Assessing Fish Behavior Using Acoustic

Telemetry Methods

Kevin Kumagai, Colleen Sullivan, and Sam Johnston

HTI - Hydroacoustic Technology, Inc.

143rd Annual Meeting of AFS

September 12, 2013, 9 AM, Hoffman

Little Rock, AR

Assessing Fish

Behavior Using

Acoustic

Telemetry

Methods

Overview

Overview • Acoustic tags can provide information about fish populations. For

example, presence/absence.

• If detections are uniformly spaced to a high level of precision, these

detections can assess fish behavior.

• Example behaviors include:

• Moving towards and away

• Holding

• Downstream migration

• Searching

• Fish passage

• Predator avoidance

• Predation

• Simultaneous tags

• Tag defecation

Acoustic tags = information

Presence/absence • Acoustic tags can provide information about fish

populations. For example, presence/absence.

Single hydrophone deployments

Single hydrophone

deployments • Can provide presence/absence

Hydrophone 1

Upstream

Barrier

Downstream

Hydrophone 12

Detection histories

Detection histories • Are chronology of time-stamped tag detections

Fish survival and fish passage

Fish survival and

fish passage • Can be measured from the these detection histories

Uniform spacing, high precision: fish

behavior Uniform spacing,

high precision • Acoustic tags can provide information about fish

populations.

• If detections are uniformly spaced to a high level of

precision, these detections can assess fish behavior.

Tag ID encoded in unique period

(adapted from Ehrenberg and Steig, 2009)

Acoustically tagged fish movement animation Acoustically

tagged fish

movement

animation

created by G.Tritt (HTI) circa 2004

Display 1

Display 1

Display 2

Display 2

Display 3

Display 3

Display 4

Display 4

Display 5

Display 5

Display 6

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Display 7

Display 7

Single hydrophone example behaviors

Single hydrophone

example behaviors • Acoustic tags can provide information about fish

populations.

• If detections are uniformly spaced to a high level of

precision, these detections can assess fish behavior.

• Behaviors in this example include:

• Moving toward and away

• Holding

Single upstream hydrophone example

moving toward and away Single upstream

hydrophone

moving and away

Time increasing

Single downstream hydrophone example

moving toward and away Single

downstream

hydrophone

example moving

away

Time increasing

Moving toward and away

Moving toward

and away

Time increasing

Single hydrophone example behaviors

Holding, single

hydrophone

example behaviors • Acoustic tags can provide information about fish

populations.

• If detections are uniformly spaced to a high level of

precision, these detections can assess fish behavior.

• Behaviors in this example include:

• Moving toward and away

• Holding

Single hydrophone example holding behavior

Single hydrophone

example holding

behavior

Time duration 1 hour

Hydrophone

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Basic Tracking

Flow

Basic tracking

Nearest Green Hydrophone

Nearest Green

Hydrophone

Nearest Maroon Hydrophone

Nearest Maroon

Hydrophone

Nearest Orange Hydrophone

Nearest Orange

Hydrophone

Nearest Turquoise Hydrophone

Nearest Turquoise

Hydrophone

Nearest Yellow Hydrophone

Nearest Yellow

Hydrophone

Nearest Blue Hydrophone

Nearest Blue

Hydrophone

Hydrophone Detections: Summary Hydrophone

Detections:

Summary

Time duration 20 plus minutes

2D tracks example behaviors

2D tracks example

behaviors • Acoustic tags can provide information about fish

populations.

• If detections are uniformly spaced to a high level of

precision, these detections can assess fish behavior.

• Behaviors in this example include:

• Holding

• Downstream migration

• Searching

• Fish passage

• Predator avoidance

Multiple hydrophone deployments Multiple

hydrophone

deployments

Downstream

Upstream

Barrier

Time Slider

Steelhead 2D positions(green)

Striped bass 2D positions(red)

Sun and moon gadget

Holding, 23:03-23:04

Tagged striped bass (red spheres) holding between blue and yellow

hydrophones. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Holding, 23:03-

23:04

Holding, 23:04-23:05

Tagged striped bass continues holding. Steelhead tag (light green

spheres) approaching array below pink and green hydrophones. Data

courtesy of CDWR.

Holding, 23:04-

23:05

Downstream migration, 23:05-23:06

Steelhead tag continues moving downstream through upstream array.

Striped bass continues to hold. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Downstream

migration, 23:05-

23:06

Downstream migration, 23:06-23:07

Steelhead tag approaching barrier while striped bass continues to hold.

Data courtesy of CDWR.

Downstream

migration, 23:06-

23:07

Searching, 23:07-23:08

Steelhead tag begins searching along barrier. Striped bass continues to

hold. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Searching, 23:07-

23:08

Searching, 23:08-23:09

Steelhead tag continues searching along barrier. Striped bass continues

to hold. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Searching, 23:08-

23:09

Searching, 23:09-23:10

Steelhead tag continues searching along barrier. Striped bass continues

to hold. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Searching, 23:09-

23:10

Searching, 23:10-23:11

Steelhead tag continues searching along barrier. Striped bass continues

to hold. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Searching, 23:10-

23:11

Fish passage, 23:11-23:12

Steelhead tag passes barrier via culvert. Striped bass continues to hold.

Data courtesy of CDWR.

Fish passage,

23:11-23:12

Fish passage, 23:12-23:13

Steelhead tag continues past barrier. Striped bass continues to hold.

Data courtesy of CDWR.

Fish passage,

23:12-23:13

Fish passage, 23:13-23:14

Steelhead tag continues past barrier. Striped bass begins to move. Data

courtesy of CDWR.

Fish passage,

23:13-23:14

Predator avoidance, 23:14-23:15

As steelhead tag passes over striped bass, steelhead tag appears to

avoid bass moving counter-clockiwse. Striped bass also moves

downstream. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Predator

avoidance, 23:14-

23:15

Predator avoidance, 23:15-23:16

Steelhead tag continues circling counter-clockwise as striped bass

moves slightly downstream. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Predator

avoidance, 23:15-

23:16

Predator avoidance, 23:16-23:17

Steelhead tag continues circling counter-clockwise as striped bass

moves slightly downstream. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Predator

avoidance, 23:16-

23:17

Predator avoidance, 23:17-23:18

Steelhead tag continues circling counter-clockwise as striped bass

moves slightly downstream. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Predator

avoidance, 23:17-

23:18

Predator avoidance, 23:18-23:19

Steelhead tag continues circling counter-clockwise as striped bass

moves slightly downstream. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Predator

avoidance, 23:18-

23:19

Predator avoidance, 23:19-23:20

Steelhead tag appears to avoid striped bass again as passes by. Data

courtesy of CDWR.

Predator

avoidance, 23:19-

23:20

Predator avoidance, 23:20-23:21

Both tags moving downstream. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Predator

avoidance, 23:20-

23:21

Predator avoidance, 23:21-23:22

Steelhead tag leaves downstream. Striped bass holding further

downstream. Data courtesy of CDWR.

Predator

avoidance, 23:21-

23:22

Summary 2D tracks

Summary 2D

tracks

2D tracks example behaviors

2D tracks example

behaviors • Acoustic tags can provide information about fish

populations.

• If detections are uniformly spaced to a high level of

precision, these detections can assess fish behavior.

• Behaviors in this example include:

• Predation

• Simultaneous tags

• Tag defecation

Overview: predation and simultaneous tags Overview:

predation and

simultaneous

tags

Downstream

Upstream

Barrier

Time Slider

Steelhead 2D positions(green)

Striped bass 2D positions(red)

Sun and moon gadget

Tagged striped bass (red spheres) consumed tagged dead chinook (blue

spheres) and the two tags swim simultaneouly for almost two days. Data

courtesy of BOR.

Striped bass, 6/21/13 10:05-10:10 Striped bass,

6/21/13 10:05-

10:10

Tagged striped bass (red spheres) in primary channel. Data courtesy of

BOR.

Striped bass, 6/21/13 10:10-10:15 Striped bass,

6/21/13 10:10-

10:15

Tagged striped bass (red spheres) in primary channel. Data courtesy of

BOR.

Predation, 6/21/13 10:15-10:20 Striped bass,

6/21/13 10:15-

10:20

Tagged striped bass (red spheres) consumes dead chinook (blue

spheres) approximately 6/21/13 10:20. Data courtesy of BOR.

Simultaneous tags, 6/21/13 10:20-10:25 Simultaneous

tags, 6/21/13

10:20-10:25

Two tags are simultaneous for almost two days. Data courtesy of BOR.

Simultaneous tags continues for almost two

days, 6/23/13 9:10-9:15

Simultaneous tags together for almost two days. Data courtesy of BOR.

Simultaneous

tags continues

for almost two

days , 9:10-9:15

Tag defecation, 9:15-9:20

Chinook tag (blue spheres) defecated approximately 6/23/13 9:15:39.

Data courtesy of BOR.

Tag defecation,

9:15-9:20

Separate tags, 9:20-9:25

Striped bass continues moving around primary channel while chinook

tag stationary. Data courtesy of BOR.

Separate tags,

9:20-9:25

Separate tags, 9:25-9:30

Striped bass moving around primary channel while chinook tag

stationary. Data courtesy of BOR.

Separate tags,

9:25-9:30

Separate tags, 9:30-9:35

Striped bass continues moving around primary channel while chinook

tag stationary. Data courtesy of BOR.

Separate tags,

9:30-9:35

Separate tags, 9:35-9:40

Striped bass continues moving around primary channel while chinook

tag stationary. Data courtesy of BOR.

Separate tags,

9:35-9:40

Separate tags, 9:40-9:45

Striped bass continues moving around primary channel while chinook

tag stationary. Data courtesy of BOR.

Separate tags,

9:40-9:45

Defecation Summary

Data courtesy of BOR.

Defecation

Summary

Single hydrophone: tag defecation

Single

hydrophone tag

defecation

Time duration 1 hour

Multiple hydrophones: tag defecation

Multiple

hydrophones tag

defecation

Time duration 1 hour

Summary

Summary • Acoustic tags can provide information about fish populations. For

example, presence/absence.

• If detections are uniformly spaced to a high level of precision, these

detections can assess fish behavior.

• Example behaviors include:

• Moving towards and away

• Holding

• Downstream migration

• Searching

• Fish passage

• Predator avoidance

• Predation

• Simultaneous tags

• Tag defecation

Current R&D: HTI Predation Tag

HTI Predation Tag

• Verifies predation via a unique

modification in the tag signal while

maintaining individual fish ID

• Provides a tool to directly measure

predation

• Allows evaluation of behavior-based

predation techniques

• Laboratory testing by CDWR and

BOR in 2013 (Afentoulis et al., 2013)

• Field testing planned for 2014

Image Courtesy of FISHBIO

* Patent pending

References

• Afentoulis, V.B., M.N. Johnson, A.A. Schultz, and C.J. Yip. 2013. Predation

Tag Efficacy. Research proposal document. Property of the California

Department of Water Resources, Bay Delta Office.

• Ehrenberg, J. E., and Steig, T. W. 2009. A study of the relationship between

tag-signal characteristics and achievable performances in acoustic fish-tag

studies. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1278–1283.

• Kumagai, K.K. In prep. Acoustic tag detections and tracking of fish

predation and tag defecation at the Tracy Fish Collection Facility in 2013.

Report to Bureau of Reclamation, Byron, Calif., by Hydroacoustic

Technology, Inc., Seattle, Wash.

• Tunnicliffe, C., K.K. Kumagai, and S.V. Johnston. 2011. Two-dimensional

fish tracking study in the Old River at Tracy barrier in 2011. Report to

California Department of Water Resources, Sacramento, Calif., by

Hydroacoustic Technology, Inc., Seattle, Wash.

References

Acknowledgments

• California Department of Water Resources (V. Afentoulis, K. Clark, M. Johnson, J. McQuirk, J. Miranda,

C. Yip)

• Bureau of Reclamation (B. Bridges, K. Carp, R. Reyes, A. Schultz, B. Wu)

Acknowledg

ments

Animations/Questions

Kevin Kumagai, Colleen Sullivan, and Sam Johnston

HTI - Hydroacoustic Technology, Inc.

For more information: www.htisonar.com

Animations/Questi

ons