ESR15 - Designing new guidance devices to support downstream migrating fish

Host Institution: NOAB - Norconsult AB (PhD at Karlstad University)

This project represents an application-based approach, encompassing professional practitioners and scientists with established experience in fish management and in the design of hydraulic systems and fish-pass facilities, focusing on innovative engineering and management solutions to allow safe fish passage in regulated rivers. The objectives are: (1) to study fish behaviour with different flow regimes under controlled conditions; (2) to gather new design criteria for guidance devices to help fish moving past hydropower plants. One task of the project is to advance understanding of responses to barriers by fish species with diverse locomotory modes, body morphologies, and/or life-history strategies. This also includes assessing solutions that reduce stress during passage. Field and/or laboratory experiments will be carried out to assess downstream passage success and fish behaviour under controlled laboratory conditions and/or at fish pass facilities at hydropower plants in Sweden. This will include evaluating the behaviour of migrating fish encountering turbulence during passage, which will be used to develop new design criteria.

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).