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
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: 82
FishPass sortable attribute database: Phenological, morphological, physiological, and behavioural characteristics related to passage and movement of Laurentian Great Lakes fishes FishPass sortable attribute database: Phenological, morphological, physiological, and behavioural characteristics related to passage and movement of Laurentian Great Lakes fishes
In-stream barriers pose threats to fishes, including habitat loss, constraints on migration, and reduced connectivity between populations. Despite many negative consequences, barriers can serve to protect native species by limiting the spread of invasive species. For example, in the Laurentian Great Lakes, physical barriers have long been used to control invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon...
Authors
David M. Benoit, Daniel P. Zielinski, Reid G. Swanson, Robert L. McLaughlin, Theodore Castro-Santos, R. Andrew Goodwin, Thomas C. Pratt, Andrew M. Muir
FishPass baseline assessment of fish community assemblage and migratory patterns in in the Boardman River, Traverse City, Michigan, USA FishPass baseline assessment of fish community assemblage and migratory patterns in in the Boardman River, Traverse City, Michigan, USA
This report on baseline assessment of fish community assemblage and migratory patterns of fishes in the lower Boardman River (LBR; Traverse City, MI (USA)) is one of four assessment projects conceived circa 2017 after the Boardman (Ottaway) River was selected by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) and collaborating agencies as the future site of the Selective Bi-directional Fish...
Authors
Reid G. Swanson, Daniel P. Zielinski, Theodore Castro-Santos, Andrew M. Muir
Multimodal invasive carp deterrent study at Barkley Lock and Dam—Status update through 2022 Multimodal invasive carp deterrent study at Barkley Lock and Dam—Status update through 2022
Invasive carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis [Bighead Carp], Mylopharyngodon piceus [Black Carp], Ctenopharyngodon idella [Grass Carp], and H. molitrix [Silver Carp]) continue to spread in the United States and deterrents at river navigation locks are one emerging control strategy for slowing the spread. High-head navigation dams on large rivers serve as impediments to the upstream spread...
Authors
Andrea K. Fritts, Daniel K. Gibson-Reinemer, Jessica C. Stanton, Kyle J. Mosel, Marybeth K. Brey, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Douglas Appel, Jacob Faulkner, Joshua Tompkins, Theodore Castro-Santos, Matthew D. Sholtis, Andy Turnpenny, Peter Sorensen, Rob Simmonds
Lock 19 underwater acoustic deterrent system study—Interim project update, through 2022 Lock 19 underwater acoustic deterrent system study—Interim project update, through 2022
Invasive carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis [Richardson, 1845; Bighead Carp], H. molitrix [Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844; Silver Carp], Ctenopharyngodon idella [Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844; Grass Carp], and Mylopharyngodon piceus [Richardson, 1846; Black Carp]) expansion threatens the Laurentian Great Lakes and other major waterways. Numerous tools and...
Authors
Marybeth K. Brey, Christa M. Woodley, Jessica C. Stanton, Andrea K. Fritts, Matthew D. Sholtis, Theodore Castro-Santos, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Janice L. Albers
Using recovered radio transmitters to estimate positioning error and a generalized Monte Carlo simulation to incorporate error into animal telemetry analysis Using recovered radio transmitters to estimate positioning error and a generalized Monte Carlo simulation to incorporate error into animal telemetry analysis
Background Mobile radio tracking is an important tool in fisheries research and management. Yet, the accuracy of location estimates can be highly variable across studies and within a given dataset. While some methods are available to deal with error, they generally assume a static value for error across all detections. We provide a novel method for making detection-specific error...
Authors
Kurt C. Heim, W.C. Ardren, Theodore Castro-Santos
Survival, healing, and swim performance of juvenile migratory sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) implanted with a new acoustic microtransmitter designed for small eel-like fishes Survival, healing, and swim performance of juvenile migratory sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) implanted with a new acoustic microtransmitter designed for small eel-like fishes
Background Little is known about the transformer stage of the parasitic lampreys, a brief but critical period that encompasses juvenile out-migration from rivers to lakes or oceans to begin parasitic feeding. Information about this life stage could have significant conservation implications for both imperiled and invasive lampreys. We investigated tag retention, survival, wound healing...
Authors
Taylor F. Haas, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Scott M. Miehls, Zhiqun D. Deng, Tyler Michael Bruning, C. Michael Wagner
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 82
FishPass sortable attribute database: Phenological, morphological, physiological, and behavioural characteristics related to passage and movement of Laurentian Great Lakes fishes FishPass sortable attribute database: Phenological, morphological, physiological, and behavioural characteristics related to passage and movement of Laurentian Great Lakes fishes
In-stream barriers pose threats to fishes, including habitat loss, constraints on migration, and reduced connectivity between populations. Despite many negative consequences, barriers can serve to protect native species by limiting the spread of invasive species. For example, in the Laurentian Great Lakes, physical barriers have long been used to control invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon...
Authors
David M. Benoit, Daniel P. Zielinski, Reid G. Swanson, Robert L. McLaughlin, Theodore Castro-Santos, R. Andrew Goodwin, Thomas C. Pratt, Andrew M. Muir
FishPass baseline assessment of fish community assemblage and migratory patterns in in the Boardman River, Traverse City, Michigan, USA FishPass baseline assessment of fish community assemblage and migratory patterns in in the Boardman River, Traverse City, Michigan, USA
This report on baseline assessment of fish community assemblage and migratory patterns of fishes in the lower Boardman River (LBR; Traverse City, MI (USA)) is one of four assessment projects conceived circa 2017 after the Boardman (Ottaway) River was selected by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) and collaborating agencies as the future site of the Selective Bi-directional Fish...
Authors
Reid G. Swanson, Daniel P. Zielinski, Theodore Castro-Santos, Andrew M. Muir
Multimodal invasive carp deterrent study at Barkley Lock and Dam—Status update through 2022 Multimodal invasive carp deterrent study at Barkley Lock and Dam—Status update through 2022
Invasive carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis [Bighead Carp], Mylopharyngodon piceus [Black Carp], Ctenopharyngodon idella [Grass Carp], and H. molitrix [Silver Carp]) continue to spread in the United States and deterrents at river navigation locks are one emerging control strategy for slowing the spread. High-head navigation dams on large rivers serve as impediments to the upstream spread...
Authors
Andrea K. Fritts, Daniel K. Gibson-Reinemer, Jessica C. Stanton, Kyle J. Mosel, Marybeth K. Brey, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Douglas Appel, Jacob Faulkner, Joshua Tompkins, Theodore Castro-Santos, Matthew D. Sholtis, Andy Turnpenny, Peter Sorensen, Rob Simmonds
Lock 19 underwater acoustic deterrent system study—Interim project update, through 2022 Lock 19 underwater acoustic deterrent system study—Interim project update, through 2022
Invasive carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis [Richardson, 1845; Bighead Carp], H. molitrix [Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844; Silver Carp], Ctenopharyngodon idella [Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844; Grass Carp], and Mylopharyngodon piceus [Richardson, 1846; Black Carp]) expansion threatens the Laurentian Great Lakes and other major waterways. Numerous tools and...
Authors
Marybeth K. Brey, Christa M. Woodley, Jessica C. Stanton, Andrea K. Fritts, Matthew D. Sholtis, Theodore Castro-Santos, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Janice L. Albers
Using recovered radio transmitters to estimate positioning error and a generalized Monte Carlo simulation to incorporate error into animal telemetry analysis Using recovered radio transmitters to estimate positioning error and a generalized Monte Carlo simulation to incorporate error into animal telemetry analysis
Background Mobile radio tracking is an important tool in fisheries research and management. Yet, the accuracy of location estimates can be highly variable across studies and within a given dataset. While some methods are available to deal with error, they generally assume a static value for error across all detections. We provide a novel method for making detection-specific error...
Authors
Kurt C. Heim, W.C. Ardren, Theodore Castro-Santos
Survival, healing, and swim performance of juvenile migratory sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) implanted with a new acoustic microtransmitter designed for small eel-like fishes Survival, healing, and swim performance of juvenile migratory sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) implanted with a new acoustic microtransmitter designed for small eel-like fishes
Background Little is known about the transformer stage of the parasitic lampreys, a brief but critical period that encompasses juvenile out-migration from rivers to lakes or oceans to begin parasitic feeding. Information about this life stage could have significant conservation implications for both imperiled and invasive lampreys. We investigated tag retention, survival, wound healing...
Authors
Taylor F. Haas, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Scott M. Miehls, Zhiqun D. Deng, Tyler Michael Bruning, C. Michael Wagner
*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