Research Ecologist at the Eastern Ecological Science Center's S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center 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
Professional Experience
US Geological Survey (1995-present)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1992-1995)
Education and Certifications
PhD Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; University of Massachusetts Amherst (2002)
MS Wildlife Biology Washington State University (1991)
BA Colgate University (1987)
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Fisheries Society
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 74
Migratory delay leads to reduced passage success of Atlantic salmon smolts at a hydroelectric dam
Passage of fish through hydropower dams is associated with mortality, delay, increased energy expenditure and migratory failure for migrating fish and the need for remedial measures for both upstream and downstream migration is widely recognised. A functional fish passage must ensure safe and timely passage routes that a substantial portion of migrating fish will use. Passage solutions must addres
Authors
Daniel Nyqvist, L. Greenberg, E. Goerig, O. Calles, E. Bergman, William R. Ardren, Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Ascent ability of brown trout, Salmo trutta, and two Iberian cyprinids − Iberian barbel, Luciobarbus bocagei, and northern straight-mouth nase, Pseudochondrostoma duriense − in a vertical slot fishway
Passage performance of brown trout (Salmo trutta), Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei), and northern straight-mouth nase (Pseudochondrostoma duriense) was investigated in a vertical slot fishway in the Porma River (Duero River basin, Spain) using PIT telemetry. We analysed the effects of different fishway discharges on motivation and passage success. Both cyprinid species ascended the fishway eas
Authors
Fco. Javier Sanz-Ronda, F.J. Bravo-Cordoba, J.F. Fuentes-Perez, Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Analysis of brook trout spatial behavior during passage attempts in corrugated culverts using near-infrared illumination video imagery
We used video recording and near-infrared illumination to document the spatial behavior of brook trout of various sizes attempting to pass corrugated culverts under different hydraulic conditions. Semi-automated image analysis was used to digitize fish position at high temporal resolution inside the culvert, which allowed calculation of various spatial behavior metrics, including instantaneous gro
Authors
Normand E. Bergeron, Pierre-Marc Constantin, Elsa Goerig, Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Brook trout passage performance through culverts
Culverts can restrict access to habitat for stream-dwelling fishes. We used passive integrated transponder telemetry to quantify passage performance of >1000 wild brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) attempting to pass 13 culverts in Quebec under a range of hydraulic and environmental conditions. Several variables influenced passage success, including complex interactions between physiology and beh
Authors
Elsa Goerig, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Normand Bergeron
Sprinting performance of two Iberian fish: Luciobarbus bocagei and Pseudochondrostoma duriense in an open channel flume
This paper presents sprinting data from Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei) and northern straight-mouth nase (Pseudochondrostoma duriense), volitionally swimming against high velocity flows (1.5, 2.5 and 3 m s−1) in an open channel flume. Swimming endurance and speed greatly exceeded previously published observations with both species attaining swim speeds >20 body lengths s−1. Flow velocity was
Authors
Francisco Javier Sanz-Ronda, Jorge Ruiz-Legazpi, Francisco Javier Bravo-Cordoba, Sergio Makrakis, Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Accelerometer-derived activity correlates with volitional swimming speed in lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
Quantifying fine-scale locomotor behaviours associated with different activities is challenging for free-swimming fish.Biologging and biotelemetry tools can help address this problem. An open channel flume was used to generate volitionalswimming speed (Us) estimates of cultured lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) and these were paired withsimultaneously recorded accelerometer-der
Authors
J.D. Thiem, J.W. Dawson, A.C. Gleiss, E.G. Martins, Alexander J. Haro, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, A. J. Danylchuk, R. P. Wilson, S. J. Cooke
Survival and behavioral effects of exposure to a hydrokinetic turbine on juvenile Atlantic salmon and adult American shad
This paper describes a series of experiments designed to measure the effect of exposure to a full-scale, vertical axis hydrokinetic turbine on downstream migrating juvenile Atlantic salmon (N=75) and upstream migrating adult American shad (N=208). Controlled studies were performed in a large-scale, open-channel flume, and all individuals approached the turbine under volitional control. No injuries
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Alex Haro
Passage of native riverine fishes through geometrically different sections of a vertical slot fishway on the Moselle River, Germany
In order to study effects of different geometric types of pools or change of the flow direction on the passability of fish, sets of PIT antennas were installed inside a modern vertical slot fishway at the mouth of the River Moselle. Fish of 13 abundant species were caught and tagged with PIT tags in 2013 and released in the tailwater of Koblenz. 16% of the tagged fish were detected entering the fi
Authors
Matthias Pitsch, Bernd Mockenhaupt, Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Basin-scale phenology and effects of climate variability on global timing of initial seaward migration of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Migrations between different habitats are key events in the lives of many organisms. Such movements involve annually recurring travel over long distances usually triggered by seasonal changes in the environment. Often, the migration is associated with travel to or from reproduction areas to regions of growth. Young anadromous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) emigrate from freshwater nursery areas dur
Authors
Jaime Otero, Jan Henning L’Abée-Lund, Theodore Castro-Santos, Kjell Leonardsson, Geir O. Storvik, Bror Jonsson, J. Brian Dempson, Ian C. Russell, Arne J. Jensen, Jean-Luc Baglinière, Mélanie Dionne, John D. Armstrong, Atso Romakkaniemi, Benjamin Letcher, John F. Kocik, Jaakko Erkinaro, Russell Poole, Ger Rogan, Hans Lundqvist, Julian C. MacLean, Erkki Jokikokko, Jo Vegar Arnekleiv, Richard J. Kennedy, Eero Niemelä, Pablo Caballero, Paul A. Music, Thorolfur Antonsson, Sigurdur Gudjonsson, Alexey E. Veselov, Anders Lamberg, Steve Groom, Benjamin H. Taylor, Malcolm Taberner, Mary Dillane, Fridthjofur Arnason, Gregg E. Horton, Nils A. Hvidsten, Ingi R. Jonsson, Nina Jonsson, Simon McKelvey, T. F. Naesje, Øystein Skaala, Gordon W. Smith, Harald Sægrov, N. C. Stenseth, Leif Asbjørn Vøllestad
Posthandling survival and PIT tag retention by alewives—a comparison of gastric and surgical implants
We compared survival and tag retention of Alewives Alosa pseudoharengus tagged with PIT tags, using intraperitoneal (IP) surgical implants, gastric implants (GI), and untagged controls held for 38 d. Retention was 100% for IP-tagged Alewives and 98% for GI-tagged implants. No significant difference in survival was observed among any of these groups. These results lend support to the use of PIT tel
Authors
Theodore Castro-Santos, Volney Voni
Breaking the speed limit--comparative sprinting performance of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta)
Sprinting behavior of free-ranging fish has long been thought to exceed that of captive fish. Here we present data from wild-caught brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta), volitionally entering and sprinting against high-velocity flows in an open-channel flume. Performance of the two species was nearly identical, with the species attaining absolute speeds > 25 body leng
Authors
Theodore Castro-Santos, Francisco Javier Sanz-Ronda, Jorge Ruiz-Legazpi
A barrier to upstream migration in the fish passage of Itaipu Dam (Canal da Piracema), Paraná River basin
The majority of the fish passages built in the Neotropical region are characterised by low efficiency and high selectivity; in many cases, the benefits to fish populations are uncertain. Studies conducted in the Canal da Piracema at Itaipu dam on the Parana River indicate that the system component designated as the Discharge channel in the Bela Vista River (herein named Canal de deságue no rio Bel
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Hélio Martins Fontes Júnior, Sergio Makrakis, Luiz Carlos Gomes, João Dirço Latini
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 74
Migratory delay leads to reduced passage success of Atlantic salmon smolts at a hydroelectric dam
Passage of fish through hydropower dams is associated with mortality, delay, increased energy expenditure and migratory failure for migrating fish and the need for remedial measures for both upstream and downstream migration is widely recognised. A functional fish passage must ensure safe and timely passage routes that a substantial portion of migrating fish will use. Passage solutions must addresAuthorsDaniel Nyqvist, L. Greenberg, E. Goerig, O. Calles, E. Bergman, William R. Ardren, Theodore R. Castro-SantosAscent ability of brown trout, Salmo trutta, and two Iberian cyprinids − Iberian barbel, Luciobarbus bocagei, and northern straight-mouth nase, Pseudochondrostoma duriense − in a vertical slot fishway
Passage performance of brown trout (Salmo trutta), Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei), and northern straight-mouth nase (Pseudochondrostoma duriense) was investigated in a vertical slot fishway in the Porma River (Duero River basin, Spain) using PIT telemetry. We analysed the effects of different fishway discharges on motivation and passage success. Both cyprinid species ascended the fishway easAuthorsFco. Javier Sanz-Ronda, F.J. Bravo-Cordoba, J.F. Fuentes-Perez, Theodore R. Castro-SantosAnalysis of brook trout spatial behavior during passage attempts in corrugated culverts using near-infrared illumination video imagery
We used video recording and near-infrared illumination to document the spatial behavior of brook trout of various sizes attempting to pass corrugated culverts under different hydraulic conditions. Semi-automated image analysis was used to digitize fish position at high temporal resolution inside the culvert, which allowed calculation of various spatial behavior metrics, including instantaneous groAuthorsNormand E. Bergeron, Pierre-Marc Constantin, Elsa Goerig, Theodore R. Castro-SantosBrook trout passage performance through culverts
Culverts can restrict access to habitat for stream-dwelling fishes. We used passive integrated transponder telemetry to quantify passage performance of >1000 wild brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) attempting to pass 13 culverts in Quebec under a range of hydraulic and environmental conditions. Several variables influenced passage success, including complex interactions between physiology and behAuthorsElsa Goerig, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Normand BergeronSprinting performance of two Iberian fish: Luciobarbus bocagei and Pseudochondrostoma duriense in an open channel flume
This paper presents sprinting data from Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei) and northern straight-mouth nase (Pseudochondrostoma duriense), volitionally swimming against high velocity flows (1.5, 2.5 and 3 m s−1) in an open channel flume. Swimming endurance and speed greatly exceeded previously published observations with both species attaining swim speeds >20 body lengths s−1. Flow velocity wasAuthorsFrancisco Javier Sanz-Ronda, Jorge Ruiz-Legazpi, Francisco Javier Bravo-Cordoba, Sergio Makrakis, Theodore R. Castro-SantosAccelerometer-derived activity correlates with volitional swimming speed in lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
Quantifying fine-scale locomotor behaviours associated with different activities is challenging for free-swimming fish.Biologging and biotelemetry tools can help address this problem. An open channel flume was used to generate volitionalswimming speed (Us) estimates of cultured lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) and these were paired withsimultaneously recorded accelerometer-derAuthorsJ.D. Thiem, J.W. Dawson, A.C. Gleiss, E.G. Martins, Alexander J. Haro, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, A. J. Danylchuk, R. P. Wilson, S. J. CookeSurvival and behavioral effects of exposure to a hydrokinetic turbine on juvenile Atlantic salmon and adult American shad
This paper describes a series of experiments designed to measure the effect of exposure to a full-scale, vertical axis hydrokinetic turbine on downstream migrating juvenile Atlantic salmon (N=75) and upstream migrating adult American shad (N=208). Controlled studies were performed in a large-scale, open-channel flume, and all individuals approached the turbine under volitional control. No injuriesAuthorsTheodore R. Castro-Santos, Alex HaroPassage of native riverine fishes through geometrically different sections of a vertical slot fishway on the Moselle River, Germany
In order to study effects of different geometric types of pools or change of the flow direction on the passability of fish, sets of PIT antennas were installed inside a modern vertical slot fishway at the mouth of the River Moselle. Fish of 13 abundant species were caught and tagged with PIT tags in 2013 and released in the tailwater of Koblenz. 16% of the tagged fish were detected entering the fiAuthorsMatthias Pitsch, Bernd Mockenhaupt, Theodore R. Castro-SantosBasin-scale phenology and effects of climate variability on global timing of initial seaward migration of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Migrations between different habitats are key events in the lives of many organisms. Such movements involve annually recurring travel over long distances usually triggered by seasonal changes in the environment. Often, the migration is associated with travel to or from reproduction areas to regions of growth. Young anadromous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) emigrate from freshwater nursery areas durAuthorsJaime Otero, Jan Henning L’Abée-Lund, Theodore Castro-Santos, Kjell Leonardsson, Geir O. Storvik, Bror Jonsson, J. Brian Dempson, Ian C. Russell, Arne J. Jensen, Jean-Luc Baglinière, Mélanie Dionne, John D. Armstrong, Atso Romakkaniemi, Benjamin Letcher, John F. Kocik, Jaakko Erkinaro, Russell Poole, Ger Rogan, Hans Lundqvist, Julian C. MacLean, Erkki Jokikokko, Jo Vegar Arnekleiv, Richard J. Kennedy, Eero Niemelä, Pablo Caballero, Paul A. Music, Thorolfur Antonsson, Sigurdur Gudjonsson, Alexey E. Veselov, Anders Lamberg, Steve Groom, Benjamin H. Taylor, Malcolm Taberner, Mary Dillane, Fridthjofur Arnason, Gregg E. Horton, Nils A. Hvidsten, Ingi R. Jonsson, Nina Jonsson, Simon McKelvey, T. F. Naesje, Øystein Skaala, Gordon W. Smith, Harald Sægrov, N. C. Stenseth, Leif Asbjørn VøllestadPosthandling survival and PIT tag retention by alewives—a comparison of gastric and surgical implants
We compared survival and tag retention of Alewives Alosa pseudoharengus tagged with PIT tags, using intraperitoneal (IP) surgical implants, gastric implants (GI), and untagged controls held for 38 d. Retention was 100% for IP-tagged Alewives and 98% for GI-tagged implants. No significant difference in survival was observed among any of these groups. These results lend support to the use of PIT telAuthorsTheodore Castro-Santos, Volney VoniBreaking the speed limit--comparative sprinting performance of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta)
Sprinting behavior of free-ranging fish has long been thought to exceed that of captive fish. Here we present data from wild-caught brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta), volitionally entering and sprinting against high-velocity flows in an open-channel flume. Performance of the two species was nearly identical, with the species attaining absolute speeds > 25 body lengAuthorsTheodore Castro-Santos, Francisco Javier Sanz-Ronda, Jorge Ruiz-LegazpiA barrier to upstream migration in the fish passage of Itaipu Dam (Canal da Piracema), Paraná River basin
The majority of the fish passages built in the Neotropical region are characterised by low efficiency and high selectivity; in many cases, the benefits to fish populations are uncertain. Studies conducted in the Canal da Piracema at Itaipu dam on the Parana River indicate that the system component designated as the Discharge channel in the Bela Vista River (herein named Canal de deságue no rio BelAuthorsTheodore R. Castro-Santos, Hélio Martins Fontes Júnior, Sergio Makrakis, Luiz Carlos Gomes, João Dirço Latini
*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