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
Unintended consequences and trade-offs of fish passage Unintended consequences and trade-offs of fish passage
We synthesized evidence for unintended consequences and trade-offs associated with the passage of fishes. Provisioning of fish passageways at dams and dam removals are being carried out increasingly as resource managers seek ways to reduce fragmentation of migratory fish populations and restore biodiversity and nature-like ecosystem services in tributaries altered by dams. The benefits...
Authors
Robert L. McLaughlin, Eric R. Smyth, Theodore Castro-Santos, Michael L. Jones, Marten A. Koops, Thomas C. Pratt, Luis-Antonio Velez-Espino
Performance of fish passage structures at upstream barriers to migration Performance of fish passage structures at upstream barriers to migration
Attraction and passage efficiency were reviewed and compared from 19 monitoring studies that produced data for evaluations of pool-and-weir, Denil, vertical-slot and nature-like fishways. Data from 26 species of anadromous and potamodromous fishes from six countries were separated by year and taxonomic family into a matrix with 101 records. Attraction performance was highly variable for...
Authors
C.M. Bunt, T. Castro-Santos, A. Haro
Passage of American shad: paradigms and realities Passage of American shad: paradigms and realities
Despite more than 250 years of development, the passage of American shad Alosa sapidissima at dams and other barriers frequently remains problematic. Few improvements in design based on knowledge of the swimming, schooling, and migratory behaviors of American shad have been incorporated into passage structures. Large-scale technical fishways designed for the passage of adult salmonids on...
Authors
Alex Haro, Theodore Castro-Santos
Evaluation of nature-like and technical fishways for the passage of alewives at two coastal streams in New England Evaluation of nature-like and technical fishways for the passage of alewives at two coastal streams in New England
Nature-like fishways have been designed with the intent to reconnect river corridors and provide passage for all species occurring in a system. The approach is gaining popularity both in Europe and North America, but performance of these designs has not been quantitatively evaluated in a field setting for any North American species. Two nature-like fishways and three technical fishways...
Authors
Abigail E. Franklin, Alex Haro, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, John Noreika
Adaptive fishway design: A framework and rationale for effective evaluations. Adaptive fishway design: A framework and rationale for effective evaluations.
No abstract available.
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Swimming and other activities: applied aspects of fish swimming performance Swimming and other activities: applied aspects of fish swimming performance
Human activities such as hydropower development, water withdrawals, and commercial fisheries often put fish species at risk. Engineered solutions designed to protect species or their life stages are frequently based on assumptions about swimming performance and behaviors. In many cases, however, the appropriate data to support these designs are either unavailable or misapplied. This...
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 82
Unintended consequences and trade-offs of fish passage Unintended consequences and trade-offs of fish passage
We synthesized evidence for unintended consequences and trade-offs associated with the passage of fishes. Provisioning of fish passageways at dams and dam removals are being carried out increasingly as resource managers seek ways to reduce fragmentation of migratory fish populations and restore biodiversity and nature-like ecosystem services in tributaries altered by dams. The benefits...
Authors
Robert L. McLaughlin, Eric R. Smyth, Theodore Castro-Santos, Michael L. Jones, Marten A. Koops, Thomas C. Pratt, Luis-Antonio Velez-Espino
Performance of fish passage structures at upstream barriers to migration Performance of fish passage structures at upstream barriers to migration
Attraction and passage efficiency were reviewed and compared from 19 monitoring studies that produced data for evaluations of pool-and-weir, Denil, vertical-slot and nature-like fishways. Data from 26 species of anadromous and potamodromous fishes from six countries were separated by year and taxonomic family into a matrix with 101 records. Attraction performance was highly variable for...
Authors
C.M. Bunt, T. Castro-Santos, A. Haro
Passage of American shad: paradigms and realities Passage of American shad: paradigms and realities
Despite more than 250 years of development, the passage of American shad Alosa sapidissima at dams and other barriers frequently remains problematic. Few improvements in design based on knowledge of the swimming, schooling, and migratory behaviors of American shad have been incorporated into passage structures. Large-scale technical fishways designed for the passage of adult salmonids on...
Authors
Alex Haro, Theodore Castro-Santos
Evaluation of nature-like and technical fishways for the passage of alewives at two coastal streams in New England Evaluation of nature-like and technical fishways for the passage of alewives at two coastal streams in New England
Nature-like fishways have been designed with the intent to reconnect river corridors and provide passage for all species occurring in a system. The approach is gaining popularity both in Europe and North America, but performance of these designs has not been quantitatively evaluated in a field setting for any North American species. Two nature-like fishways and three technical fishways...
Authors
Abigail E. Franklin, Alex Haro, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, John Noreika
Adaptive fishway design: A framework and rationale for effective evaluations. Adaptive fishway design: A framework and rationale for effective evaluations.
No abstract available.
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Swimming and other activities: applied aspects of fish swimming performance Swimming and other activities: applied aspects of fish swimming performance
Human activities such as hydropower development, water withdrawals, and commercial fisheries often put fish species at risk. Engineered solutions designed to protect species or their life stages are frequently based on assumptions about swimming performance and behaviors. In many cases, however, the appropriate data to support these designs are either unavailable or misapplied. This...
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos
*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