Anadromous river herring (Alosa spp.) must migrate into freshwater streams and ponds each spring to spawn. River herring movement behavior and passage success was studied at a tide gate structure and culverts on the Herring River of Wellfleet, MA (Cape Cod). The study used a combination of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) and acoustic telemetry to assess fish passage and movement behavior around the current tide gate structure. Over 1,000 acres of historic salt marsh were lost after the construction of the tide gate at the mouth of the Herring River in the early 20th century. A full restoration of tidal flow by removal of the tide gate is scheduled to begin by ~2018. These data serve as a pre-restoration baseline to assess to what extent removal has met fish passage management goals.

Derrick is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the U.S. Geological Survey S.O. Conte Diadromous Fish Research Center. His research focuses on river herring movement behavior around anthropogenic obstacles.