Science + Nature UNTapped: Fish Friendly Turbines

We have invited Abe Schneider and Sterling Watson from Natel Energy to share their work on fish-safe turbines.
Natel Energy are creating a new kind of climate-resilient hydropower that prioritizes biodiversity alongside energy generation using fish-safe turbines.
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Talk description:
Migration corridors for riverine species tend to overlap with valuable hydropower resources. Supporting clean hydroelectric power generation while also protecting freshwater diversity is in many cases an unmet challenge. Exclusion infrastructure (i.e., fine fish screens, behavioral guidance infrastructure, and bypasses) can protect fish from turbine entrainment when it is feasible, but also limits the available passage routes for fish and constrains hydropower generation. Alternatively, turbines designed to pass fish downstream safely can maintain connectivity for downstream migrating species while also enabling uninterrupted hydropower operation. Integrating safe downstream passage into normal hydropower operations through the use of fish-safe turbines (fish inclusion) can reduce cost and complexity while facilitating downstream migration. We will describe the function and application range of a new propeller-style turbine, called the Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT), as well as passage testing learnings and results for American eel, Alewife, and Rainbow trout.
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About the speakers:
Abe Schneider is cofounder and Chief Technology Officer of Natel. Abe creates hydraulic designs for Natel's turbines, and works at the intersection of science, R&D, product and project development, and communications. Abe holds bachelors and masters degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT. Abe enjoys SUP surfing, wing foiling, rock climbing and building things with his wife and 2 children.
Sterling Watson is a Staff Engineer and leads fish-safe turbine design at Natel Energy. Her technical focus includes turbine performance assessment, fish passage test design and data collection, engagement with the scientific and stakeholder communities, and model development to inform high-performance, fish-safe turbine and hydropower plant designs. Sterling holds bachelors and masters degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT. Her passion for everything aquatic extends beyond the office and she can be found swimming, surfing, and sea foraging in the waters of San Francisco during her free time.
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Here is a comprehensive list of links to resources related to this talk:
Natel Energy - www.natelenergy.com
Eel Study Journal Article -https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.c...

River Institute Science + Nature UNTapped Site
https://riverinstitute.ca/untapped/