Ted Castro-Santos, EESC, and Katie Deters, PNNL, release tagged American Shad in the canal at the Conte Lab
Theodore Castro-Santos
Research Ecologist at the Eastern Ecological Science Center's S.O. Conte Research Laboratory in Turners Falls, MA
Human activities have caused extensive fragmentation of riverine corridors. Dams, culverts, and other barriers prevent migratory and riverine fishes from accessing key habitats. This is particularly problematic for diadromous fishes like Atlantic salmon and American shad that must transition between fresh- and saltwater habitats in order to complete their life cycles. Swimming performance and behavioral responses to hydraulic conditions (turbulence, velocity, etc.) are major interests, as is development of quantitative methods for identifying and characterizing barriers. This work has broad relevance, not only to stewardship and management of aquatic resources, but also to understanding fundamental aspects of the ecology and evolution of fishes. Some current projects include:
- Sprint-swimming performance of migratory and riverine species
- Effects of turbulence on swimming performance, biomechanics, and behavior
- Modeling fish passage through culverts
- Bioenergetics models of anadromous fish migration
Science and Products
Production, Behavior, and Survival of Juvenile Shad and River Herring
USGS is conducting research to better understand biology, behavior, and survival of juvenile fishes that travel between fresh and saltwater to complete their lifecycles. Migratory fishes as such as herring and shad are vital components in riverine and coastal ecosystems, transporting food and nutrients between fresh rivers and the ocean. They are also an important forage fish for predators in...
A generic web application to visualize and understand movements of tagged animals
The goal of this project was to maximize the value of expensive animal tagging data. We developed an interactive web application to help scientists understand patterns in their own tagging datasets and to help scientists, funders and agencies communicate tagging data to decision-makers and to the general public. Interactive visualizations have emerged recently as a valuable tool for identifying pa
Fish locomotion and biomechanics as limiting and optimizing factors in fish passage
Swimming ability determines how well fish are able to access habitat, and is a fundamental design consideration for passing fish at dams, road crossings, etc.
Fish Biomechanics
Biomechanics is the study of mechanical laws relating to the movement of living organisms.
American Shad Release at Conte Lab
Ted Castro-Santos, EESC, and Katie Deters, PNNL, release tagged American Shad in the canal at the Conte Lab
Implanting a radio tag in brown trout
Two USGS scientist implant a radio tag in a sedated brown trout as a Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited volunteer looks on
Two USGS scientist implant a radio tag in a sedated brown trout as a Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited volunteer looks on
Science and Products
Production, Behavior, and Survival of Juvenile Shad and River Herring
USGS is conducting research to better understand biology, behavior, and survival of juvenile fishes that travel between fresh and saltwater to complete their lifecycles. Migratory fishes as such as herring and shad are vital components in riverine and coastal ecosystems, transporting food and nutrients between fresh rivers and the ocean. They are also an important forage fish for predators in...
A generic web application to visualize and understand movements of tagged animals
The goal of this project was to maximize the value of expensive animal tagging data. We developed an interactive web application to help scientists understand patterns in their own tagging datasets and to help scientists, funders and agencies communicate tagging data to decision-makers and to the general public. Interactive visualizations have emerged recently as a valuable tool for identifying pa
Fish locomotion and biomechanics as limiting and optimizing factors in fish passage
Swimming ability determines how well fish are able to access habitat, and is a fundamental design consideration for passing fish at dams, road crossings, etc.
Fish Biomechanics
Biomechanics is the study of mechanical laws relating to the movement of living organisms.
American Shad Release at Conte Lab
Ted Castro-Santos, EESC, and Katie Deters, PNNL, release tagged American Shad in the canal at the Conte Lab
Ted Castro-Santos, EESC, and Katie Deters, PNNL, release tagged American Shad in the canal at the Conte Lab
Implanting a radio tag in brown trout
Two USGS scientist implant a radio tag in a sedated brown trout as a Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited volunteer looks on
Two USGS scientist implant a radio tag in a sedated brown trout as a Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited volunteer looks on
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government