Project Summary
Project Title: An Analysis ofFish Attraction and OxygenSanctuaryCreationUtilizing
Newly DevelopedOxygenationTechniques
Student:
University of Arkansas
Mentor:
Engineering,University of Arkansas
Departmentof Biological and Agricultural
Abstract
A significant causeof unproductivefish populationsin waterbodiesis low
dissolvedoxygen(DO). Severalfactorscauselow DO at the bottomof an enclosedwater
bodyincluding lack of photo-oxygenationdue to limited light andreducedreaerationdue
to a decreaseor an obstructionof watercirculation. Low DO in bottom watercauses
manydetrimentaleffectsin aquaticorganismsincluding decreasedreproduction,
increasedsusceptibilityto disease,andmortality.
This work will utilize a developmentaloxygendelivery devicecapableof
delivering water supersaturated
with oxygendirectly to the bottomof a waterbody. Prior
researchhas shownthe DO deliveredby the device completelyremainsin solutionandis
only lost through aerobicbiological processes.The devicewill be deployedto a regional
lake,and its capabilitiesto producea sanctuaryof high DO water in lower levels of the
water column will be tested. Fish response to the oxygen plume will be examined, and
the potential for using this device for fish attractionand oxygensanctuaryproductionwill
be detennined.
An Analysis ofFish Attraction and Oxygen Sanctuary Creation Utilizing Newly
Developed Oxygenation Techniques
UndergraduateResearcher
Mentor:
Back2round
Similar to terrestrial animals, fish and other aquatic organisms require oxygen to
performmetabolic activities. Aquatic organismsobtain oxygenfrom microscopic
oxygengasbubbles,or dissolvedoxygen(DO) in water, which passivelydiffusesinto an
aquaticorganism'sbloodstream. The rate of oxygendiffusion dependson the
concentrationof dissolvedoxygenin the water. If too Iowa DO concentrationexists,
fish and otheraquaticlife can experiencedecreasedreproduction,hamperedswimming
ability, increased susceptibility to disease,and mortality (Ricklefs and Miller, 2000).
entersa water body through contactwith the atmospherein a processknown as reaeration
(Chambersand Mill, 1996). During reaeration,atmosphericoxygenpassivelydiffuses
into wateracrossthe surfaceboundaryof a waterbody becauseof the oxygen
concentrationgradientexisting betweenair andwater. Oxygenalso entersa waterbody
through plant photosynthesis according to the reaction 6CO2 + 6H2O + light -C~1206
is consumedfrom the waterduring aerobicrespirationby aquaticlife including bacteria,
algae(during dark respiration),and fish.
In a body of waterthe lowest concentrationof dissolvedoxygenis typically found
at the lower levels of the watercolumn. In deepbodiesof water, light cannotreach
bottom waterlevelspreventingphoto-oxygenation(phang,1991). During summer
months,temperaturestratificationcanoccur,preventingcirculationbetweencold bottom
water and warm surface water, and thereby not allowing bottom water accessto the
atmosphere.Also, the majority of oxygenconsumptionoccursat the bottom where
1
2.
sunkenorganicmater accumulatesand decomposesthroughaerobicprocesses(Deasand
Orlob, 1999). The differencebetweenDO concentrationsat the surfaceand the bottom
of a water body can be significant. During times of greattemperaturestratification or
whenice coversthe surfaceandpreventsreaeration,the bottom watersof lakescan
becomeanoxic.
All aquaticorganismsrequire a specific level of DO. For a lake to be productive
for a specific speciesof fish, the DO concentrationmustbe adequateat a water level
wherethe water temperatureis desirablefor that species.Sincecold water fish species
require low temperaturewaterto survive, they typically congregateat the bottom of a
water body during warm weathermonths,making manylakesunproductiveor deadlyto
the fish if DO levels at the bottom drop too low (USEPA, 1973). Introducing large
quantitiesof oxygento the bottom of a waterbody mayprovide oxygenatedsanctuaries
that could potentially attract fish and allow them to survive and even thrive during low
DO periods.
Objectives
The objectivesof this project areto:
Investigatethe feasibility of providing oxygensanctuariesat the bottom of a
representativelake using a newly developedoxygenationtechnique.
Deterntinethe effectsof the oxygenplume on attractingand sustaining
populationsof fish.
Methods
Injecting bottom water with DO will be doneusingthe Portable WaterEcosystem
O.xygenatordesigned by Osborn, Matlock, and Teltschikl. This device has been proven
1The Portable WaterEcosystemOxygenatoris patentpending. For the sake of brevity, full
operatingdetails will not be discussedin this document.
using
research,
Rogers,
effective to deliver oxygen to water bodies at a rate 12 times faster than bubble aeration
1/6 of the energy(Osborn,2004). A National ScienceFoundationSBIR granthas
beenreceivedfor further developingthis devicefor wastewatertreatment,and prior
researchhasproven the devicecapableof treating remotelylocatedwaterbodies. The
oxygenatorsupersaturates
water with oxygenby atomizinghigh pressurewater within a
vesselcontaininghigh pressureoxygengas. The deviceis then ableto deliver water
supersaturated
with dissolvedoxygento any locationin a water body with low DO
(Osborn,2004). Sincethe devicecan inject oxygena greatdistanceaway from the
physical location of the unit in the form of micro-bubblesthat rise much slowerthrough
the watercolumn, the oxygenatorallows treatmentof bottom lake waterswithout
disturbingthe surface.
Field testscompletedduring researchthis summerwith an Honors College
UndergraduateResearchGranthaveproventhe deviceis capableof delivering a precise
mass of oxygen to a water body with virtually no DO loss to the atmosphere. The
conductedon local streams,hasalso shownthe deviceis capableof creating
large plumes of water saturated with oxygen that diminish only as biological processes
consume the DO. During the research it was observed, but not quantified, that fish
migratedupstreamto the sourceof oxygen.The deviceis the first aerationtool with the
potential to raise and sustain the DO of water at the bottom of a body of water. Funding
through a SURF grant will allow an undergraduateto conduct the first field trials with the
Portable WaterEcosystemOxygenatorfor this application.
The Portable Water EcosystemOxygenator will be deployed on Lake Atalanta in
Arkansas. A cooperativeagreementhasbeenestablishedwith the City of Rogers
Departmentof Parksand Recreationto pursuethis research.Officials haveagreedto
provide initial support for this proj ect. Lake Atalanta features several optimal criteria for
detennining fish responseto bottom water oxygenationincluding: a wide variety of fish
of both cold water species -trout -and wann water species -bass, bream, catfish; an
observedinability to supporttrout during summermonths likely due to low DO bottom
water; and observedthermal stratificationpotentially creatingrelative high and low DO
regions due to cold spring water inflow and atmospheric temperature variations.
Prior to deployment,a depth,temperature,and oxygenconcentrationprofile will
quantified for Lake Atalanta using a boat, GPSunit, andDO probe. Basedon the profile,
two siteswill be selectedto oxygenate.One site will representa regionhaving a
relatively saturated DO -likely
a site near the inflow of the spring, and one site will
represent a region of relatively low DO -likely
a site near the bottom in the middle of the
lake.
The devicewill thenbe transportedand setup at the site. The oxygenatorwill be
operatedfor a period of time at the lake while adjustingits working setpoints to achieve
optimal oxygenation. During this preliminary test, observations will be made regarding
the oxygenplume including its volume, DO, andmovement. Parametersincluding DO,
temperature,depth, and positionwill be takenbefore,during, and afterrunning the device
so to quantify to extent and duration of the oxygen plume.
Oncethe datahas beenanalyzedand the behaviorof the oxygenplume is more
clearlyunderstood,the devicewill be deployedat eachof the predetenninedsites. The
magnitudeof fish concentrationin the oxygenplume will be measuredusing a wide area
sonardevice. The numberof strikesreportedby the sonardevicewill representthe
numberof fish in a given area. Imagesof the sonarscreenwill be takenfor further
analysis. Sonar fish tallies, aswell asDO, temperature,depth,andposition, will be made
one daybefore,two hoursbefore,during, two hours after, and one day after each
deployment. Fish numberswill be takendirectly in and aroundthe entirevolume of the
oxygenplume. Sonarmeasurements
will alsobe takenbeforeand afterthe deployment
Following
in areasoutsidethe reachof the oxygenplume to give any indicationof fish movementto
the plume.
all deployments,datawill be analyzedto indicate anychangein fish
concentrationas the deviceis deployed. Data regardingthe oxygenplume characteristics
will also be further analyzed. A literature review will then be conducted to investigate
the potential of the deviceto createoxygensanctuariesandto attractfish. An economic
study will also be preforn1edto weigh the cost benefit ratio of using the device for such
tasks.
Si2nificance of Resear£h
The Portable WaterEcosystemOxygenatoris capableof more effectively
oxygenatingwater systemsthan traditional aerationprocesses.The techniqueemployed
by this deviceis unique in that it can maintainan oxygenrich environmentat the bottom
of the water column. The devicecould be usedto preventfish mortality and associated
water quality problems,increasethe productivity of fish for aquicultureandrecreational
activities, and assist in fish population studies. In addition to the data collected, the
researchventurewill be an extremelyvaluablelearningexperience.This researchwill
not only allow me to put the knowledgeobtainedin classinto real practice,but will
accelerate my educational experiences and propel me to strive toward future research
opportunities. The work will allow me to combine my personal interests in fishing and
outdoor activities with engineering design research to create technological solutions to
environmentalproblems.
Project Schedule
Jan2005 throughApril:
This time period will be usedto preparefor all deployments.Trips will be madeto Lake
Atalantaand officials from the city of Rogerswill be contactedto determinewater
conditions,accesspoints to the lake, and electricity delivery. Delivery ratesrequiredof
the oxygenatorwill be assessed
and operatingadjustmentswill be madeto makethe
deviceready for the specific deploymentsites. All preparatorymeasuresbefore actual
deploymentwill be takenduring this time including programmingthe data acquisition
probes,acquiring a sonardevice,preparingfield equipment,and accumulatingsupplies.
April throughMay
The preliminary deploymentwill be conductedduring this time. Prior to, during, and
following the oxygenationprocess,datawill be collectedas previouslyoutlined. From
this data,the volume, duration,and concentrationof the oxygenplume and the
oxygenatoroperatingsetpoints will be examined.
May throughJuly:
During this period, the two deploymentswill be conducted.As aforementioned,
oxygenationand fish countanalysiswill be conductedduring this time.
July -October
Analysesof oxygenationand fish responsewill continue. The literature review and
economicanalysiswill be prefonIled. Resultswill be compiledand examined,and
conclusionsdrawn. An article on the projectwill be written hopefully to be included in a
peer-reviewedpublication.
References
Ricklefs, R.E. andMiller, G.L. EcologyFourth Edition. W.H. Freemanand Company,
c2000
Chambers,P.A. andMill, T. DissolvedO.xygen,
Fish and Nutrient Relationshipsin the
AthabascaRiver. Northern River BasinsStudySynthesis,1999,ReportNo.5.
Phang,S and Mukherjee,T. K. Rile ofAlgae in Livestock-FishIntegrated Farming
Systems.Proceedingsof the FAO/IPT Workshopon IntegratedLivestock-Fish
ProductionSystems,Dec. 16-20, 1991,Institute of AdvancedStudies,University
of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Deas,M.L. and Orlob G.T. AssessmentofAlternativesfor Flow and Water Quality in the
Klamath River belowIron GateDam. California Centerfor Environmentaland
WaterResourcesEngineering,Nov1999, ReportNo. 99-04.
United StatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency,DevelopmentofDissolved Oxygen
CriteriajorFreshwaterFish. Ecological ResearchSeriesEPA-R3-73-019,
Feb1973.
Osborn, G. Scott, Interpersonal Communication, 2004