PhD defence about consequences of barriers in streams for freshwater fish

PhD Student Kim Birnie-Gauvin, DTU Aqua will defend her thesis “The unspoken truth about impacted rivers. Consequences and implications of barriers for conservation of freshwater fish” on 6 December 2019 at 13:00. The defence takes place in the canteen at DTU Aqua, Vejlsøvej 39, 8600 Silkeborg.

Kim Birnie-Gauvin has investigated the loss of important habitats for fish species as a result of barriers in streams. Typically, the barriers are made for the purpose of electricity production, water security or irrigation, but they hinder and delay the passage for moving fish. Kim Birnie-Gauvin and her colleagues have demonstrated that even small barriers have extensive cumulative impacts that lead to severe habitat loss. Furthermore, they have tested the effects of dam removal and river restoration in three case studies. 

The results lead to the conclusion that habitat loss must be recognized and considered a major effect of barriers and that fish migrate much more than is generally described, and it is recommended that dam removal become a go-to tool for river restoration.

Supervisors

• Principal supervisor: Professor Kim Aarestrup, DTU Aqua
• Co-supervisor: Senior Researcher Niels Jepsen, DTU Aqua
• Co-supervisor: and Professor Anders Koed, DTU Aqua

Examiners

• Senior Researcher Jon C. Svendsen, DTU Aqua
• Researcher Line Elisabeth Sundt-Hansen, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Norway
• Doctor Andy Moore, Cefas, UK

Chairperson at defence

• Senior Researcher Jakob Hemmer Hansen, DTU Aqua