ESR10 - Field monitoring methods to assess fish pass efficiency

Host Institution: FVT - Fiskevårdsteknik i Sverige AB (PhD at Karlstad University)

The project will assess performance of fish pass facilities by the use of state-of-the-art technology allowing for continuous high-resolution monitoring of fish movements at critical passages in fish migration routes. The overall aim of the doctoral project is to improve existing tools for detailed fish monitoring in rivers and to develop methods for data analysis. Field work will be carried out in multiple Swedish rivers to evaluate and compare the efficiency of existing multi-species fish survey methods, including equipment based on an infrared scanning technology with high-resolution cameras. The analysis will exploit the supervisors’ extensive experience of field studies using biotelemetry, i.e. methods to acquire remote or 'difficult-to-collect' biological data from free ranging animals. Research activities include: to contribute to the development and validation of monitoring technology that combines high-resolution cameras and telemetry; to implement fish monitoring system prototype in the field to evaluate the performance of a newly-constructed multi-species fish passage facility; to explore how the physical environment interacts with different phenotypes to shape migration patterns and success of riverine fish species; to use fish counts from multiple sites and years to investigate the importance of abiotic parameters for variation in life-history, for example migration phenology for different species; to compare quantities and qualitative methods for evaluating fish passage solutions to develop standardized protocols for fish passage evaluations.

Secondment period (to be confirmed): Expected duration: 8 months; Hosting institutions: KAU (Karlstad University - Karlstad, Sweden - 6 months Doctoral training on aquatic ecology and conservation biology to attain the degree), POLITO (Politecnico di Torino - Torino, Italy)