The Ability Of A Cyclic Sound On Its Own, And When Coupled With An Air Curtain, To Block Ten Species Of Fish Including Carp In A Laboratory Flume

Abstract

There is a critical need to stop the upstream movement of invasive Asian carps in the Mississippi River. One strategy to stop this would be to install sensory deterrent systems in navigation locks. Because carps have excellent hearing, sound is being considered. My thesis examined the ability of sound and sound coupled with air to block a range of fish species, including four species of carp, in the laboratory. Responses to sound alone did not appear to be related to the possession of hearing specializations. In particular, silver and grass carp were relatively unaffected. Coupling this sound with an air curtain increased its efficacy at repelling all fish species and generally corresponded with the presence of hearing specializations. This laboratory study suggests that although a cyclic sound has little potential to block all carp species, coupling the sound to an air curtain has greater potential with little species-specificity.