Using instream stationary antennas to monitor the movements of warm water fishes in a reach of stream bisected by a culvert
In this study I investigated the differences in the non-migratory movement patterns of six fish species in a 280m reach of stream bisected by a culvert (impeded), and a 300m reach of stream with no movement barriers (unimpeded). This study took place between July 1, 2018 and November 14, 2018 in Raccoon Creek, Paulding County, Georgia. I used 12mm passive integrated transponder tags and four instream stationary antennas to monitor the movements 429 fishes. The antennas redetected 262 of the 429 individuals (61.1%), and 48% of fishes were redetected more than 10 times. The proportion of tagged individuals detected by species ranged from 53.3% (Lepomis auritus) to 90% (Hypentelium etowanum). The proportion of detected fishes that moved at least 150m in the unimpeded reach ranged from 41% for L auritus to 100% for Moxostoma duquesni. A multi-state model was implemented to estimate the probability of weekly upstream and downstream movement in the unimpeded reach (upstream= 0.11, 95% CI = 0.08 - 0.16, downstream= 0.07, 95% CI = 0.04 - 0.10), and in the impeded reach (upstream= 0.01, 95% CI = 0.001 -0.04, downstream= 0.01, 95% CI = 0.004-0.02). The patterns of movement observed in this study suggest that conservation managers should consider movements of 150m as a potentially frequent weekly occurrence for the species monitored, and other closely related fishes. This study demonstrates the potential long-term impact a culvert can have on the natural movement patterns of stream fishes.
Fish Movement, Culvert, PIT tags, HDX Instream Antennas, Multi-state model, Biology, Integrative Biology
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