Devices & Methods
Instruments and protocols developed to measure fish performance at scale
Published 2025
Laser-Timed Burst Swimming Tunnel
Burst swimming — the explosive, anaerobic sprint used for predator escape and prey capture — is one of the most ecologically relevant performance traits in fish, but historically difficult to measure with precision and throughput. I designed and built a Raspberry Pi–powered swimming tunnel instrumented with laser break-beam sensors that automatically times multiple burst performance metrics with millisecond precision.
The system can process dozens of fish per day, across temperatures and species, and has already been applied to study predator–prey thermal dynamics in Chinook salmon (McInturf et al. 2022).
Manuscript In Review
Thermal Preference Arena
Understanding where fish choose to be — not just where they can survive — is critical for predicting habitat use under warming. This thermal preference arena creates a stable thermal gradient within a single tank, allowing fish to behaviorally thermoregulate and reveal their preferred temperatures through movement and position.
The arena is a miniaturized adaptation of an existing design, re-engineered specifically to be shippable, field-reconstructable, and operable in the extreme logistical constraints of McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Successfully deployed to characterize thermal preferences in Trematomus bernacchii and T. pennellii, revealing behavioral evidence of niche differentiation between sympatric species that was not apparent from physiology alone (Naslund et al., in review).
3D Prototyping & Rapid Design
Designing research equipment from scratch is a slow, expensive process when relying on machine shops and off-the-shelf components. 3D printing and rapid prototyping have transformed my ability to iterate on device design — from the geometry of respirometry chambers to custom mounts, flow straighteners, and behavioral arena components.
CAD modeling and FDM printing make it possible to iterate quickly on chamber geometry, flow dynamics, and fit — producing functional prototypes in hours. Components can be redesigned and reprinted between experimental runs as problems emerge, in a way that machined parts never allow.
Below are some examples of prototyping work currently in progress. Images and details will be added as the work develops.
Questions or Collaborations
If you're working on a related measurement challenge or have questions about any of these methods, feel free to get in touch.
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