Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

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 surgically implanted in fish or externally attached to fish and invertebrates, can be used in fish 10 grams and, in 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. This underwater acoustic infrastructure allows detailed study on the seasonal and yearly movement, habitat use and bioenergetics of key freshwater and marine fish. One limitation to acoustic telemetry is working in deep water, where recovery of receivers is difficult, expensive and time consuming. We are requesting funds to purchase recently developed telemetry receivers that have a built-in acoustic release. These receivers can be placed in deep water, and through communication with a hydrophone at the surface can be released and float to the surface. This technology will greater expand our capacity to study deep water fish, which are very poorly studied but have become increasing important as commercial species and components of healthy ecosystems The data provided by underwater acoustic arrays would strength and broaden currently funded projects in key research areas of fish ecology and physiology at the University of Windsor. This infrastructure would also strengthen collaborative ties among U Windsor researchers, and with provincial and federal government scientists and research programs. The requested equipment will contribute critically to anticipated funding opportunities related to Great Lakes, tropic and Arctic ecosystem health.