Rapid changes in water discharge, a phenomenon known as hydropeaking, can disturb aquatic ecosystems, and researchers have sought to understand how fish species cope with such unnatural alterations. In our experiments, in collaboration with researchers in the ETH Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology, the Swiss Federal Institute WSL, and the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, juvenile brown trout were exposed to abrupt increases in discharge while using image analysis to track their fine-scale movement responses in a novel laboratory flume setup. Our findings were striking: to cope with the changing conditions, fish were capable of relocating laterally within minutes and reducing their exploratory behavior. This research, published in Science of the Total Environment, may contribute to future conservation efforts, ensuring that aquatic organisms are better protected as hydropower continues to play a crucial role in global energy production.
Many thanks and congratulations to everyone involved!