TRANSPORTING FISHTRANSPORTING FISH

TRANSPORT MORTALITYTRANSPORT MORTALITY

• Poor water qualityPoor water quality• Water & ion imbalancesWater & ion imbalances• Stress-induced immunosuppressionStress-induced immunosuppression

WATER QUALITYWATER QUALITY

• TemperatureTemperature• OxygenOxygen• pH/ammonia/carbon dioxidepH/ammonia/carbon dioxide• Total dissolved solidsTotal dissolved solids

Metabolic ActivityMetabolic Activity

DISSOLVED OXYGEN SATURATIONy = 0.0044x2 -

0.3532x + 14.113r2 = 0.999

5

10

15

0 10 20 30 40Temperature (C)

DO

(mg/

L)

FW760 mm Hg

Dissolved Oxygen SaturationDissolved Oxygen Saturation

DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND SALINITYy = -0.0709x +

7.5818r2 = 0.9869

66.5

77.5

8

0 5 10 15 20Salinity (g/L)

DO

(mg/

L)

30 C760 mm Hg

Dissolved Oxygen and SalinityDissolved Oxygen and Salinity

Oxygen ConsumptionOxygen Consumption

NH3 NH4+

Ammonia

Un-ionized

Ammonium

Ionized

Low pH

Low Temp

High pH

High Temp

Ammonia RelationshipsAmmonia Relationships

Ammonia TransportAmmonia Transport Across Gill Across Gill

0 g/L 35 g/LFreshwater Seawater

Iso-osmoticIso-osmotic

10-12 g/L

Fish pump ions in and do not drink

Fish pump ions out and drink

Salinity

Water and Mineral TransportWater and Mineral Transport

ALKALINITY AND pH

6

7

8

9

0 10 20Carbon Dioxide (mg/L)

pH

100 mg/L

25 mg/L

Alkalinity and pHAlkalinity and pH

Disease Prevention and Disease Prevention and OutbreaksOutbreaks

Stress and Stress and DiseaseDiseaseOutbreaksOutbreaks

RULES OF THUMBRULES OF THUMB• Reduce the number of stressors (Know what you are doing)Reduce the number of stressors (Know what you are doing)

• Reduce severity of stressors (Don’t knock your fish around)Reduce severity of stressors (Don’t knock your fish around)

• Minimize duration of stressors (Don’t haul fish around the USA!)Minimize duration of stressors (Don’t haul fish around the USA!)

• Minimize plasma ion disturbances (Use salt)Minimize plasma ion disturbances (Use salt)

• Minimize increases in metabolic rate (Correct temp., etc.)Minimize increases in metabolic rate (Correct temp., etc.)

Knotless NettingKnotless Netting

Knotted NettingKnotted Netting

Fish loaded into bag and ready for oxygen “top-off.”

Oxygen injection into bagged fish...will keep up to 24 hrs.(If fish are small and low density!!)

Bagged fish loaded into box for shipping.

Case Study: How to Move Red Case Study: How to Move Red Drum…or How NOT too!Drum…or How NOT too!

Healthy? Much better over here!

Everyone’s here…let’s get started!

7:00 AM

“101, 102…”

“Gee…This is time consuming!”

“I’m hungry, anyone bring donuts??”

“Well, he said, then she told him to….”

“Was that 203, 204, 205?”

“Whose counting these???” 8:02 AM

Several hours later…still at it!

10:15 AM

“Did anyone calibrate the scale this AM?”

“Don’t look at me, I thought Becky was supposed to do it?”

11:07 AM

“Who wants to break for lunch??”

12:30 PM

“Did anyone check the batteries on this thing?”

2:00 PM

Striped BassStriped Bass

Fish Pump PhotoFish Pump Photo

Fish Pump DiagramFish Pump Diagram

Loading FishLoading Fish