Controlling invasive carp ichthyoplankton dispersion using a streamwise-oriented bubble screen: A proof-of-concept validation in a laboratory flume

Journal of Great Lakes Research
By: , and 

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Abstract

Recent evidence of invasive grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) reproducing in tributaries to the Laurentian Great Lakes has highlighted the need for control efforts targeting multiple life stages. Initial attempts to control dispersal of downstream-drifting invasive carp ichthyoplankton (i.e., eggs and larvae) using an oblique bubble screen (OBS) revealed that nearly neutrally buoyant grass carp eggs and larvae enter helical-like motions driven by the OBS, preventing aggregation within a single capture location. To improve dispersal control methods for such early-life stage carp, we used a laboratory flume to investigate the efficacy of a streamwise-oriented bubble screen to facilitate their near-bank capture. Five early-life stages of grass carp were tested: live water-hardened eggs, pre- and post-gas bladder inflation larvae, dead larvae, and dead eggs (preserved in formalin solution and later rehydrated). A range of mean channel velocities (0.23, 0.45, and 0.75 m/s) was tested for all drifters. Capture percentages increased with increasing airflow. Preserved eggs, for instance, showed capture percentages up to 95 %, 87 %, and 69 % at low, medium, and high water velocities for the highest airflow rate, respectively, in contrast with the lower than 5 % capture measured for zero airflow cases. Symmetric secondary flow structures on either side of the bubble screen induced helical trajectories of drifters and facilitated their capture in net-arrays along each wall. Velocity data were used to estimate helical recirculation timescales, enabling calculation of optimal bubble diffuser and net-array lengths for desired capture rates. This study provides useful guidance for the design of effective systems to control dispersal of downstream-drifting ichthyoplankton of invasive carp in streams.

Suggested Citation

Prasad, V., Doyle, H.F., Suski, C., Jackson, P.R., George, A.E., Fischer, J.R., Stahlschmidt, B.H., Herndon, A.M., and Tinoco, R.O., 2026, Controlling invasive carp ichthyoplankton dispersion using a streamwise-oriented bubble screen: A proof-of-concept validation in a laboratory flume: Journal of Great Lakes Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2026.102784.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Controlling invasive carp ichthyoplankton dispersion using a streamwise-oriented bubble screen: A proof-of-concept validation in a laboratory flume
Series title Journal of Great Lakes Research
DOI 10.1016/j.jglr.2026.102784
Edition Online First
Publication Date March 25, 2026
Year Published 2026
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) Central Midwest Water Science Center
Additional publication details