They can both be tracked with
an identification chip!
We know it’s a safety feature
for dogs. But why salmon?
Every year, many thousands
of salmon migrate up the Columbia River to the Okanogan River and in to Osoyoos
Lake, which straddles the U.S.-Canadian border. Fish implanted with PIT
(Passive Integrated Transponder) tags are being tracked using electronic readers
at points all along the Columbia River, mainly at dams. This data is helping scientists
and fishery managers better understand fish migration patterns.
 |
| Floating antenna at Zosel Dam. Photo courtesy of Richard McGuire, Osoyoos Times |
A new type of electronic reader debuted this month at the Zosel Dam in Oroville, near the Canadian border. The dam is one of the salmon’s last hurdles on the way to their spawning grounds in Canadian lakes. This experimental reader floats on the surface of the water and detects fish as they pass underneath it. All going well, the floating antenna will track fish going through one of Zosel Dam’s spillways.
“The Department of Ecology
is happy to be supporting these fish-tagging efforts. We are among the many
that will benefit from the new data, increasing our understanding of the fish
life cycle,” said Al Josephy, environmental planner at Ecology. Ecology owns
and manages the Zosel Dam, and it is configured in such a way that it is a good
spot for electronic readers.
The floating antenna reader
is in addition to four existing readers by the fish ladders. Because many fish
bypass the ladders and leap up the spillway when water is high, their numbers
were not being recorded. The floating antenna is intended to catch some of these free-spirited
spillway-users.
A closer look at PIT tag technology
A PIT tag is a unique
identifier, as reliable as a fingerprint. It is about the size of a grain of
rice, and can be coded with one of 35 billion unique codes! A syringe is used
to implant the tag in the fish.
The tags are like the
electronic fee collection devices that go on your car windshield. Antennas
installed along the river operate like tollbooths, reading tags and recording
the time and location as the fish swims by. (Thanks to NOAA Fisheries for this simile.)
The electronic readers
provide the power, so the tags are battery-free. They will last throughout a
fish’s life. This means that the tags will also catch fish on their way back
from the ocean, years later. “In this way, this technology suddenly gives each tagged
fish a unique identifier, and a personality. And it turns out these fish are not
as different from us as we may think – they, too, are complex and determined to
survive,” said Josephy.
What happens to the data once it’s collected?
The fish-specific data
goes into a central database where it is added to any previous information
about that fish. The data provides an up-close and personal record of the
day-to-day lives of individual salmon.
Until recently, we have
depended more on observation and the understanding of their overall life cycle.
Now we have the technology to look at when and where Fish #8 was on Tuesday
April 14, and who all was with #8. (Note to fish: any expectation of privacy is
now a thing of the past.) This data will contribute to better-informed management
decisions, helping us protect and restore fish runs.
An international effort on behalf of salmon
Tagging is being done
across the state, primarily along the Columbia River. The Columbia River
Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville
Reservation (CTCR) have key roles; both are funded by the Bonneville Power Administration.
The Okanogan Nation Alliance (i.e. Canadian First Nations), working through the
CTCR, are also an essential part of tagging/data gathering. Together they are a
great example of successful collaboration across national boundaries.
References/For more information:
1. Nature magazine, “Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) Tags in the
Study of Animal
2. NOAA Fisheries: “Salmon
Restoration and PIT Tags: Big Data from a Small Device”
3. Osoyoos Times: “New antenna will help to track tags on fish
migrating into Osoyoos Lake”
http://www.osoyoostimes.com/new-antenna-will-help-to-track-tags-on-fish-migrating-into-osoyoos-lake/
4. Pacific States Marine
Fisheries Commission: “PIT Tag Information Systems (PTAGIS)
1 comment:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! The technology that is available to track these salmon boggles the mind. The writer made a technical subject read like fiction.
Post a Comment