Ascertaining whether an enhanced bubble curtain could deter Asian carp movement into small tributaries in a practical manner; immediate installation of sound deterrents in the Mississippi River
Project manager: Peter Sorensen
Description: In 2009, the University of Minnesota developed an enhanced new bubble curtain design that reduces up- and down-stream movement of the invasive common carp by 70-80% (results under peer review). The primary advantage of this new technology is that it is very practical and inexpensive: a simple industrial blower connected to PVC pipes with holes drilled in a specific manner (that costs less than $2,000) can stop about 75% of all common carp. This technology also has the potential to be taxon-specific because it is based on sound and hydrodynamic fields generated by the bubbles and additionally will work safely and efficiently in shallow waters.
Because the silver and bighead carp are just as (and possibly more) sensitive to sound as the common carp, this technology could have great potential for stopping these new, highly invasive species in the hundreds of small tributaries to Minnesota's large rivers that are too expensive and difficult to protect with other methods, such as electrical or mechanical barriers.
In continuation of MAISRC efforts to use sound deterrents to control movement of bighead and silver carp in Minnesota's rivers, and response to the recent report of late-stage bighead carp embryos being found in Mississippi River Pool 9, MAISRC proposes to immediately purchase and install underwater transducers at Lock & Dam #8.
Project start date: 2012
Project end date: 2014
Updates and progress:
- Bubble curtain deflection screen diverts the movement of both Asian and Common Carps (Published paper)
- Sound may deter invasive carp (MAISRC in the News)
- Field test of a bubble curtain deterrent system for common carp (Published paper)
- Invasive carp get an earful from Mississippi River noise experiment (MAISRC in the News)
- Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock Closed To Stop Invasive Carp (MAISRC in the News)
- Area invasive carp project receives funding (MAISRC in the News)
- It's Carp Wars as Minnesota takes on Asian carp (MAISRC in the News)
- Laboratory experiments demonstrate that bubble curtains can effectively inhibit movement of common carp (published paper)
- Researchers start assembling an experimental Bigheaded carp deterrent system (MAISRC newsletter)