Expanding the ‘‘toolbox’’ for studying the biological responses of individual fish to hydropower infrastructure and operating strategies

摘要

To date, few studies have evaluated sub-organismal responses (e.g., physiological or energetic consequences) ofnindividual fish to hydropower infrastructure (e.g., fishways, turbines) or operations (e.g., fluctuating flows, low flows). Thenfield of ‘‘conservation physiology’’ (i.e., the use of physiological information to enhance conservation) is expanding rap-nidly and has great promise for hydropower research. However, there is a need to both expand the ‘‘toolbox’’ available tonpractitioners and to validate these tools for use in this context. This synthetic report details the behavioural, energetic, ge-nnomic, molecular, forensic, isotopic, and physiological tools available for studying sub-organismal responses of fish to hy-ndropower infrastructure and operating procedures with a critical assessment of their benefits and limitations. Furthermore,nthis paper provides two case studies where behavioural, energetic, and physiological tools have been used in hydropowernsettings. Progressive and interdisciplinary approaches to hydropower research are needed to advance the science of sustain-nable river regulation and hydropower development. The expanded toolbox could be used by practitioners to assess fishwaynperformance, migration delays, and fish responses to fluctuating flows through a more mechanistic approach than can benoffered by only focusing on population metrics or indices of community structure. These tools are also relevant for thenevaluation of other anthropogenic impacts such as water withdrawal for irrigation or drinking water, habitat alteration, andnfisheries interaction