Bevel Rotation and Insertion Angle: Decreasing Surgical Impacts On Salmonids

Acoustic telemetry has become a common tool for observing migratory patterns and estimating species survival.  As new telemetry technologies become available, studies of their effects on species of interest are imperative as is the development of implantation techniques.  Over the past three years, researchers and engineers modified current acoustic micro-transmitters into less invasive designs by developing an injectable acoustic micro-transmitter (IAMT) for the Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS).  Based on regional passive integrative transponder (PIT) tag implantation expertise, a capsule that can be injected with a needle and syringe is the least traumatic and cost effective method for implantation of IAMT in juvenile salmon.  This presentation focuses on the effects of changing the injection angle and the rotation of the bevel throughout the injection process to isolate the effects of these two variables on wound size and healing time.  Although the injection sites were not closed after injection (e.g., with sutures or glue), there were no mortalities, dropped tags, or indications of fungus, ulceration, and/or redness around the wound.  Wound healing occurred within 7 days.  Axial rotation and positioning during the injection process changed the resultant wound size and healing time.