Hydroelectric Dams Cause Salmon Brain Injuries
Dr. Miracle of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington has developed a method of detecting brain injuries in salmon caused by dams by comparing amounts of intact protein to amounts of breakdown protein products in cell walls.
This information is useful for redesigning hydroelectric dams to minimize damage to fish or campaigning for dam removal. According to the New York Times:
On rivers with flood-control and hydroelectric dams, like many in the Pacific Northwest, the young salmon are buffeted, subject to sharp pressure changes and otherwise knocked around as they pass through spillways, tunnels and power-generating turbines.
Dr. Miracle’s methods of measuring protein in cell walls could replace the current usage of dummy fish containing accelerometers and embedded sensors in live fish.
Image: Josh Parrish on Flickr under a Creative Commons License
i dont like the fact that fish are getting hurt so someone needs to fix it