PIT Tag Testing Results (Installation and Evaluation of Established PIT-tag Technologies)

This is a BPA-funded research project (BPA code 200100300) that was started in 2001 to fund the installation and evaluation of the PIT-tag systems for adult salmonids. Originally, this was only for orifice-based detection systems in fish ladders, but PIT-tag technologies have developed quickly over the past decade, and has enabled PIT-tag systems with larger and larger antennas to be fabricated. As a result of the technologies evolving, this project has also evolved over time as we recognized the need to assess the impacts of integrating PIT-tag technologies that were not anticipated in 2001. Furthermore, we also now recognize that whenever we adopt a new PIT-tag technology such as a new tag model, it could have a significant impact (positive and negative) on how well the existing PIT-tag systems detect tagged adult and juvenile salmonids. Therefore, we now evaluate the potential impact of adopting new technologies before they are adopted or installed.

To reflect the evolution of the project, we changed the title in 2006 to "Installation and Evaluation of Established PIT-tag Technologies." It is important to point out that the focus of this project is on integrating finished products and not on developing new ones. Within this project, PSMFC is responsible for installing the systems, and NMFS is responsible for evaluating the installed systems. Because the agencies have different responsibilities, they work together to evaluate the potential impact of adopting alternative technologies to the already established monitoring system that the entire fisheries community relies on for collecting data on salmonids. PSMFC's responsibility is related to operations and maintenance, and NOAA's responsibility is to ensure that a technology is appropriate for fisheries applications, and that the new technologies perform as advertised. By working together, we ensure a technology is ready for operations when it is adopted or installed. During the performance period (12/1/2010-11/30/2011), this project will provide funds to NMFS for the following:

1) Administrative tasks associated with this project.

2) Annual evaluation of interrogation systems for adult salmonids using in-river fish.

3) Evaluation of new transceiver for replacing the current series of transceivers.

4) Evaluation of the new PIT tags with a fish test in the corner collector.

5) Annual reports for previous years.

6) Assistance in the development and evaluation of the new separation-by-code software R&D of Fish-Tracking Technologies.

Since all of the projects in the mainstem research/monitoring group rely to a large extent (or almost exclusively) on information gathered from PIT-tagged fish, their success are dependent on the successful implementation of this project and two other projects (199008000 and 198331900) that provide the fundamental structure for the network of PIT-tag systems. The evaluations of the technologies provided by this project are critical because they determine the accuracy of the data that will be collected by future users. MS Excel spreadsheet files from laboratory and field tests conducted to evaluate multiple PIT tags.