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
Modeling migratory energetics of Connecticut River American shad (Alosa sapidissima): implications for the conservation of an iteroparous anadromous fish Modeling migratory energetics of Connecticut River American shad (Alosa sapidissima): implications for the conservation of an iteroparous anadromous fish
We present a simulation model in which individual adult migrant American shad (Alosa sapidissima) ascend the Connecticut River and spawn, and survivors return to the marine environment. Our approach synthesizes bioenergetics, reproductive biology, and behavior to estimate the effects of migratory distance and delays incurred at dams on spawning success and survival. We quantified both...
Authors
Theodore Castro-Santos, Benjamin H. Letcher
Fish guidance and passage at barriers Fish guidance and passage at barriers
Habitat fragmentation resulting from human activities is a major factor contributing to reductions in biodiversity and species abundance worldwide. When movements are restricted, subpopulations become isolated, leading to reduced breeding opportunities, inbreeding depression, and interruption of key life stages. This problem is particularly ubiquitous in riverine ecosystems, where dams...
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Alexander Haro
Three-dimensional movement of silver-phase American eels in the forebay of a small hydroelectric facility Three-dimensional movement of silver-phase American eels in the forebay of a small hydroelectric facility
Declines in the population of the American eel, Anguilla rostrata, along the northwestern Atlantic have stimulated resource managers to consider the impact of hydroelectric facilities on silver-phase eels as they migrate downstream to the sea. During the fall of 2002, we investigated the movement of migrant eels passing downstream of a small hydroelectric facility on the Connecticut...
Authors
Leah Brown, Alexander Haro, Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Biomechanics and fisheries conservation Biomechanics and fisheries conservation
No abstract available.
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Alexander Haro
Modeling the effect of varying swim speeds on fish passage through velocity barriers Modeling the effect of varying swim speeds on fish passage through velocity barriers
The distance fish can swim through zones of high-velocity flow is an important factor limiting the distribution and conservation of riverine and diadromous fishes. Often, these barriers are characterized by nonuniform flow conditions, and it is likely that fish will swim at varying speeds to traverse them. Existing models used to predict passage success, however, typically include the...
Authors
T. Castro-Santos
Optimal swim speeds for traversing velocity barriers: An analysis of volitional high-speed swimming behavior of migratory fishes Optimal swim speeds for traversing velocity barriers: An analysis of volitional high-speed swimming behavior of migratory fishes
Migrating fish traversing velocity barriers are often forced to swim at speeds greater than their maximum sustained speed (Ums). Failure to select an appropriate swim speed under these conditions can prevent fish from successfully negotiating otherwise passable barriers. I propose a new model of a distance-maximizing strategy for fishes traversing velocity barriers, derived from the...
Authors
T. Castro-Santos
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 82
Modeling migratory energetics of Connecticut River American shad (Alosa sapidissima): implications for the conservation of an iteroparous anadromous fish Modeling migratory energetics of Connecticut River American shad (Alosa sapidissima): implications for the conservation of an iteroparous anadromous fish
We present a simulation model in which individual adult migrant American shad (Alosa sapidissima) ascend the Connecticut River and spawn, and survivors return to the marine environment. Our approach synthesizes bioenergetics, reproductive biology, and behavior to estimate the effects of migratory distance and delays incurred at dams on spawning success and survival. We quantified both...
Authors
Theodore Castro-Santos, Benjamin H. Letcher
Fish guidance and passage at barriers Fish guidance and passage at barriers
Habitat fragmentation resulting from human activities is a major factor contributing to reductions in biodiversity and species abundance worldwide. When movements are restricted, subpopulations become isolated, leading to reduced breeding opportunities, inbreeding depression, and interruption of key life stages. This problem is particularly ubiquitous in riverine ecosystems, where dams...
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Alexander Haro
Three-dimensional movement of silver-phase American eels in the forebay of a small hydroelectric facility Three-dimensional movement of silver-phase American eels in the forebay of a small hydroelectric facility
Declines in the population of the American eel, Anguilla rostrata, along the northwestern Atlantic have stimulated resource managers to consider the impact of hydroelectric facilities on silver-phase eels as they migrate downstream to the sea. During the fall of 2002, we investigated the movement of migrant eels passing downstream of a small hydroelectric facility on the Connecticut...
Authors
Leah Brown, Alexander Haro, Theodore R. Castro-Santos
Biomechanics and fisheries conservation Biomechanics and fisheries conservation
No abstract available.
Authors
Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Alexander Haro
Modeling the effect of varying swim speeds on fish passage through velocity barriers Modeling the effect of varying swim speeds on fish passage through velocity barriers
The distance fish can swim through zones of high-velocity flow is an important factor limiting the distribution and conservation of riverine and diadromous fishes. Often, these barriers are characterized by nonuniform flow conditions, and it is likely that fish will swim at varying speeds to traverse them. Existing models used to predict passage success, however, typically include the...
Authors
T. Castro-Santos
Optimal swim speeds for traversing velocity barriers: An analysis of volitional high-speed swimming behavior of migratory fishes Optimal swim speeds for traversing velocity barriers: An analysis of volitional high-speed swimming behavior of migratory fishes
Migrating fish traversing velocity barriers are often forced to swim at speeds greater than their maximum sustained speed (Ums). Failure to select an appropriate swim speed under these conditions can prevent fish from successfully negotiating otherwise passable barriers. I propose a new model of a distance-maximizing strategy for fishes traversing velocity barriers, derived from the...
Authors
T. 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