The field work of EcoPeak4Fish concerning Task 1 (Fish ecology and microhabitat assessment) has ended last week. For two weeks – one in Spring (the spawning period) and the other on Late-summer (the growing period) – the research team from the EcoPeak4fish was able to sample and quantify microhabitat use and availability of fish species at reference (i.e. non-impacted) and hydropeaking affected sites, upstream and downstream of Covas do Barroso and Bragado small hydropower plants.
Next steps will be data preparation, screening and treatment. This task aims to assess fish microhabitat use in near natural rivers and in rivers affected by hydropeaking to evaluate and integrate these results into Task 2 (Experimental testing of flow refuges at the indoor flume). The following question will try to be answered: (i) Do these species select specific microhabitats in reference and hydropeaking-affected sites (i.e. do they show non‐random microhabitat use)?; (ii) Do the species show seasonal or ontogenetic (i.e. size‐related) patterns in microhabitat use?; (iii) What are the most important variables that drive microhabitat use in reference and hydropeaking-affected river sites?
