Salish Sea Marine Survival Project researchers sampled juvenile subyearling Chinook salmon during their migration through estuary, nearshore, and offshore habitats in Puget Sound. They found that natural-origin stocks tended to be smaller and occupy habitats longer than hatchery-origin stocks. Both natural- and hatchery-origin stocks grew faster in offshore habitats than in nearshore and estuary habitats…. Read more »

Salish Sea Marine Survival Project researchers measured fish diversity in seagrass communities, and found evidence that fish communities in seagrass beds that are highly impacted by human-caused disturbance are less diverse than fish communities in areas that had less human disturbance. Fish species found at low disturbance sites that were not commonly observed at high… Read more »

  Salish Sea Marine Survival Project researchers developed a qualitative network model to explore the impacts of environmental and oceanic drivers, changes in primary production and the food web, and anthropogenic pressures on salmon survival and health. They found that anthropogenic impacts most strongly affected salmon survival and abundance. Several food web components were also… Read more »

Salish Sea Marine Survival Project researchers sampled juvenile Chinook salmon diet contents and zooplankton communities in the Cowichan River estuary and Cowichan Bay. They observed that hatchery-reared smolts were larger than naturally-reared smolts; hatchery fish ate larger prey, spent less time in the estuary, and disappeared from the bay earlier. Neither hatchery- nor naturally-reared salmon… Read more »

Salish Sea Marine Survival Project researchers tracked two groups of acoustically-tagged steelhead migrating through the Strait of Georgia. The first group of steelhead was allowed to outmigrate naturally. The first group’s survival was poorest in the river and at marine entry. The second group of steelhead was released directly into the marine environment, and their… Read more »

 Salish Sea Marine Survival Project researchers developed two qPCR assays that can detect Nanophyetus salmincola DNA in water samples, fish tissues, and snail tissues. N. salmincola is a parasite that can cause tissue damage in salmon and steelhead and may impact swimming performance and survival. Other SSMSP research has shown that steelhead from central and southern watersheds… Read more »

Salish Sea Marine Survival Project researchers found that 80% of the steelhead populations they studied in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia have declined in abundance since the 1980s. Salish Sea steelhead had the most severe declines over this time period. Marine survival trends varied regionally, grouping into Washington/Oregon coast, lower Columbia River, Strait of Juan… Read more »

Salish Sea Marine Survival Project researchers analyzed marine survival trends for chinook populations across Southeast Alaska, northern British Columbia, west coast of Vancouver Island, the Washington/Oregon coast, and the Salish Sea. Regional-scale differences in survival trends between Salish Sea and non-Salish Sea populations were observed; Salish Sea population trends were highly variable and less spatially… Read more »

Salish Sea Marine Survival Project researchers compared seasonal movements of Chilko Lake bull trout to the timing of sockeye salmon juvenile outmigration and adult spawning events. They found that bull trout residency was higher during outmigration and spawning events than at other times throughout the year. This result suggests that bull trout may exploit both outmigrating… Read more »

Salish Sea Marine Survival Project researchers conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment with Green River and Nisqually River steelhead smolts. Steelhead were tagged with acoustic telemetry transmitters and either released into their natal river or transported and released into the other river. Smolts released into the Green River had higher survival through Puget Sound regardless of… Read more »