Combining habitat selection, behavioural states, and individual variation to predict fish spatial usage near a barrier
Riverine barriers are threatening freshwater fish migration, with major impacts on fish populations. Effective management requires understanding of fish movement and behaviour as they approach a barrier and fish pass, which can inform optimal mitigation options and barrier management. Here, the move...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Ecological Informatics |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124005090 |
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| author | Rachel Mawer Jelger Elings Stijn P. Bruneel Ine S. Pauwels Eliezer Pickholtz Renanel Pickholtz Johan Coeck Peter L.M. Goethals |
| author_facet | Rachel Mawer Jelger Elings Stijn P. Bruneel Ine S. Pauwels Eliezer Pickholtz Renanel Pickholtz Johan Coeck Peter L.M. Goethals |
| author_sort | Rachel Mawer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Riverine barriers are threatening freshwater fish migration, with major impacts on fish populations. Effective management requires understanding of fish movement and behaviour as they approach a barrier and fish pass, which can inform optimal mitigation options and barrier management. Here, the movements of upstream migrating barbel Barbus barbus and grayling Thymallus thymallus near a barrier were analysed and results used to develop predictive models. Fish were tracked via 2D acoustic telemetry. Hidden Markov models were used to distinguish behavioural states and step selection functions were applied to determine habitat selection by the fish in each state. Model results were explored to assess the benefits of including behavioural state and understand state-specific habitat preferences, then cross-validated and used to develop an individual based model to predict fish spatial usage. Little difference existed in habitat selection between states and individual variation was high, limiting general trends that could be described. Overall, barbel preferred deeper or faster water while for grayling, few trends could be described. Under the tested flow conditions, high spatial usage was predicted in the area directly downstream of the barrier. In addition, barbel usage was high in the area by and downstream of the fish pass entrance but not for grayling, which may indicate a need to improve pass attractiveness for grayling. The predictive model produced directed upstream movements of fish similar to those expected for upstream migrating freshwater fish, highlighting model potential for fish passage applications in future iterations. The high individual variability in fish behaviour drives the need for individual-based approaches for predicting fish movement. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4f7ebdf7d09142598ce7a84bcc089443 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1574-9541 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Informatics |
| spelling | doaj-art-4f7ebdf7d09142598ce7a84bcc0894432025-01-19T06:24:41ZengElsevierEcological Informatics1574-95412025-03-0185102967Combining habitat selection, behavioural states, and individual variation to predict fish spatial usage near a barrierRachel Mawer0Jelger Elings1Stijn P. Bruneel2Ine S. Pauwels3Eliezer Pickholtz4Renanel Pickholtz5Johan Coeck6Peter L.M. Goethals7Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Corresponding author at: School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UKDepartment of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, BelgiumResearch Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, BelgiumIndependent Researcher, East Brunswick, NJ, USASchool of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelResearch Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumRiverine barriers are threatening freshwater fish migration, with major impacts on fish populations. Effective management requires understanding of fish movement and behaviour as they approach a barrier and fish pass, which can inform optimal mitigation options and barrier management. Here, the movements of upstream migrating barbel Barbus barbus and grayling Thymallus thymallus near a barrier were analysed and results used to develop predictive models. Fish were tracked via 2D acoustic telemetry. Hidden Markov models were used to distinguish behavioural states and step selection functions were applied to determine habitat selection by the fish in each state. Model results were explored to assess the benefits of including behavioural state and understand state-specific habitat preferences, then cross-validated and used to develop an individual based model to predict fish spatial usage. Little difference existed in habitat selection between states and individual variation was high, limiting general trends that could be described. Overall, barbel preferred deeper or faster water while for grayling, few trends could be described. Under the tested flow conditions, high spatial usage was predicted in the area directly downstream of the barrier. In addition, barbel usage was high in the area by and downstream of the fish pass entrance but not for grayling, which may indicate a need to improve pass attractiveness for grayling. The predictive model produced directed upstream movements of fish similar to those expected for upstream migrating freshwater fish, highlighting model potential for fish passage applications in future iterations. The high individual variability in fish behaviour drives the need for individual-based approaches for predicting fish movement.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124005090Step selection functionsAcoustic telemetryHydropowerIndividual based modelFine-scale telemetryFish migration |
| spellingShingle | Rachel Mawer Jelger Elings Stijn P. Bruneel Ine S. Pauwels Eliezer Pickholtz Renanel Pickholtz Johan Coeck Peter L.M. Goethals Combining habitat selection, behavioural states, and individual variation to predict fish spatial usage near a barrier Ecological Informatics Step selection functions Acoustic telemetry Hydropower Individual based model Fine-scale telemetry Fish migration |
| title | Combining habitat selection, behavioural states, and individual variation to predict fish spatial usage near a barrier |
| title_full | Combining habitat selection, behavioural states, and individual variation to predict fish spatial usage near a barrier |
| title_fullStr | Combining habitat selection, behavioural states, and individual variation to predict fish spatial usage near a barrier |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combining habitat selection, behavioural states, and individual variation to predict fish spatial usage near a barrier |
| title_short | Combining habitat selection, behavioural states, and individual variation to predict fish spatial usage near a barrier |
| title_sort | combining habitat selection behavioural states and individual variation to predict fish spatial usage near a barrier |
| topic | Step selection functions Acoustic telemetry Hydropower Individual based model Fine-scale telemetry Fish migration |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124005090 |
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