Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference 2016

AUTHORS: Jon J. Amberg*, U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Aaron R. Cupp, U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Richard A. Erickson, U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Nicholas M. Swyers, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, and Tyson W. Hatton, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center

ABSTRACT: Preventing the movement of bigheaded carp from the Mississippi watershed into the Great Lakes rests largely on a set of electric barriers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC). Additional deterrents and/or complements to the CSSC electric barriers would likely improve the efficacy of deterring bigheaded carp from entering into the Great Lakes. USGS has been evaluating the use of seismic sound generating technologies (water guns) as an alternative deterrent. It is hypothesized that if seismic technologies can be intentionally operated to affect bigheaded carp behavior, then they may be useful to supplement the CSSC electrical barriers or be deployed in other locations for fisheries management applications. To evaluate the use of water guns as a fish deterrent, we monitored the behavior of bigheaded carp behavior with acoustic telemetry in each of two 24 h trials: one trial with guns firing every 6 seconds and another trial without any guns firing. Fish (32) were released in each trial in an enclosed area that had an artificial channel of similar dimensions to the approach channel at Brandon Road Lock and Dam. Data will be presented on: 1) the number of fish that crossed the barrier; 2) how many times an individual fish crossed the barrier; 3) the probability of a fish to be in the barrier; 4) how water guns affect fish swimming behavior; and 5) spatial distribution.