Incorporating GPS and Mobile Radio Frequency Identification to Detect PIT-Tagged Fish and Evaluate Habitat Utilization in Streams

AbstractThe use of mobile radio frequency identification (RFID) systems to detect PIT tags has increased in support of research on fish movement, population dynamics, and habitat use. We describe the development and application of a mobile RFID system that incorporates GPS to detect PIT-tagged fish and evaluate habitat utilization in streams. The study was conducted in two distinct phases. First, development and testing of the RFID–GPS system were conducted using georeferenced, PIT-tagged rocks to evaluate detection probability and GPS accuracy. Second, the system was field deployed to estimate the abundance of PIT-tagged fish and evaluate habitat utilization. Detection probability was negatively influenced by stream width, distance from the stream center, and water depth, whereas detection probability increased with the number of passes. The GPS error between detected and surveyed positions averaged 4.5 m, with greater error observed in longitude than in latitude. Because of high capture and recapture pr...