Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The behavior, movement and habitat use of fish are generally very difficult parameters to quantify. Most methods used are indirect, such as chemical tracers or mark-and-recapture, or can only monitor the fish for short periods of time, such as diver observation. Remarkable advancements in underwater acoustic telemetry can overcome many of these limitations and allow researchers novel insights into the 3-D world of aquatic animals. New acoustic tags, which can be surgical implanted in fish or externally attached to fish and invertebrates, can be used in fish < 10 grams and for larger fish can remain active for > 10 years. New acoustic receivers have greater range, can record millions of interactions, can be left for more than 1 year without service, and can be used to provide specific position information (< 1 m) of multiple individual fish. The 2-D positioning system requested in this proposal would give researchers detailed movement data of the invasive fish the round goby, providing novel insights on male and female behavior and interaction and their response to chemical and sound attractants. This underwater acoustic infrastructure would allow detailed study on the seasonal and yearly movement, habitat use and bioenergetics of key Great Lakes fish, including the yellow perch, walleye and endangered lake sturgeon. Such studies would provided basic understanding of the biology of Great Lakes fishes but also on the influence of multiple stressors, including climate change, habitat alterations, invasive species, fishing pressure and contaminants, on Great Lakes fish. The data provided by underwater acoustic arrays would have immediate application to, and would strength and broaden currently funded projects and key research areas on fish ecology and physiology at the University of Windsor. This infrastructure would also strengthen ties between University of Windsor researchers, and with provincial and federal government scientists and research programs, and provide equipment and expertise for anticipated funding opportunities related to Great Lake ecosystem health.