1. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey General Principles of Telemetry Studies Theresa L. Liedtke Western Fisheries Research Center Columbia River Research Laboratory Surgical Techniques Workshop, September 4, 2011

2. Workshop Approach   Recently completed AFS book chapter on tagging techniques   Follow outline in chapter

3. Goal  Provide background and framework Light touch on broad topics Light touch on broad topics Later talks provide details Later talks provide details General recommendations General recommendations  Outline Background on my perspective Background on my perspective Telemetry study assumptions Telemetry study assumptions General Principles General Principles

4. Background Background  Telemetry studies in Columbia River Basin  Largest known telemetry studies 40,000 juvenile salmon 40,000 juvenile salmon  Measure fish survival at dams & reservoirs  Study Results: Legal implications Contentious Critically reviewed

5. Telemetry Study Assumptions   Inherent assumptions: presence of the transmitter and the procedure used to secure the transmitter have no effect on the tagged fish   Tagged fish represent untagged fish Survival Behavior (feeding, spawning) Performance (swimming, buoyancy)   Unlikely that there will be “no effect”   Diligent effort to minimize effects

6. General Principles  Recommended actions to minimize effects & support the assumption  General Principles: 1) Consider transmitter and attachment method 2) Use best practices for fish handling & holding 3) Develop and enforce a SOP 4) Train taggers and manage tagger effects 5) Manage anesthesia 6) Use aseptic technique 7) Evaluate transmitter effects

7. It’s a matter of scale...or is it?  My study is smaller scale, so I don’t need all this stuff!  A study with n=1 makes the same basic assumptions  If you want to make inferences to the untagged population (and you know you do!) consider these principles Monitor Tagged fish Describe Untagged fish INFERENCE

8. 1) Transmitter Selection 1) Transmitter Selection  Define study requirements Radio vs. acoustic Radio vs. acoustic Battery life Battery life Sensors Sensors Will the smallest available tag work? Will the smallest available tag work?  Predict transmitter impact to fish Tag burden (typically 1 to 5%) Tag burden (typically 1 to 5%) Dimensions and volume Dimensions and volume Consult literature for same species & size Consult literature for same species & size What’s been published? What is defensible? What’s been published? What is defensible?

9. 1) Attachment Method 1) Attachment Method  External  Gastric / Stomach  Surgical

10. 1) Attachment Method Monitoring period  What are the effects through time? Habitat  Chance of snagging? Life stage  Feeding? Spawning?

11. 1) Transmitter & Attachment 1) Transmitter & Attachment  Relative to the assumption, ask yourself: Can I defend my choice of transmitter? Can I defend my choice of transmitter? Have I considered the impact to the fish? Have I considered the impact to the fish? Will a smaller tag meet my needs? Will a smaller tag meet my needs? Have others used similar methods for this fish? Have others used similar methods for this fish?

12. 2) Fish Handling & Holding 2) Fish Handling & Holding  Best practices defined—just apply them!  Often seen as trivial, but…… Stressors can be cumulative Stressors can be cumulative Can have large impacts on tagging outcome Can have large impacts on tagging outcome  Critical to best outcome & defense of assumption

13. 2) Handling & Holding 2) Handling & Holding  Fish collection method  Holding (before and/or after tagging) Density and species interactions Density and species interactions  Transport considerations Density and temperature Density and temperature  Water quality conditions  Fish transfers Minimize them!!! Minimize them!!! Transfer the container, not the fish Transfer the container, not the fish Water to water transfers Water to water transfers

14. 2) Handling and Holding  Tagging station Orients and holds fish Orients and holds fish Enables anesthesia Enables anesthesia Aids aseptic technique Aids aseptic technique Comfortable for tagger Comfortable for tagger

15. 3) Develop & Enforce a SOP  Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Describe steps in the process Describe steps in the process Defines acceptable levels of parameters Defines acceptable levels of parameters Consistent application of technique Consistent application of technique  Where do you start? Modify from existing Modify from existing Build your own Build your own  Test compliance (QA-QC monitoring)

16. 4) Taggers & Tagger Effects  Practice, practice, practice  Training program: “Best-match” fish “Best-match” fish Mentor (DVM?) Mentor (DVM?) Assess proficiency Assess proficiency Feedback loop Feedback loop Short-term holding Short-term holding  When to train: New species or life stage New species or life stage After inactivity After inactivity

17. 4) Taggers & Tagger Effects   Study Design Minimize number of taggers Balance tagger contribution to study groups Consider a tank study to support field effort   Analysis Be prepared to test for tagger effects Response variables can be survival, average distance moved, etc. EXAMPLE  Tagger effects are REAL....anticipate them

18. 4) Tagger Effects   Juvenile salmon survival study   Multiple taggers   High sample sizes Survival Time S = 92% Survival Time A B S = 98% S = 86% AAABBB TaggerNS A50%98% B50%86%

19. 5) Manage Anesthesia   Critical part of tagging operation   “Ideal anesthetic” * Short induction time & fast recovery No persistent effects Rapidly excreted = no withdrawal time Safe for humans to handle   Know the legal status Some information today during lunch * Summerfelt and Smith in Methods for Fish Biology 1990

20. 5) Manage Anesthesia   Make your selection   Run some trials Match fish and water temperature Vary concentration Time induction and recovery   Finalize procedures and put into SOP   Be rigorous with application Measure dosage Refresh working solution Log induction, recovery, exposure times

21. 6) Use Aseptic Technique   More detail later today   Goal: minimize contamination by pathogens Clean instruments, wear gloves, etc.   Cannot attain “sterile” conditions with fish   Field conditions ≠ Surgical Suite   Fish in water ≠ mammal on table Do the best you can!!

22. 6) Use Aseptic Technique   Why bother…who knows if it works? 1) 1) Telemetry assumption Best possible care will minimize effects 2) 2) Animal welfare concerns 3) 3) Why not? Err on the side of caution If there is not a large “cost”

23. 7) Evaluate Transmitter Effects  Literature Match species, life stage & size Match species, life stage & size Lab vs. field studies…get the best match Lab vs. field studies…get the best match  Measurement Commonly done in lab Commonly done in lab Tagged vs. controls Tagged vs. controls Try to incorporate field element Try to incorporate field element What response variable? What response variable? “Heart” of the assumption, so it has to be evaluated

24. 7) Evaluate Transmitter Effects  Survival Easy to measure in lab Easy to measure in lab Crude indicator Crude indicator Death is a late indicator of stress Death is a late indicator of stress  Physiological Response Sub-lethal effects Stress response Disease Histology Potential response variables…more to come later suture fibrosis

25. 7) Evaluate Transmitter Effects  Swimming Performance Prolonged swimming Prolonged swimming Burst swimming Burst swimming  Buoyancy Compensation Can fish compensate for extra mass? How soon?

26. 7) Transmitter Effects  Predator Avoidance Ability Tag may affect mobility Tag may affect mobility Use a realistic system Use a realistic system  A little bit of everything Use a combination of these performance measures Use field responses with lab findings

27. Summary  General Principles: 1) Consider transmitter and attachment method 2) Use best practices for fish handling & holding 3) Develop and enforce a SOP 4) Train taggers and manage tagger effects 5) Manage anesthesia 6) Use aseptic technique 7) Evaluate transmitter effects  Check out the new book for more details

28. Acknowledgments & Confessions   Lots of folks involved   We’ve made ALL the big mistakes….   Always striving to improve   QUESTIONS?