Introduction

Our activity

SCIMABIO interface science gestion

SCIMABIO‘s main activity is the assessment of the ecological continuity of rivers, particularly for fish migration. The revision of the Federal Law on the Protection of Waters (WPL) passed in 2011 stipulates the obligation for Swiss cantons and hydroelectric energy suppliers to reduce the effects of the exploitation of hydropower on aquatic ecosystems. We assist stakeholders in their restoration projects of ecological continuity by offering evaluation of fish passage (through dams, sills, riffles, fish passes, downstream migration systems). We offer various tools, from turnkey installation of remote sensing devices in streams to assess the crossing of structures, genetic tools to measure the degree of segregation among populations, or “culvert kits” to make passable some passages in culverts.

 

 

 

Our objectives are:

  • to propose to hydroelectric companies different systems to assess fish crossing at fishways and downstream migrations, using either RFID or telemetry;
  • to integrate our assessment tools from the beginning of a project, working alongside engineers who size the fish passage facilities and companies who build them;
  • to assess the ecological continuity in rivers containing barriers to migration, or after recent developments;
  • to analyze the impact of stream splitting with dams on the genetics and viability of fish populations;
  • to settle and develop devices to improve the crossing of culverts;
  • to develop applied research programs in the field of ecological continuity to meet the needs of managers;
  • to assist managers in their management decisions.

 

5 tools to assess the ecological continuity

PIT tag RFID transpondeur

RFID / PIT tag

Antenne télémétrie radio

Telemetry

Prélèvement nageoire génétique truite

genetics

isotopie eau rivière

Isotopy

dispositif kit buse

Culvert kit

Who are we ?

Alexandre Richard received a PhD in ecology and population biology in 2014. He has 10 years of experience within the University of applied sciences of western Switzerland (hepia, Geneva), in fish management and applied research. He had the responsibility for several projects linked with marking tools (calcein, PIT-tags on juveniles), and stocking-efficiency and dynamics of trout populations. He taught ecology and management of aquatic animal species to bachelor’ and master’ students and graduates. He worked closely with fishing stakeholders and hydropower producers. He wrote several scientific publications during his thesis in international journals and participated to different international conferences. He won the Genilem HES price in 2014 for the SCIMABIO project together with a coaching by Genilem for 3 years. He is the president of SCIMABIO Sàrl.

 

 

Tracking mobile Arnaud Caudron ScimabioArnaud Caudron holds a PhD in conservation biology. Trained as a fish biologist, he has 15 years of experience with both management and research organizations.He specialized in the development of a collaborative approach of biodiversity conservation and in science-policy interface. He participated in several research-action programs on fish species and practical applications on conservation and restoration of natural populations. He participated to the development and transfer to management stakeholders of operational tools in different domains: population genetics, individual and mass-marking, fish migration, post-actions monitoring, thermal monitoring of habitats, decision-making models, large-scale diagnostics. To develop an efficient science-management interface, Arnaud keeps a national and international scientific activity linked to several research teams, supervising students, Ph. D or post-doctoral scientists, participating in conferences and seminars, and co-managing applied-research programs. He contributed to the drafting of about fifteen scientific publications. He is co-manager of SCIMABIO Sàrl.

 

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