A comparative review of entrainment survival studies at power plants in estuarine environments

A review and assessment of the potential use of RNA:DNA ratios to assess the condition of entrained fish larvae

“…For example, the physical condition of larval fish upon collection has strong potential to affect RNA:DNA values. For many fishes, the larval stage is particularly fragile, and the process of entrainment and collection will subject specimens to various physical stresses (reviewed in Marcy et al, 1978;Mayhew et al, 2000;EPRI, 2009EPRI, , 2014. RNA:DNA ratios of a larval fish's head are lower than those calculated for its whole body (Olivar et al, 2009), thus inclusion of incomplete specimens (e.g., missing head or part of body) may bias RNA:DNA measurements.…”

“…Fishes that are carried into the power plant with cooling water may be negatively impacted by heat and/or rapid thermal changes (Cada et al, 1982;Wismer and Christie, 1987), turbulence and/or abrasion (Marcy et al, 1978;Cada et al, 1982), chemicals (Bamber and Turnpenny, 2012), or by synergistic effects of multiple stressors. Some studies have suggested that larval fishes can survive entrainment, though discharge temperatures above 32 • C appear to negatively affect survival (Mayhew et al, 2000;EPRI, 2009). Others suggest that, when considering the full suite of impacts that an entrained organism might experience, short-term stresses associated with the entrainment process would lead to almost 100% mortality of larval fishes (Kelso and Milburn, 1979;Steinbeck et al, 2007), though death might occur well after the larvae had experienced the entrainment process.…”

Thermal mapping in the Kalpakkam Coast (Bay of Bengal) in the vicinity of Madras atomic power station

“…Seasonal fluctuations in water temperature distribution play an important role in influencing biological processes [2]. In this context, the environmental effects of thermal discharges from power stations into coastal and inland water bodies have been the focus of research [3][4][5] All new plants commissioned after 01.06.1999 using seawater should adopt suitable system to reduce water temperature at the final discharge point so that the resultant rise in the temperature of receiving water does not exceed 7.0 °C over and above the ambient temperature of the receiving water bodies. For existing power plants, the temperature differential across the condenser shall not be more than 10 °C.…”

The Potential Impacts of OTEC Intakes on Aquatic Organisms at an OTEC Site under Development on Kauai, HI

“…• Entrainment survival has been well documented at conventional steam electric power plants where thermal thresholds are relatively well-defined for species that are typically of concern (Mayhew et al 2000). EPRI (2000) published a comprehensive report reviewing entrainment survival data for a number of conventional thermal power plants in the U.S. in temperate waters.…”

“…Entrainment survival associated with comparable temperature changes in power plants has been shown to be greater than zero (ranging between 0 and 98%); though, survival has been shown to be very site-and species-specific (USEPA 2006, Mayhew et al 2000, and EPRI 2000. Reported ∆Ts for power plants exceeded 14°C in some cases (USEPA 2006).…”