Fish behavior and environmental assessment

Abstract

Studies at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory have evaluated fish behavior and migration in response to gas‐supersaturated water, thermal discharge, water‐soluble fractions (WSFs) of coal liquids and other environmental stresses. Approaches have included biotelemetry in the field, and avoidance/attraction and predator/prey studies in the laboratory. This article specifically addresses three study examples and integrates the results with those of related studies. Overall, major findings included the following: Thermal discharges (surface water Δts 0‐>17°C) did not block upstream migration of sonic‐tagged adult chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) and rainbow trout (O. mykiss, formerly Salmo gairdneri) in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. Juvenile chinook salmon avoided thermal discharges in the laboratory when Δts exceeded 9 to 11°C above ambient. However, juvenile salmon were more susceptible to predation at 10 to 20% of the thermal dose causing loss of equilibrium. Radio‐tagged adult chinook salmon swam deeper in supersaturated water than in normally saturated water in the Snake River and, thereby, avoided the upper, critical zone. Carp (Cyprinus carpio) and black bullhead (Ictalurus melas) did not always avoid lethal gas levels in the laboratory and some fish died in the test apparatus. Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) avoided the WSF of a coal liquid at concentrations causing acute effects but not at those causing chronic effects. Rainbow trout did not avoid coal liquid WSFs although they reportedly avoid the major constituent, phenol, tested as a pure compound. Susceptibility to predation of juvenile rainbow trout did not increase until phenol concentrations reached the acute LC50. A conceptual model to link avoidance and toxicological data for environmental assessment is presented.

Spatial avoidance as a response to contamination by aquatic organisms in nonforced, multicompartmented exposure systems: A complementary approach to the behavioral response

“…Behavioral responses as endpoints to contaminant exposure are mainly focused on changes in the patterns of movement in organisms because endpoint goals are related to identifying the toxic effects of contaminants. Therefore, it is assumed that if mobile organisms are able to identify either lethal or sublethal contaminant concentrations, they might avoid the continuous exposure (Cherry et al ; Gray ; Tierney ). The ability to move and escape from contaminants might determine the spatial distribution of organisms and the migration behavior (Gray ; Åtland and Barlaup ; Hansen et al ) and, consequently, affect the ecosystem's dynamics and functioning (Hidaka and Tatsukawa ; Schiesari et al ).…”

“…Therefore, it is assumed that if mobile organisms are able to identify either lethal or sublethal contaminant concentrations, they might avoid the continuous exposure (Cherry et al ; Gray ; Tierney ). The ability to move and escape from contaminants might determine the spatial distribution of organisms and the migration behavior (Gray ; Åtland and Barlaup ; Hansen et al ) and, consequently, affect the ecosystem's dynamics and functioning (Hidaka and Tatsukawa ; Schiesari et al ). For instance, behavior related to movement patterns has been used with Daphnia magna as an early warning of environmental disturbance by online biomonitoring (Ren et al ; Cano et al ; Parolini et al ).…”

“…The first methods simulated a gradient to assess the avoidance and preference responses of organisms by injecting clean water and a contaminant in the opposite extremities of a tube (see details in the reviews by Cherry and Cairns and Jutfelt et al ). A number of studies exist that used a nonforced exposure approach intended to simulate 2 (toxic and nontoxic) aquatic environments and a mixed zone between them (Folmar ; Gunn and Noakes ; Nakamura ; Hartwell et al ; Gray ; Little et al ; Smith and Bailey ; Saglio et al ; Ren et al ; Díaz‐Gil et al ).…”

Evaluation of energy expenditure in adult spring Chinook salmon migrating upstream in the Columbia River Basin: an assessment based on sequential proximate analysis

“…Because feeding ceases when they enter freshwater, they have a finite amount of energy reserves for migration, gamete production, and spawning. An excessive use of energy due to various complications associated with dam passage during their upstream migration could result in reduced spawning success (Berman and Quinn, 1991), loss of egg production potential, or increased pre-spawning mortality (Beiningen and Ebel, 1970;Gray, 1990).…”

Relationships between metabolic rate, muscle electromyograms and swim performance of adult chinook salmon

“…The construction of hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River basin, however, has altered the upstream migration corridor for anadromous salmonids (Ebel et al ., 1989) and now high river discharge in the basin potentially increases delay and fall‐back (fish passing a dam and then falling back over the spillway) of adult spring chinook salmon at dams (Liscom et al ., 1985; Bjornn et al ., 1999; Reischel, 1999). Delay and fall‐back is of concern because a lengthened migration period could deplete fixed energy reserves, resulting in reduced spawning success or increased pre‐spawning mortality (Beiningen & Ebel, 1970; Gray, 1990; Berman & Quinn, 1991). If dam passage incurs an energetic cost to Columbia River spring chinook salmon that is excessive, their energy reserves could be depleted and they could die before spawning.…”