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
Sprinting performance of two Iberian fish: Luciobarbus bocagei and Pseudochondrostoma duriense in an open channel flume 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...
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) 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 volitional swimming speed (Us) estimates of cultured lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) and these were paired with simultaneously recorded...
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 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...
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 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...
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) 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...
Authors
Jaime Otero, Jan Henning L’Abee-Lund, Theodore Castro-Santos, Kjell Leonardsson, Geir O. Storvik, Bror Jonsson, J. Brian Dempson, Ian C. Russell, Arne J. Jensen, Jean-Luc Bagliniere, Mélanie Dionne, John D. Armstrong, Atso Romakkaniemi, Benjamin H. Letcher, John F. Kocik, Jaakko Erkinaro, Russell Poole, Ger Rogan, Hans Lundqvist, Julian C. MacLean, Erkki Jokikokko, Jo Vegar Arnekleiv, Richard J. Kennedy, Eero Niemela, 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, Oystein Skaala, Gordon W. Smith, Harald Saegrov, N. C. Stenseth, Leif Asbjørn Vøllestad
Posthandling survival and PIT tag retention by alewives—a comparison of gastric and surgical implants 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...
Authors
Theodore Castro-Santos, Volney Voni
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 82
Sprinting performance of two Iberian fish: Luciobarbus bocagei and Pseudochondrostoma duriense in an open channel flume 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...
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) 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 volitional swimming speed (Us) estimates of cultured lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) and these were paired with simultaneously recorded...
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 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...
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 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...
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) 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...
Authors
Jaime Otero, Jan Henning L’Abee-Lund, Theodore Castro-Santos, Kjell Leonardsson, Geir O. Storvik, Bror Jonsson, J. Brian Dempson, Ian C. Russell, Arne J. Jensen, Jean-Luc Bagliniere, Mélanie Dionne, John D. Armstrong, Atso Romakkaniemi, Benjamin H. Letcher, John F. Kocik, Jaakko Erkinaro, Russell Poole, Ger Rogan, Hans Lundqvist, Julian C. MacLean, Erkki Jokikokko, Jo Vegar Arnekleiv, Richard J. Kennedy, Eero Niemela, 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, Oystein Skaala, Gordon W. Smith, Harald Saegrov, N. C. Stenseth, Leif Asbjørn Vøllestad
Posthandling survival and PIT tag retention by alewives—a comparison of gastric and surgical implants 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...
Authors
Theodore Castro-Santos, Volney Voni
*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