Abstract
Fish utilization of high flow environments and the associated risks of fish-turbine interactions at tidal energy development sites are little understood. The Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) in the upper Bay of Fundy is a tidal energy test facility that has been the focus of a multi-year fish tracking study (2010-2013) to address questions related to the potential risks of turbine operation to migratory species “at risk” – Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sturgeon, American eel and striped bass. Tagged fish of all 4 species were detected on receiver “listening gates” in the Minas Passage and FORCE test area. Travel speeds through the Minas Passage often exceeding 3m/s. Swimming depth in Minas Passage was variable for eels, sturgeon and striped bass and largely within the top 40m in and near the FORCE test area. Of the four species, striped bass was most commonly detected in the Minas Passage, with many being detected during summer, fall and winter. The ability of striped bass (and other fish species) to detect and avoid tidal turbines when travelling at very high speed (>3m/s) remains unknown. The main challenge faced in detecting acoustically tagged fish in Minas Passage is poor receiver efficiency due to excessive noise interference when current speeds exceed 2m/s.
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