Fish runs have finally started in the Gaspereau River! After what seemed like an endlessly long and cold winter, water temperatures are only just starting to warm to what the Alewives and other anadromous species like. As I prepare to start my tagging work, there is just one more round of receiver deployments left to do!
The receivers we deployed, called VR2W – 180 kHz receivers, are designed to operate with VEMCO’s line of 180 kHz tags, such as the ones used to tag Atlantic Salmon smolts and Alewife. The receiver itself is a hydrophone (underwater microphone) that picks up the tag's sound signal and converts it to data, which can be used to position the fish in space and time. The receivers we deployed today will be used to track movements of Alewife tagged at the Lane's Mills fish ladder, located further upstream.
PS: Please, if you ever come across research gear in the water, leave it where it is! If you have any questions about the work being done, you can contact the researchers directly (most gear will be marked with names and phone numbers). PPS: Thanks to Joel Sheffield at Maplewood Farms for letting us access the river from his property!
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AuthorLiza is a marine biologist, artist and photographer with a passion for ocean conservation. Archives |