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T-12-12 Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS) Development and Use in the Pacific Northwest: A Unique Approach
Tuesday, August 21, 2012: 11:00 AM
Meeting Room 12 (RiverCentre)
Beginning in 2001, the Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS) was developed by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to address complex questions regarding juvenile fish passage and
survival through the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) in the northwestern United States.
The system was originally developed to address fish migratory behavior and survival questions that could
not be addressed with any technology that existed at that time. Continued development of the technology
has taken place as a result of the unique non-proprietary nature of the system and the procurement
approach that has been utilized by the USACE to provide the necessary transmitters and receiving
systems to researchers. As a result of the nonproprietary nature of the system, JSATS transmitters and
receivers are now available from multiple biotelemetry vendors. The current JSATS consists of the
smallest commercially available transmitters that weigh 0.3 g in air, transmit at a frequency of 416.7 kHz,
and have a battery life ranging from 25 to 60 days, depending on the pulse repetition interval. Receiving
systems currently in use include autonomous units that may be deployed in fresh or marine waters
where presence/absence data are required. In areas where 3D behavior of tagged animals is desired,
cabled receivers are used to detect individual tag transmissions for derivation of detailed 3D tracks. The
JSATS has been used by many research organizations and development efforts continue to address new
applications. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has participated in the development and use
of the JSATS for a multitude of fish behavior and survival questions throughout freshwater and marine
systems for the past 12 years. Case studies showing the use of JSATS to increase the understanding
of the behavior and survival of juvenile salmonids (95 to 300 mm) in the FCRPS and in the Columbia
River estuary and plume illustrate the utility of the system to a wide range of environments and levels of
inquiry.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to address complex questions regarding juvenile fish passage and
survival through the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) in the northwestern United States.
The system was originally developed to address fish migratory behavior and survival questions that could
not be addressed with any technology that existed at that time. Continued development of the technology
has taken place as a result of the unique non-proprietary nature of the system and the procurement
approach that has been utilized by the USACE to provide the necessary transmitters and receiving
systems to researchers. As a result of the nonproprietary nature of the system, JSATS transmitters and
receivers are now available from multiple biotelemetry vendors. The current JSATS consists of the
smallest commercially available transmitters that weigh 0.3 g in air, transmit at a frequency of 416.7 kHz,
and have a battery life ranging from 25 to 60 days, depending on the pulse repetition interval. Receiving
systems currently in use include autonomous units that may be deployed in fresh or marine waters
where presence/absence data are required. In areas where 3D behavior of tagged animals is desired,
cabled receivers are used to detect individual tag transmissions for derivation of detailed 3D tracks. The
JSATS has been used by many research organizations and development efforts continue to address new
applications. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has participated in the development and use
of the JSATS for a multitude of fish behavior and survival questions throughout freshwater and marine
systems for the past 12 years. Case studies showing the use of JSATS to increase the understanding
of the behavior and survival of juvenile salmonids (95 to 300 mm) in the FCRPS and in the Columbia
River estuary and plume illustrate the utility of the system to a wide range of environments and levels of
inquiry.