited by: 9 works
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Figures / Tables:
Fig. 1: Two American eel acclimating inside a hyper/hypobaric hydro-chamber.
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Passage survival of European and American eels at Francis and propeller turbines
journal, September 2019
- Heisey, Paul G.; Mathur, Dilip; Phipps, Joanne L.
- Journal of Fish Biology, Vol. 95, Issue 5
Survival estimates across five life stages of redfin (Perca fluviatilis) exposed to simulated pumped-storage hydropower stressors
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Figures / Tables found in this record:
Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.