Development and application of individual-based models for predicting upstream passage of European fish [Thesis]

My PhD thesis was on the development of cellular automata and agent-based models to assess fish passage using computational fluid dynamics.

This thesis presents the development of cellular automata (CA), individual-based models (IBM), and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models to predict the trajectories of up-migrating fishes and subsequently provide a method to computationally assess passage facilities. The passage efficiency of various eel tile configurations was assessed using various 2D CA and IBMs, informed by CFD-derived flow fields. Predictions compared well to a published values (76% vs. 74%) and suggested passage efficiency was highest for shallow slopes and low discharges. Results were extended to define maximum pass lengths and incorporated into an easy-to-use graphic. A 3D IBM, fishPy, was developed to predict up-migration trajectories of brown trout (Salmo trutta) based on fish responses to hydraulic stimuli. Artificial hydrodynamic domains were created using CFD and used to verify model function. A CFD model of a passage facility on the River Esk was created based on collected bathymetry data, and compared well to measured velocity data. The IBM was applied to the passage facility and compared against measured passage metrics and fish trajectories. The fishPy model was able to accurately predict the attraction efficiency (100% vs. 96%) and passage efficiency (75% vs. 65%) of the River Esk passage facility compared to published, measured data. The fishPy tools demonstrates the feasibility of computational assessments of fish passage facilties, reduced the need for expensive and invasive physical experiments. Furthermore, with additional development, the fishPy tool could be incorporated into a wider decision-making framework to computationally assess the hydraulic, ecological, economic, and aesthetic factors of different designs of in-stream structures such as fish passes.

View thesis here

Recommended citation: Padgett, Thomas Edward (2020) Development and application of individual-based models for predicting upstream passage of European fish. Integrated PhD and Master thesis, University of Leeds.