The International Symposium on Ecohydraulics (ISE) and Fish Passage 2024 left attendees inspired by excellent talks, abundant networking opportunities, and innovative new research. Held in Québec City, Canada, the symposium brought together scientists, engineers, and practitioners to discuss the latest developments in ecohydraulics and fish passage.
The symposium began with impactful keynote addresses from Steve Cook sharing his expertise on integrating ecohydraulic principles into sustainable river management along the longitudinal connectivity axis. Marianne Bachand highlighted advancements in the assessment of aquatic environments.
The second conference day started with a moving plenary talk from Carole-Anne Gillis featuring the “Two-Eyed Seeing” approach, conceptualized by Mi’kmaw Elders Albert and Murdena Marshall. The approach involves integrating the strengths of Indigenous knowledge (IK) systems with Western scientific methods to address environmental and societal challenges. Dr. Gillis showed practical applications of the Two-Eyed Seeing approach, leveraging community-centered insights of Indigenous traditions alongside the analytical, evidence-based framework of Western science.
At the beginning of the third day, Theodore Castro-Santos (USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center) delivered an exciting talk on the impacts of human-made barriers on migratory fish and movement theory.
Each conference day was rich with technical sessions on stream restoration, fish passage, sediment dynamics, fluvial morphology, riverine habitat connectivity, innovative hydraulic modeling, and climate change impacts on ecosystems, setting the stage for interdisciplinary discussions during extensive and well-organized breaks. Additionally, interactive workshops and poster sessions provided platforms for early-career researchers to present their findings.
The International Symposium on Ecohydraulics and Fish Passage 2024 was a great success, offering valuable insights and fostering rich dialogue – a big “Thank You!” goes to the organizers. Attendees left with a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration to advance ecohydraulics. We look forward to seeing the impact of the ideas and collaborations at the next Symposium on Ecohydraulics in Switzerland in 2026. The next Fish Passage conferences will take place at the Three Gorges Dam (China) in 2025, and Davis, California (USA) in 2026.
