Invasive Carp Control: Acoustic Deterrents
Invasive carp including bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (H. molitrix), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) are invasive fish species established in the Mississippi and Ohio River basins. The spread of these species threatens the Laurentian Great Lakes and other major waterways. Significant work has been done to identify potential biological and physical deterrent techniques that discourage the movement of bighead carp, silver carp, and grass carp while allowing passage of native fish and commercial shipping to continue. One deterrent technique that has demonstrated effectiveness in laboratory and pond settings is underwater sound. Previous studies have documented both bighead and silver carp responding with a negative phonotaxis (i.e., moving away from sound) to various underwater sound stimuli while many native fish species responded little to that same sound.
Building from these studies and deploying large-scale experimental acoustic deterrents at critical passage points, primarily navigation locks, in rivers will help managers understand the effectiveness of acoustic deterrents where invasive carp populations are established and will evaluate the potential for the technology to be transferred and deployed in other locations to limit upstream invasive carp movement.
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Deployment and Evaluation of an Underwater Acoustic Deterrent System at Lock and Dam 19
Principal Investigator – Marybeth Brey
Previous studies and experience have demonstrated that some locks and dams operate as bottlenecks or pinch points for invasive carp populations and range expansion because of unique hydraulic conditions and operations at these dams. As compared to dams without these unique conditions, pinch-point dams restrict upstream fish passage to the lock chamber and result in limited (but not zero) upstream fish passage at most river flows. This upstream passage limitation at these dams make them ideal for deployment and testing of an experimental underwater acoustic deterrence system (UADS). Lock and Dam 19 on the upper Mississippi River (UMR) near Keokuk, IA is a populations pinch-point dam for bigheaded carp (bighead and silver carp) in the UMR. We designed and installed an UADS at this location from 2020-2021 in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center-Environmental Laboratory (ERDC-EL). In partnership with the USACE, USFWS, and state natural resource agencies, we initiated an evaluation of the UADS in spring of 2021 to determine its effects on upriver-swimming invasive carp and native fishes. This evaluation will continue through fall of 2024.
Invasive carp including bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (H. molitrix), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) are invasive fish species established in the Mississippi and Ohio River basins. The spread of these species threatens the Laurentian Great Lakes and other major waterways. Significant work has been done to identify potential biological and physical deterrent techniques that discourage the movement of bighead carp, silver carp, and grass carp while allowing passage of native fish and commercial shipping to continue. One deterrent technique that has demonstrated effectiveness in laboratory and pond settings is underwater sound. Previous studies have documented both bighead and silver carp responding with a negative phonotaxis (i.e., moving away from sound) to various underwater sound stimuli while many native fish species responded little to that same sound.
Building from these studies and deploying large-scale experimental acoustic deterrents at critical passage points, primarily navigation locks, in rivers will help managers understand the effectiveness of acoustic deterrents where invasive carp populations are established and will evaluate the potential for the technology to be transferred and deployed in other locations to limit upstream invasive carp movement.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Deployment and Evaluation of an Underwater Acoustic Deterrent System at Lock and Dam 19
Principal Investigator – Marybeth Brey
Previous studies and experience have demonstrated that some locks and dams operate as bottlenecks or pinch points for invasive carp populations and range expansion because of unique hydraulic conditions and operations at these dams. As compared to dams without these unique conditions, pinch-point dams restrict upstream fish passage to the lock chamber and result in limited (but not zero) upstream fish passage at most river flows. This upstream passage limitation at these dams make them ideal for deployment and testing of an experimental underwater acoustic deterrence system (UADS). Lock and Dam 19 on the upper Mississippi River (UMR) near Keokuk, IA is a populations pinch-point dam for bigheaded carp (bighead and silver carp) in the UMR. We designed and installed an UADS at this location from 2020-2021 in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center-Environmental Laboratory (ERDC-EL). In partnership with the USACE, USFWS, and state natural resource agencies, we initiated an evaluation of the UADS in spring of 2021 to determine its effects on upriver-swimming invasive carp and native fishes. This evaluation will continue through fall of 2024.