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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Hydropower Biological Evaluation Toolset (HBET) Version 3.0: User Guide

The Hydropower Biological Evaluation Tools (HBET) software package, developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), is designed to assemble, organize, and process data collected by Sensor Fish and live fish. HBET enable users to characterize the hydraulic conditions of hydropower structures and estimate fish injury and mortality rates from various stressors. Future updates of the software may support other technologies, such as bead tracking in physical models and computational fluid dynamics. The HBET program can be customized to analyze different hydraulic applications, including turbines, spillways, weirs, pumped storage, and other user-defined functions, and therefore, help researchers, turbine designers, hydropower operators, and regulators better evaluate hydropower structures regarding their environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness. Added content to the user guide about the new feature for predicting absolute injury rates.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Molecular To Mesoscale Targeting of Oxoanions with Multi-Tasking Hosts

Achieving a better understanding of anion interactions both in solution and crystalline state was the overarching goal of this project. Anions are everywhere throughout Nature and play important roles in biological and environmental processes. They can be beneficial or deleterious or both in different situations and concentrations. For either reason it is important to have molecules that can bind anions for key needs that benefit society. However, recognition of specific anions is challenging due to the diffuse nature of their negative charge(s) as well as their various shapes and sizes. Understanding the basic properties of anions and how they interact with other molecules and ions in surrounding environments is key to selective recognition. In this project multi-tasking molecules for selective binding of targeted anions were designed to achieve cooperativity and synergism in one rather than multiple host molecules, including (1) cation:anion pair hosts for anions with charges of -2 or greater; (2) pH and redox activated hosts for on-off binding and release; and (3) multiple anion capture in extended host networks. Our design strategy was to combine the use of simple inexpensive building blocks and high yield synthetic pathways to provide economically feasible scale-up for applications. Oxoanions representing multiple shapes and charges were chosen based on having the potential for significant impact on DOE separations needs. Amide/amine-based macrocycles and urea/amine-based chelates and macrocycles with multiple hydrogen bonding sites provided the basic anion-binding frameworks. Successful multi-tasking outcomes were forthcoming in all three tasks. In Task 1, successful ion pair binding for anions with multiple charges was achieved. Furthermore, the ion pair molecules were capable of extended interactions through supramolecular intertwining, like fishing nets for capturing pools of fish (also fitting with Task 3). In Task 2, molecules were synthesized possessing on-off switches. These included a pH sensitive sensor for on-off binding of anions in general, as well as an electrochemical sensor selective for sulfate capture. Three new classes of extended anion host networks capable of binding multiple ions was a major outcome of Task 3. These systems included: anion sensitive, fluorescent organogels; channel-forming macrocycles for studying anion-water including larger macrocyclic cluster sandwiches; and, the offshoot of Task 1, fishing net ion-pair networks for higher valent anions. These strategies can be expanded in the future to other ions and molecules for a better understanding of intermolecular and interionic interactions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Assessing individual movement, habitat use, and behavior of non-breeding marine birds in relation to prey availability in the US Atlantic

Resource availability is a key factor driving marine bird movements and distributions, but direct information on prey availability is difficult to obtain at relevant scales. We present novel methods for describing multi-scale trophic associations, combining movement analyses of marine birds with estimates of forage fish surface aggregations from digital aerial survey data and species occupancy from bottom trawl survey data. We analyzed satellite telemetry data from northern gannets Morus bassanus , red-throated loons Gavia stellata , and long-tailed ducks Clangula hyemalis in the US Atlantic during the non-breeding period. Using discrete-time hidden Markov models to distinguish area-restricted (i.e. putative foraging) from transit movements, we examined how environmental factors influence movement, and how forage fish species distributions and surface aggregations influence habitat use by gannets and loons that have greater dietary reliance. Our results suggest that chlorophyll a concentration significantly affected movement behavior across species, highlighting the importance of higher-productivity areas around estuaries during colder months when regional productivity is low. Though variable across species and seasons, spatial cross-correlation analysis revealed that herring species (Family Clupeidae), including Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus , may be important resources; it also showed positive spatial correlations with forage fish aggregations. This suggests that prey patch dynamics and factors driving aggregation formation may be as important as species composition. However, spatial patterns were generally low (<0.3), suggesting a mismatch in spatiotemporal resolution, exemplifying the challenges in quantifying trophic relationships in marine systems. Disentangling predator-prey relationships is critical to understanding the mechanisms driving marine bird behavior in rapidly changing marine systems.

Environmental Sciences & Ecology↗
DOE OSTI2024

The BIRDIES Experiment: Measuring Beryllium Isotopes to Resolve Dynamics in the Stratosphere

Cosmogenic beryllium-10 and beryllium-7, and the ratio of the two (10Be/7Be), are powerful atmospheric tracers of stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) processes; however, measurements are sparse for altitudes well above the tropopause. We present a novel high-altitude balloon campaign aimed to measure these isotopes in the mid-stratosphere called Beryllium Isotopes for Resolving Dynamics in the Stratosphere (BIRDIES). BIRDIES targeted gravity waves produced by tropopause-overshooting convection to study their propagation and impact on STE dynamics, including the production of turbulence in the stratosphere. Two custom-designed payloads called FiSH and GASP were flown at altitudes approaching 30 km to measure in situ turbulence and beryllium isotopes (on aerosols), respectively. These were flown on nine high-altitude balloon flights over Kansas, USA, in summer 2022. The atmospheric samples were augmented with a ground-based rainfall collection targeting isotopic signatures of deep convection overshooting. Our GASP samples yielded mostly negligible amounts of both 10Be and 7Be collected in the mid-stratosphere but led to design improvements to increase aerosol capture in low-pressure environments. Observations from FiSH and the precipitation collection were more fruitful. FiSH showed the presence of turbulent velocity, temperature, and acoustic fluctuations in the stratosphere, including length scales in the infra-sonic range and inertial subrange that indicated times of elevated turbulence. The precipitation collection, and subsequent statistical analysis, showed that large spatial datasets of 10Be/7Be can be measured in individual rainfall events with minimum terrestrial contamination. While the spatial patterns in rainfall suggested some evidence for overshooting convection, inter-event temporal variability was clearly observed and predicted with good agreement using the 3D chemical transport model GEOS-CHEM.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Early Immune Modulation in European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Juveniles in Response to Betanodavirus Infection

The early host–pathogen interaction between European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and Betanodavirus was examined by using juvenile fish infected intramuscularly with RGNNV (red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus). The time course selected for sampling (0–144 h post-infection (hpi)) covered the early stages of infection, with hematological, antioxidant and immunological responses examined. Early activation of the host’s immune system was seen in the first few hours post-infection (6 to 9 hpi), as evidenced by an increase in tnfα, cd28 and c3 expression in the head kidney of infected fish. Most hematological parameters that were examined showed significant differences between sampling times, including differences in the number of thrombocytes and various leukocyte populations. The plasma lysozyme concentration decreased significantly over the course of the trial, and most antioxidant parameters examined in the liver showed significant differences over the infection period. At 144 hpi, peak expression of tnfα and il-1β coincided with the appearance of disease symptoms, peak levels of virus in the brain and high levels of fish mortality. The results of the study show the importance of analyzing the early interactions between European seabass and Betanodavirus to establish early indicators of infection to prevent more severe outcomes of the infection from occurring.

Vaz, Mariana↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Small Warm Tributary Provides Prespawning Resources for Colorado Pikeminnow in a Cold Dam-Regulated River

Abstract Riverine habitat mosaics, including tributaries, are an important reason the Green River subbasin supports the largest remaining population of federally endangered Colorado Pikeminnow Ptychocheilus lucius in the Colorado River Basin. Upstream Colorado Pikeminnow distribution is limited by Flaming Gorge Dam and few typically occurred in the reach immediately downstream of the dam, which is the reach most affected by thermal and hydrologic alterations. However, fish captures and passive integrated transponder (PIT) antenna sampling of previously tagged individuals from 2011 to 2021 revealed seasonal congregations of up to 75 Colorado Pikeminnow annually in the mouth of Vermillion Creek, a small tributary in the regulated reach. Approximately 11% (N = 93 individuals) of the entire 2017–2018 Green River basin population were encountered in Vermillion Creek over the 11-y study, an underestimate of use considering that untagged fish were not detected by antennas. Colorado Pikeminnow used Vermillion Creek primarily when Green River spring flows from Flaming Gorge Dam were high and cold in May through mid-June when the confluence was a large, deep backwater warmer than the main channel and supported forage fishes. Intra-annual encounters revealed seasonal residence times for individual Colorado Pikeminnow up to 91 d, and multiple inter-annual encounters indicated site fidelity. Frequent detections of individual Colorado Pikeminnow in a Yampa River spawning area soon after their detections in Vermillion Creek indicate this tributary may be an important resource for reproductive adults. The intensive and basin-wide PIT tagging and detection program for Colorado Pikeminnow enhanced our understanding of the importance of small habitat nodes such as Vermillion Creek in the Green River drainage network. Understanding and protecting these seasonally available riverine habitat mosaics used for prespawning conditioning may assist with recovery of Colorado Pikeminnow.

Biodiversity & Conservation↗
DOE OSTI2022

Safe passage of American Eels through a novel hydropower turbine

Abstract Objective Study the effects of downstream passage through a novel turbine designed for fish safety, the Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT), on American Eels Anguilla rostrata in a recirculating turbine test facility. Methods A 55‐cm‐diameter RHT was operated under 10 m of hydraulic head and 667 revolutions/min. In total, 131 eels were passed through the turbine and 43 eels were used as experimental controls (length = 33.9–65.5 cm). High‐speed video of passage through the runner region was captured for 89% of turbine‐passed eels, and injury and behavioral effects were recorded immediately before and after passage, as well as after a 48‐h holding period. A subset of 37 eels was additionally examined with X‐ray imaging for internal injuries. Result The 48‐h survival rate for both treatment and control groups was 100%, with no major internal or external injuries present after the holding period. Conclusion This is a substantial improvement over eel survival rates through conventional Kaplan and Francis turbines, which may range from 40% to 95%, and suggests that hydropower turbines designed for safe downstream fish passage could be implemented without major impacts to eels.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advanced Laboratory and Field Arrays (ALFA)/Lab Collaboration Project (LCP) for Marine Energy (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

The objective of the Advanced Laboratory and Field Arrays (ALFA) project was to reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) energy by leveraging research, development, and testing capabilities at Oregon State University, University of Washington, and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. ALFA is a project within the Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC; formerly NNMREC), a multi-institution entity with a diverse funding base that focuses on research and development for marine renewables. The ALFA project aimed to accelerate the development of next-generation arrays of wave energy conversion (WEC) and tidal energy conversion (TEC) devices through a suite of field-focused R&D activities spanning a broad range of strategic opportunity areas identified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement: • Device and/or array operation and maintenance (O&M) logistics development; • High-fidelity resource characterization and/or modeling technique development and validation; • Array-specific component technology development (e.g. moorings and foundations, transmission, and other offshore grid components); • Array performance testing and evaluation; and • Novel cost-effective environmental monitoring techniques and instrumentation testing and evaluation. The objective of the Lab Collaboration Project (LCP) was to accelerate the development of next-generation marine energy conversion systems. The LCP aimed to achieve these project objectives in collaboration with the national laboratories by: • Developing concept generation and assessment tools; • Improving access to existing testing resources; • Validating collision risk models between fish and turbines; and • Advancing analysis and simulation capabilities for wave-WEC interactions and PTO analysis in nonlinear ocean waves. The ALFA portion of the project was comprised of six overarching technical tasks: • Task 1: Debris Modeling, Detection and Mitigation; • Task 2: Autonomous Monitoring & Intervention; • Task 3: Resource Characterization for Extreme Conditions; • Task 4: Robust Models for Design of Offshore Anchoring and Mooring Systems; • Task 5: Performance Enhancement for Marine Energy Converter (MEC) Arrays; and • Task 6: Evaluating Sampling Techniques for MHK Biological Monitoring. The LCP was divided into four overarching technical tasks: • Task 7: Project Management and Reporting • Task 8: Novel Design and Assessment Methodologies for Wave Energy Converter Design (Wave- SPARC) • Task 9: Testing Access for Commercial Marine Renewable Energy Technology Developers • Task 10: Quantifying Collision Risk for Fish and Turbines • Task 11: Nonlinear Ocean Waves and PTO Control Strategy Each ALFA/LCP task listed above functioned as a separate and discreet project. A final Technical Report was written for each individual task and these reports were uploaded to OSTI, after receiving DOE approval. The following document is a compilation of each of these final, approved reports arranged as individual chapters.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Powering Progress: Increasing capacity for State Agency participation in the development of solar guidelines

This project supported State Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SFWAs) in their participation in an industry-led process to develop nationwide utility scale solar energy wildlife guidelines intended to mitigate the impacts of large-scale solar development on wildlife and natural habitats. Led by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), the project focused on documenting and communicating SFWA priorities, providing logistical and technical support for state engagement, and disseminating early outcomes to promote adoption and use.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa ) productivity influenced by microbial inocula under nitrogen-limited conditions in aquaponics

The demand for food will outpace productivity of conventional agriculture due to projected growth of the human population, concomitant with shrinkage of arable land, increasing scarcity of freshwater, and a rapidly changing climate. While aquaponics has potential to sustainably supplement food production with minimal environmental impact, there is a need to better characterize the complex interplay between the various components (fish, plant, microbiome) of these systems to optimize scale up and productivity. Here, we investigated how the commonly-implemented practice of continued microbial community transfer from pre-existing systems might promote or impede productivity of aquaponics. Specifically, we monitored plant growth phenotypes, water chemistry, and microbiome composition of rhizospheres, biofilters, and fish feces over 61-days of lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa) growth in nitrogen-limited aquaponic systems inoculated with bacteria that were either commercially sourced or originating from a pre-existing aquaponic system. Lettuce above- and below-ground growth were significantly reduced across replicates treated with a pre-existing aquaponic system inoculum when compared to replicates treated with a commercial inoculum. Reduced productivity was associated with enrichment in specific bacterial genera in plant roots, including Pseudomonas, following inoculum transfer from pre-existing systems. Increased productivity was associated with enrichment of nitrogen-fixing Rahnella in roots of plants treated with the commercial inoculum. Thus, we show that inoculation from a pre-existing system, rather than from a commercial inoculum, is associated with lower yields. Further work will be necessary to test the putative mechanisms involved.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations for Biological Performance Assessment in Hydropower units (Final Report)

The biological performance assessment (BioPA) toolset developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) estimates the relative biological performance of fish passage at a hydroelectric power turbine unit. The tool is based on the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and fish biological response relationships. The recent release, BioPA-v3, is based on directly computed trajectory and collision of material Lagrangian particles using CFD simulation codes rather than the prior version that relies on Tecplot to compute streamtrace trajectories. Before modifying the toolset, a series of validation tests were performed at the various steps of modification in the toolset. Validation is a critical step of any numerical investigation that reflects the accuracy and reliability of the predicted results. It raises the confidence level of the user to use the modified version of the BioPA toolset. Several test cases were simulated and compared, where available, to observed data. The trajectory and collision of the small spherical and cylindrical particles in a water flume were compared to in-house experiments. The CFD predicted collision rate and flow field compared well with experimental observation for vane array and large cylinder as target bodies. Next, the CFD-predicted flow field and hydraulic performance of a laboratory-scale model of a Francis turbine was also successfully validated. Note that the trajectory of the particles is significantly affected by the flow field in such extreme conditions. In addition to the particle trajectories and flow field, the collision detection method employed in the CFD simulations was also successfully validated. The CFD predicted impact velocity, collision time, velocity, and trajectory of a sphere excellently matched with analytical value for a bouncing ball in the elastic collision. A similar approach was also tested and successfully validated for a collision of sphere with a 45° inclined plane. After successfully validating different cases, the BioPA toolset was modified to use direct output of the CFD prediction and the new version can be used in evaluating biological performance at hydroelectric turbines.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hydropower Flexibility and Environmental Tradeoffs Analysis

The importance of hydropower increases as the power grid evolves with the higher variable renewable contribution. As conventional thermal power plants are retired, the importance of hydropower contribution increases to balance the variability of solar and wind generation. However, reservoir water resources are constrained by multiple constraints, and variability of water inflow to the reservoirs creates limitations to dam water releases for power grid needs. Coordinating multiple tools, including water resources, ecological, and technical and economic power grid modeling, informs dam water releases. The case study, the Columbia River Basin multipurpose reservoir project, is operated for hydropower production and many other purposes considering the aquatic habitat of the river basin. Specifically, the river basin fish population is a vital element for the tribal community of the river basin. We integrated a production cost model, a water resource model, and decades of tribal knowledge to analyze the fish-friendly way of operating Columbia hydropower scheduling and grid impacts. We measure power grid impacts for various water resources planning scenarios in terms of total system operating cost, system reliability indicators, changes in wind and solar generation and curtailments, local marginal prices, and revenue for hydropower producers. The study results inform reservoir operating rules decisions from hydropower power producers, system operators, other water users, tribes, environmentalists, and other stakeholders.

Columbia River↗
DOE OSTI2024

Predicting responses to climate change using a joint species, spatially dependent physiologically guided abundance model

Abstract Predicting the effects of warming temperatures on the abundance and distribution of organisms under future climate scenarios often requires extrapolating species–environment correlations to climatic conditions not currently experienced by a species, which can result in unrealistic predictions. For poikilotherms, incorporating species' thermal physiology to inform extrapolations under novel thermal conditions can result in more realistic predictions. Furthermore, models that incorporate species and spatial dependencies may improve predictions by capturing correlations present in ecological data that are not accounted for by predictor variables. Here, we present a joint species, spatially dependent physiologically guided abundance (jsPGA) model for predicting multispecies responses to climate warming. The jsPGA model uses a basis function approach to capture both species and spatial dependencies. We apply the jsPGA model to predict the response of eight fish species to projected climate warming in thousands of lakes in Minnesota, USA. By the end of the century, the cold‐adapted species was predicted to have high probabilities of extirpation across its current range—with 10% of lakes currently inhabited by this species having an extirpation probability >0.90. The remaining species had varying levels of predicted changes in abundance, reflecting differences in their thermal physiology. Though the model did not identify many strong species dependencies, the variation in estimated spatial dependence across species suggested that accounting for both dependencies was important for predicting the abundance of these fishes. The jsPGA model provides a new tool for predicting changes in the abundance, distribution, and extirpation probability of poikilotherms under novel thermal conditions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Connecting suborganismal data to bioenergetic processes: killifish embryos exposed to a dioxin-like compound

A core challenge for ecological risk assessment is to integrate molecular responses into a chain of causality to organismal or population level outcomes. Bioenergetic theory may be a useful approach for integrating suborganismal responses to predict organismal level responses that influence population dynamics. In this work, we describe a novel application of Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB), theory in the context of a toxicity framework (Adverse Outcome Pathways, AOP) to make quantitative predictions of chemical exposures to individuals, starting from suborganismal data. We use early life stage exposure of Fundulus heteroclitus to dioxin-like chemicals (DLCs) and connect AOP Key Events (KEs) to DEB processes through “damage” that is produced at a rate proportional to the internal toxicant concentration. We use transcriptomic data of fish embryos exposed to DLCs to translate molecular indicators of damage into changes in DEB parameters (damage increases somatic maintenance costs) and use DEB models to predict sublethal and lethal effects of young fish. By changing a small subset of model parameters, we predict the evolved tolerance to DLCs in some wild F. heteroclitus populations, a data set not used in model parameterization. The differences in model parameters points to reduced sensitivity and altered damage repair dynamics as contributing to this evolved resistance. Our methodology has potential extrapolation to untested chemicals of ecological concern.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗
DOE OSTI2021

Morphology and composition of Goldeye (Hiodontidae; Hiodon alosoides) otoliths

In this work, we provide up-todate morphological and compositional data on otoliths of the osteoglossomorph Goldeye (Hiodon alosoides). Using computed tomography (CT) X-ray, we documented the location of each of the three pairs of otoliths (lapilli, sagittae, and asterisci) in relation to the swim bladder, which extended forward in close proximity to the sagittae and asterisci. The lappili were the largest otoliths in terms of surface area and volume, but the sagittae were highly modified, appearing spiral in shape when viewed dorsally, with a surface area to volume ratio more than double that of the lapilli. Using scanning electron microscopy, the surface of each otolith was viewable in great detail, and small otoconia (~10.5 μm diameter) were observed on each, but were most numerous on the sagittae. Additionally, on scanning electron micrographs, the sagittae appeared to be bi-lobed, with asymmetrical lobes each oriented in the same general direction. Using neutron and X-ray diffraction methods, we found three polymorphs of calcium carbonate crystals (aragonite, vaterite, and calcite), sometimes all within the same otolith. However, in general, lapilli and sagittae were composed predominately of aragonite whereas asterisci were composed chiefly of vaterite. With these results, we provide information on a unique species, whose inclusion in future studies would benefit our understanding of fish hearing, fish evolution, and fisheries ecology.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Stock-specific spatial overlap among seabird predators and Columbia River juvenile Chinook Salmon suggests a mechanism for predation during early marine residence

Abstract Objective Because predation is thought to be the primary source of natural mortality for juvenile salmon first entering the ocean, we sought to identify regions where, on average, stock-specific spatial overlap between the distribution of threatened and endangered juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and abundant fish-eating seabirds (common murres Uria aalge and sooty shearwaters Ardenna grisea) suggests the greatest potential for ocean predation risk to juvenile Chinook Salmon. Methods The relative abundance and spatial distribution of seabird predators and juvenile Chinook Salmon were quantified as part of long-term ecosystem surveys during May 2003–2012 and June 2003–2022. Genetic stock identification methods were used to assign individual fish to their respective stock groups. Stock-specific species distribution models then generated maps and indices of average annual spatial overlap between predators and prey within the survey area. Result There is unequivocal evidence for spatial overlap between common murres, sooty shearwaters, and five genetic groups of interior and lower Columbia River juvenile Chinook Salmon. We found strongly positive (≥0.70) spatial correlations between predator and prey densities in both May and June, although spatial overlap was, in general, greater during May. The region of highest spatial overlap occurred on the inner continental shelf between the Columbia River mouth (46.2°N) and Grays Harbor (47.0°N), a region at the beginning of the juvenile salmon migratory pathway that is strongly affected by freshwater outflow from the river. Conclusion Our findings support the idea that ocean avian predation during early marine residence has the potential to affect marine survival of juvenile Chinook Salmon and should be further investigated to better inform and implement ecological models and possible recovery actions for Chinook Salmon populations of the Columbia River basin.

Zamon, Jeannette E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Efficacy of a Short-Term Captive Broodstock Program Compared with Hatchery-Origin Spring Chinook Salmon Derived from the Same Population

Abstract We examined the efficacy of a one-generation (five brood years: 1997–2001) captive broodstock program for spring Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha by comparing survival rates of captive broodstock progeny (CBP; F2) with that of hatchery-origin fish (HOR) from a conservation hatchery supplementation program in which both groups were derived from the Tucannon River (Washington State) population for the 2000–2006 brood years. Survival rates compared were egg to fry, fry to smolt, egg to smolt, total (ages 3–5) and adult (ages 4+) smolt-to-adult-return (SAR) survival, and total (ages 3–5) and adult (ages 4+) progeny-to-parent (P:P) ratio. Total escapement and adult P:P ratios were also examined to determine if observed demographic benefits to the population continued after the captive broodstock program ended. The CBP group had lower within-hatchery survival than the HOR group, with significant differences in survival at the egg-to-fry and egg-to-smolt stages due to poor egg viability. Mean untransformed total and adult SARs for the CBP were half those of the HOR group; however, SARs did not differ significantly. The CBP also had significantly lower total and adult P:P ratios than the HOR group and were below replacement for six of the seven brood years. While the captive broodstock provided additional fish for release that would not have been available otherwise, overall the CBP performed poorly and below expectations compared with the HOR group, both within the hatchery and after release. The captive broodstock program provided a short-term demographic boost, most notable in the 2008–2010 return years, but the benefit did not carry over after the program ended.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Size and Distribution of Parr Produced from Natural‐ and Hatchery‐Origin Steelhead Spawning Naturally in a Small Pacific Northwest Coastal Stream

Abstract Recent studies suggest that steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss produced from local hatchery‐origin (HOR) adults have lower lifetime fitness than their natural‐origin (NOR) counterparts. To increase our understanding of this pattern, we compared age‐1 parr size and distribution produced by a local integrated population of HOR and NOR adults spawning naturally across a range of environmental conditions. Across 8 years, we used genetic parentage assignments and field measurements of parr in conjunction with creek temperature and flow data to find small, nonbiologically significant differences in size between parr of different parent origins. This suggests that parr produced by HOR adults are acquiring enough resources to grow at a rate similar to that of parr produced by NOR adults. In contrast to origin, we found strong positive associations between mean size of parr and annual mean water temperature and summer flow. Additionally, the distribution of parr was similar and HOR‐produced parr were not skewed relative to the location of the hatchery. Parr occupying the full extent of accessible and suitable habitat might be a positive outcome for hatchery programs seeking to supplement an existing population or replace an extirpated population. However, these results also imply that HOR fish could be competing with NOR fish for food and space, which might be less desirable if the goal of the hatchery program is harvest and not supplementation. Our results highlight the importance of clearly articulated goals for the hatchery program, as the observed pattern could be deemed a benefit or a risk depending on the hatchery's purpose. Lastly, projections for higher water temperatures and reduced summer flows, when considered in the context of the correlations we observed for size of parr, imply that coastal steelhead populations could start experiencing negative climate impacts with respect to steelhead parr growth metrics during the summer in the next few decades.

Kennedy, Benjamen M.↗