Field testing of an underwater acoustic deterrent system in a Marseilles pool gravel pit on the Illinois River
Acoustic deterrent technologies are being developed to prevent the spread of invasive carp (Bighead Carp, Silver Carp, Grass Carp, and Black Carp) from the Mississippi River watershed to the Great Lakes. To assess this technology, field testing of the deterrent equipment and newly developed sound stimuli on wild invasive carp populations is essential. Large-scale experimental deployments and testing of UADS are currently installed or proposed at multiple locks and dams. However, there has been limited use or testing of underwater acoustic deterrents in smaller areas where lock infrastructure does not exist (e.g., side channels and backwaters). These more natural areas have important characteristics that differ from hard-structured locks and dams, such as soft substrate, flashy flow conditions, shallow or variable water depth, and inconsistent bathymetry/bottom elevation.