Local Oregon State study finds relationship between Coho migration and tide gates
By Kristina NelsonNORTH BAY - Antenna and tracking devices, sounds like the makings of a undercover operation, but these two things are actually being used to help track and study the local Coho population in area rivers and streams. In March, members of the Oregon State University Fish and Wildlife Department and the Coos Watershed Association began a two and a half year long project examining the effect tide gates at the mouths of the Paloose River and Larson Slough have on fish migration. What makes the project unique is that each individual Coho living in these bodies of water are tagged with radio frequency tags the size of a penny so researchers can track their migration. "We use a hypodermic needle to insert it into the belly cavity of the fish. We catch the fish upstream in a rotary screw which is stationary. We check those once a day. The purpose is so we know who that fish is exactly, how much it weighed, how long it is and other factors about its condition. When the fish swim through the antennas located at the tide gate, we can see exactly what fish we're looking at and when," says graduate research assistant Arthur Bass. According to OSU Associate Fish and Wildlife Professor Guillermo Giannico and Bass say this project is the first of its kind in the world, and they're hoping the research will give them some answers into what types of tide gates affect Coho migration if any. "The question for us isn't so much should we remove the gates or not, but rather which tide gate, a side hinge or top hinge, is best for landowners and the fish." So far 700 fish have been tagged during this project which is funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board from Lottery proceeds. Most Popular |
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February 3, 2012
- Coos Bay / North Bend, Oregon
