Long-term effect of a tidal, hydroelectric propeller turbine on the populations of three anadromous fish species.

Tidal hydroelectric power has been proposed as one potential solution for sustainable energy sources. The first tidal turbine in North America began continuous operation in the Annapolis River estuary (44 °45'N; 65° 29'W) in June, 1985. The machine is an axial-flow, hydraulic-lift propeller turbine, a type known to cause fish mortality.

Atlantic Sturgeon Spatial and Temporal Distribution in Minas Passage, Nova Scotia, Canada, a Region of Future Tidal Energy Extraction.

In the Bay of Fundy, Atlantic sturgeon from endangered and threatened populations in the USA and Canada migrate through Minas Passage to enter and leave Minas Basin. A total of 132 sub-adult and adult Atlantic sturgeon were tagged in Minas Basin during the summers of 2010-2014 using pressure measuring, uniquely coded, acoustic transmitters with a four or eight year life span. The aim of this study was to examine spatial and seasonal distribution of sturgeon in Minas Passage during 2010-2014 and test the hypothesis that, when present, Atlantic sturgeon were evenly distributed from north to south across Minas Passage.

Spatial attachment-site preferences of macroectoparasites on Atlantic sturgeons Acipenser oxyrinchus in Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, Canada.

Although parasite habitat preference is well studied, it is rarely rigorously evaluated statistically because of many zero intensities. Attachment-site preference and intensities of 2 macroectoparasite species ( Caligus elongatus and Calliobdella vivida ) of Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus Mitchill, in Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, Canada, were characterized with the use of zero-inflated negative binomial statistical models that included a fork-length offset to control for body size. Three other parasites were encountered, sometimes in high numbers on various body sites, but too few counts overall prevented construction of meaningful statistical models.