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At least 37 records · Page 2

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↗

Comparison of fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing and high-sensitivity sensor spatial surveying of stream temperature

Measuring surface water temperature spatial variability is needed to estimate the interaction between surface water and groundwater, evaluate fish habitat and thermal inertia, and to estimate streamflow frequency and duration. Fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) has been used in rivers and lakes, providing high-resolution and sensitive temperature monitoring over large temporal and spatial scales. However, in streams with cobbly or bedrock-lined streambeds and variable bathymetry, use of FO-DTS to measure temperature close to the surface water and groundwater interface can be challenging if even feasible. FO-DTS can also be costly, involve difficult installations, and require an advanced understanding of the technology, calibration, and data processing. In this study, we compared FO-DTS stream temperature survey results to an alternative temperature survey method employing a towed transect of high-resolution temperature loggers spaced at 1-m and transported in the stream along the study reach, to measure the spatial distribution of stream-water temperature in East Fork Poplar Creek near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. We assessed the applicability and limitations of the two methods, and quantitatively compared in-situ temperature survey results measured simultaneously with each method. Regression results showed strong temporal and spatial correlation between the two methods. Differences were only elevated near the stream banks in areas that were coincident with correlation slope deviations from unity, which was attributed to shallower water and lower data density. Kriging standard errors were also low at channel center with minor increases near the stream banks. Furthermore, the results suggested that the array of the individual temperature sensors can provide a practical alternative to FO-DTS for thermal characterization of surface water, providing slightly lower spatial and temporal resolution, but with higher accuracy of temperature measurement, with greater simplicity, and with a broader range of conditions where it may be applied.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Fish scale-loss caused by simulated hydraulic shear stress

Riverine fishes found within streams impacted by hydropower also often pass through hydropower turbines during annual downstream migrations. During turbine passage events, fish may experience a suite of stressors including rapid pressure changes, impacts from turbine blades, and exposure to hydraulic shear. Scale-loss is often observed in fish collected below dams and hydraulic shear is the most likely cause of this trauma. While exposure to shear may cause other injuries, scale-loss appears to be the most common non-lethal injury observed to date. We sought to quantify how hydraulic shear may cause scale-loss in rainbow trout, gizzard shad, and hybrid striped bass by precisely controlling the exposure level (velocity) and duration (seconds) of a water jet. We targeted the same area for all three species found between the operculum and dorsal fin on the left, lateral surface. Exposure velocities ranged from 0 (controls) to 11.0 meters/second but fish were only exposed to the water jet for 1.5 seconds. A 0.2 milligram/milliliter solution of fluorescein was used to stain the areas of scale-loss by submerging each fish in this solution for at least 6 minutes. Fluorescein was used because it interacts with epithelial tissue that has been damaged and it fluoresces under ultraviolet lighting. Fish were photographed under short- and longwave ultraviolet lighting in a dark chamber to capture fluorescence. Fish photographs were analyzed using ImageJ and the proportion of descaled area was estimated for each fish within a 35 by 35-millimeter square. In general, these data highlight how exposure to hydraulic shear may lead to significant levels of descaling in riverine fishes.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Supplemental Microalgal DHA and Astaxanthin Affect Astaxanthin Metabolism and Redox Status of Juvenile Rainbow Trout

Microalgal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and astaxanthin (AST) may substitute for fish oil and synthetic AST in aquafeeds. This study explored the effects and mechanisms of those substitutions on AST metabolism and redox status of rainbow trout fed plant protein meal (PM)- or fishmeal (FM)-based diets. Two parallel experiments (PM vs. FM) were performed with 612 juvenile rainbow trout for 16 weeks as a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments with two AST sources (synthetic (SA) vs. microalgal (AA), at 80 mg/kg) and three levels (0, 50, and 100%) of fish oil substitutions with DHA-rich microalgae. The fish oil substitutions exhibit main effects (p < 0.05) and/or interactive effects (p < 0.05) with the source of AST on AST deposition, malondialdehyde and glutathione concentrations, and mRNA levels and activities of major redox enzymes (glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) in the muscle and liver of trout fed both diet series. The AST source produced only differences in tissue AST deposition (p < 0.05) and number of metabolites. In conclusion, the substitutions of fish oil by the DHA-rich microalgae exerted more impacts than those of SA by AA on redox status and functional expression of antioxidant enzymes in the tissues of rainbow trout.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Coherent homodyne detection for amplified cross-beam electric-field induced second harmonic

The electric-field induced second harmonic (E-FISH) signal sensing is commonly used as a nonlinear optical technique to probe electric fields inside a plasma region. Cross-beam E-FISH is being investigated to improve spatial resolution by defining the interaction volume via a controlled geometry of two overlapping noncolinear optical beams. This drastic reduction in interaction length of the electric field and laser region results in a significant signal reduction. Here, to overcome this signal reduction, we introduce coherent amplification of the cross-beam E-FISH signal by mixing the low E-FISH signal with a phase-locked bright local oscillator. We demonstrate enhancement of the signal. By introducing a local oscillator we can now derive the polarity of the measured electric field through the phase of the homodyne signal. To illustrate the technique, we, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, measure the magnitude and the direction of the electric field in a cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet, which dynamically follows the profile of the applied bias current.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Oyster Fisheries App

This project is creating a cloud‐enabled, HTML 5 web application to help oyster fishermen and state agencies apply Earth science to improve the management of this important natural and economic resource. The Oyster Fisheries app gathers and analyzes environmental and water quality information, and alerts fishermen and resources managers about problems in oyster fishing waters. An intuitive interface based on Google Maps displays the geospatial information and provides familiar interactive controls to the users. Alerts can be tailored to notify users when conditions in specific leases or public fishing areas require attention. The app is hosted on the Amazon Web Services cloud. It is being developed and tested using some of the latest web development tools such as web components and Polymer.

Perez Guerrero, Geraldo A.↗

Climate-driven deoxygenation elevates fishing vulnerability for the ocean's widest ranging shark

Climate-driven expansions of ocean hypoxic zones are predicted to concentrate pelagic fish in oxygenated surface layers, but how expanding hypoxia and fisheries will interact to affect threatened pelagic sharks remains unknown. Here, analysis of satellite-tracked blue sharks and environmental modelling in the eastern tropical Atlantic oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) shows shark maximum dive depths decreased due to combined effects of decreasing dissolved oxygen (DO) at depth, high sea surface temperatures, and increased surface-layer net primary production. Multiple factors associated with climate-driven deoxygenation contributed to blue shark vertical habitat compression, potentially increasing their vulnerability to surface fisheries. Greater intensity of longline fishing effort occurred above the OMZ compared to adjacent waters. Higher shark catches were associated with strong DO gradients, suggesting potential aggregation along suitable DO gradients contributed to habitat compression and higher fishing-induced mortality. Fisheries controls to counteract deoxygenation effects on shark catches will be needed as oceans continue warming.

Vedor, Marisa↗

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↗

Predation probabilities and functional responses: How piscivorous waterbirds respond to pulses in fish abundance

Abstract How predators respond to changes in prey abundance (i.e., functional responses) is foundational to consumer–resource interactions, predator–prey dynamics, and the stability of predator–prey systems. Predation by piscivorous waterbirds on out‐migrating juvenile steelhead trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) is considered a factor affecting the recovery of multiple Endangered Species Act‐listed steelhead populations in the Columbia River basin. Waterbird functional responses, however, may vary by predator species and location, with important implications to predator management strategies. We used a 13‐year dataset on waterbird abundance across seven breeding colonies (three Caspian tern [ Hydroprogne caspia ], two double‐crested cormorant [ Nannopterum auritum ], and two California and ring‐billed gull [ Larus californicus and Larus delawarensis ] colonies) and steelhead tag‐recovery data (>645,000 tagged and >32,000 recovered steelhead) to quantify weekly predation probabilities and functional responses across waterbird species, colonies, and years. Weekly predation probabilities were highly variable, ranging from 0.01 to 0.30 at tern colonies, 0.01 to 0.20 at cormorant colonies, and 0.03 to 0.13 at gull colonies. Per capita predation probabilities were an order of magnitude higher at inland tern and cormorant colonies relative to estuary colonies of the same species. Terns displayed Type II functional responses across colonies and years, where predation probabilities peaked at low steelhead abundances and declined as steelhead abundance increased (i.e., predator swamping). Cormorants nesting at the large estuary colony (several thousand birds) displayed a Type III functional response, but cormorants nesting at the smaller inland colony (several hundred birds) displayed a Type II response. Consumption probabilities of steelhead by gulls remained consistent across a large range of steelhead availability, suggesting a Type I or a Type III functional response, but a lack of colony abundance data prevented quantifying functional responses. The level of tern predation combined with Type II functional responses indicate possible population‐level impacts that could destabilize small or declining prey populations. Conversely, the apparent Type III functional responses of gulls and estuary nesting cormorants are indicative of prey switching behaviors targeted at periods of high steelhead abundance. Our results illustrate the complexity of predator–prey interactions and the importance of quantifying predator‐ and location‐specific functional responses when predicting the efficacy of management strategies to enhance prey populations.

Hostetter, Nathan J.↗

Visions of Our Planet's Atmosphere, Land and Oceans Electronic-Theater 2001

The NASA/NOAA/AMS Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in a historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to Fredericton New Brunswick. Drop in on the Kennedy Space Center and Park City Utah, site of the 2002 Olympics using 1 m IKONOS "Spy Satellite" data. Go back to the early weather satellite images from the 1960s and see them contrasted with the latest US and International global satellite weather movies including hurricanes & tornadoes. See the latest spectacular images from NASA/NOAA and Canadian remote sensing missions like Terra GOES, TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat 7, and Radarsat that are visualized & explained. See how High Definition Television (HDTV) is revolutionizing the way we communicate science in cooperation with the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. See dust storms in Africa and smoke plumes from fires in Mexico. See visualizations featured on Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, Popular Science covers & National & International Network TV. New visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global images eg Landsat tours of the US, Africa, & New Zealand showing desert and mountain geology as well as seasonal changes in vegetation. See animations of the polar ice packs and the motion of gigantic Antarctic Icebergs from SeaWinds data. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See massive dust storms sweeping across Africa. See vortexes and currents in the global oceans that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny plankton and draw the fish, whales and fisherman. See the how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nina climate changes. The demonstration is interactively driven by a SGI Onyx II Graphics Supercomputer with four CPUs, 8 Gigabytes of RAM and Terabyte of disk. With multiple projectors on a giant screen. See the city lights, fishing fleets, gas flares and bio-mass burning of the Earth at night observed by the "night-vision" DMSP military satellite.

Hasler, A. F.↗

New technology for an ancient fish: A lamprey life cycle modeling tool with an R Shiny application

Lampreys (Petromyzontiformes) are an ancient group of fishes with complex life histories. We created a life cycle model that includes an R Shiny interactive web application interface to simulate abundance by life stage. This will allow scientists and managers to connect available demographic information in a framework that can be applied to questions regarding lamprey biology and conservation. We used Pacific lamprey ( Entosphenus tridentatus ) as a case study to highlight the utility of this model. We applied a global sensitivity analysis to explore the importance of individual life stage parameters to overall population size, and to better understand the implications of existing gaps in knowledge. We also provided example analyses of selected management scenarios (dam passage, fish translocations, and hatchery additions) influencing Pacific lamprey in fresh water. These applications illustrate how the model can be applied to inform conservation efforts. This tool will provide new capabilities for users to explore their own questions about lamprey biology and conservation. Simulations can hone hypotheses and predictions, which can then be empirically tested in the real world.

Gomes, Dylan G. E. (ORCID:0000000226423728)↗

Sensor assemblies and methods for emulating interaction of entities within water systems

Sensor assemblies are provided for use in modeling water systems. These sensor assemblies can be used as sensor fish. These assemblies can include a circuit board supporting processing circuitry components on either or both opposing component support surfaces of the circuit board and a housing above the circuit board and the components, with the housing being circular about the circuit board in at least one cross section, and wherein the supporting surfaces of the circuit board are substantially parallel with the plane of the housing in the one cross section. Methods for emulating interaction of entities within water systems are provided. The methods can include introducing a sensor assembly into a water system. The sensor assembly can include: a circuit board supporting processing circuitry components on either or both of opposing component support surfaces of the circuit board; a housing about the circuit board and the components, the housing being circular about the circuit board in at least one cross section; and wherein the support surfaces of the circuit board are substantially parallel with the plane of the housing in the one cross section.

Deng, Z. Daniel↗

Electronic-Theater 2001: Visions of Our Planet's Atmosphere, Land and Oceans

The NASA/NOAA/AMS Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in a historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to Wisconsin, Madison and the Monona Terrace Center. Drop in on the Kennedy Space Center and Park City Utah, site of the 2002 Olympics using I m IKONOS "Spy Satellite" data. Go back to the early weather satellite images from the 1960s pioneered by UW. Scientists and see them contrasted with the latest US and International global satellite weather movies including hurricanes & tornadoes. See the latest spectacular images from NASA/NOAA remote sensing missions like Terra GOES, TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat 7 that are visualized & explained. See how High Definition Television (HDTV) is revolutionizing the way we communicate science in cooperation with the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. See dust storms in Africa and smoke plumes from fires in Mexico. See visualizations featured on Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, Popular Science covers & National & International Network TV. New visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global images eg Landsat tours of the US, Africa, & New Zealand showing desert and mountain geology as well as seasonal changes in vegetation. See animations of the polar ice packs and the motion of gigantic Antarctic Icebergs from SeaWinds data. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See massive dust storms sweeping across Africa. See vortices and currents in the global oceans that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny plankton and draw the fish, whales and fisherman. See the how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nina/La Nina climate changes. The demonstration is interactively driven by a SGI Onyx 11 Graphics Supercomputer with four CPUs, 8 Gigabytes of RAM and Terabyte of disk. With five projectors on a giant IMAX sized 18 x 72 ft screen. See the city lights, fishing fleets, gas flares and bio-mass burning of the Earth at night observed by the "nightvision" DMSP military satellite.

Hasler, Authur↗

Use of a 360-Degree Underwater Camera to Characterize Artificial Reef and Fish Aggregating Effects around Marine Energy Devices

Marine energy devices must be attached to the seafloor by their foundations, pilings, or anchors, and will have other parts in the water column like the devices themselves, mooring lines, and power export cables running along the seafloor. The installation and presence of these artificial structures will create physical changes that can disrupt or create new habitats, and potentially alter the behavior of mobile organisms such as fish around a device by attracting them to these new artificial reefs and fish aggregating devices. In this study, we tested a new approach for monitoring fish activity around a marine energy device anchor: a 360-degree underwater camera to keep the target (a wave energy converter’s anchor) in the field of view of the camera. The camera was deployed in three configurations (hand-held, tripod, video lander) at sites with different hydrodynamics and underwater visibilities. The video lander was the best configuration: very stable, versatile, and easy to handle. The 360-degree field of view enabled observing and counting fishes, which were more abundant at dusk than dawn or noon, around the anchor. Despite remaining challenges, 360-degree cameras are useful tools for monitoring animal interactions with marine energy devices.

360-degree camera↗

Advances and Challenges in Fluorescence in situ Hybridization for Visualizing Fungal Endobacteria

We report that Several bacteria have long been known to interact intimately with fungi, but molecular approaches have only recently uncovered how cosmopolitan these interactions are in nature. Currently, bacterial–fungal interactions (BFI) are inferred based on patterns of co-occurrence in amplicon sequencing investigations. However, determining the nature of these interactions, whether the bacteria are internally or externally associated, remains a grand challenge in BFI research. Fluorescence in situhybridization (FISH) is a robust method that targets unique sequences of interest which can be employed for visualizing intra-hyphal targets, such as mitochondrial organelles or, as in this study, bacteria. We evaluate the challenges and employable strategies to resolve intra-hyphal BFI to address pertinent criteria in BFI research, such as culturing media, spatial distribution of bacteria, and abundance of bacterial 16S rRNA copies for fluorescent labeling. While these experimental factors influence labeling and detection of endobacteria, we demonstrate how to overcome these challenges thorough permeabilization, appropriate media choice, and targeted amplification using hybridization chain reaction FISH. Such microscopy imaging approaches can now be utilized by the broader research community to complement sequence-based investigations and provide more conclusive evidence on the nature of specific bacterial–fungal relationships.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Optimizing invader suppression to restore native species: Leveraging species traits to overcome collateral damage

Strategies to control ongoing biological invasions are often developed by modelling the invasive species' population and aiming to reduce its abundance. However, if the ultimate objective is to protect and restore native species, focussing solely on the invader may not be optimal because it does not account for (i) species interactions that can cause the invader's impacts to depend nonlinearly on its abundance, (ii) collateral damages to native species incurred due to nonspecific removal methods or (iii) native-invader trait differences. Here, to identify an invader suppression strategy that maximizes average native population size, we applied optimal control theory to a two-species model of a native species threatened by an invasive competitor. We examined trade-offs between iterative physical removals that selectively target invaders and intensifiable chemical control that is nonselective but has higher efficacy. We found that while iterative removals were capable of supporting large native populations when applied continuously, cost could be prohibitively high. In contrast, when favourable native-invader trait differences enabled native species to re-establish more quickly than invaders, intensifiable methods could achieve substantial restoration benefits at lower cost by focussing removal effort into periodic, high-efficacy events. In a metapopulation, removals that rotated among spatial patches were optimal when the native species had higher dispersal, whereas synchronous removals were preferred when native recovery was initiated locally and the invader could disperse. For a case study in Hawaiian streams, we compared how effective two alternative methods of removing invasive live-bearing fishes (poeciliids) might be at restoring the endemic freshwater goby Sicyopterus stimpsoni. We found that rotenone (a piscicidal chemical) offered superior benefits when the control budget was small and efficacy was high, but that electrofishing (use of electricity to manually collect target fish) was better with larger budgets and in many lower-efficacy scenarios. Synthesis and applications. Our findings demonstrate that, by accounting for species interactions and collateral damage, invasive species control strategies can be optimized in light of species traits. Choices about the timing, locations and types of removal events present opportunities to increase the efficiency with which invasive species suppression benefits native species.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Bio-inspired bistable piezoelectric energy harvester for powering animal telemetry tags: Conceptual design and preliminary experimental validation

Here, this paper presents the conceptual design, preliminary experimental validation, and performance evaluation of a novel bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester for self-powered animal telemetry tags. The overall conceptual design, which includes a bio-inspired attachment and a bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester, is introduced firstly with a specific application example of marine fish tracking. The self-powered telemetry tag can be externally deployed on fish (dorsal fin) to monitor fish habitats, population, and underwater environment. Inspired by the Venus flytrap's rapid shape transition, a bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester is developed to scavenge energy from fish maneuvering and the surrounding fluid flow for a sustainable power supply. The bistability of the harvester is characterized by the measured force-displacement curve and double potential wells. A bluff body is integrated to the free end of the bistable piezoelectric energy harvester to enhance the structure-fluid interaction for the large-amplitude snap-through vibrations and higher voltage output. Controlled laboratory experiments are conducted in a water tank on the bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester using a servo motor system to simulate fish swing motion at various conditions to evaluate the power generation performance. The preliminary underwater experimental results demonstrated that the proposed bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester could effectively convert fish swing motions into electricity. The device collected 17.25 mJ of energy over 130 s under a peak-to-peak swing angle of 30° at 1.5 Hz in the capacitor charging experiments.

Animal tracking↗

Bio-inspired Bistable Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for Powering Animal Telemetry Tags: Concept Design and Preliminary Experimental Validation

This paper presents the concept design, preliminary experimental validation, and performance evaluation of a novel bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester for self-powered animal telemetry tags. The overall concept design, which includes a bio-inspired attachment and a bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester, is introduced firstly with a specific application example of marine fish tracking. The self-powered telemetry tag can be externally deployed on fish (dorsal fin) to monitor fish habitats, population, and underwater environment. Inspired by the Venus flytrap’s rapid shape transition, a bistable piezoelectric energy harvester is developed to scavenge energy from fish maneuvering and the surrounding fluid flow for a sustainable power supply. The bistability of the harvester is characterized by the measured force-displacement curve and double potential wells. A bluff body is integrated to the free end of the bistable piezoelectric energy harvester to enhance the structure-fluid interaction for the large-amplitude snap-through vibrations and higher voltage output. Controlled laboratory experiments are conducted in a water tank on the bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester using a servo motor system to simulate fish swing motion at various conditions to evaluate the power generation performance. The preliminary underwater experimental results demonstrated that the proposed bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric could effectively converter fish swing motions into electricity. 17.25 mJ energy was obtained within 130 s under the peak-to-peak swing angle of 30o at 1.5 Hz in the capacitor charging experiments.

Qian, Feng↗