Changing Salmon (Oncorhynchus) runs in the Northeast Pacific

Location: Canada's Pacific marine areas and surrounding coastal areas of the northeast Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea

Description: The purpose of this project is to track observations of unusual trends, patterns, and events related to Pacific salmon in Canada's Pacific Marine Ecosystems and the northeast Pacific generally.

Background: The observed and predicted responses of Pacific salmon species to climate change and non-climate related stressors were reviewed by Okey et al. (2014). The literature summarized in this review indicated multiple issues: "(1) Canada’s Pacific salmon are influenced by changes in climate and oceanography across the whole North Pacific; (2) Changes in climate and oceanography influence biological productivity; (3) Salmon are responsive to changes and variations in biological production; Salmon ranges and distributions are contracting and shifting northward due to changes in climate, oceanography, and productivity; (4) A variety of non-climate stressors affect salmon including overfishing and habitat degradation, increased aquaculture, possible changes in depredation, and even increased hatchery production; (5) The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) corresponds to dramatic shifts in salmon productivity regimes with higher catches of chum, pink, coho, and sockeye in Canada’s Pacific and Alaska; (6) The survival of pink, chum, and sockeye salmon decreased with increasing ocean temperatures in Pacific Canada and Washington State while increasing with increasing temperatures in Alaska—showing opposite effects in Northern and Southern areas; (7) Rivers and lakes will warm faster than the ocean, and this may strongly affect salmon reproduction and survival in Canada’s Pacific region; (8) High uncertainty of climate effects on Pacific salmon relates to the multidimensionality of climate impacts on them and the range of sensitivities by life stage and habitat."

Local observations of changing hydrological flows on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, suggest off-channel river habitats are staying dry for significantly longer time periods and may be contributing to delayed salmon run migrations. During a Clayoquot Salmon Roundtable (CSR) Chinook Risk Assessment Workshop, held in April, 2014, local fishermen and field biologists identified a number of habitat changes, related to changing climate conditions, that could be limiting salmon population migration patterns and population size.

Funding: Open invitation

Partners: Pending

Observing Guidance: Observers are asked to report any notable or unusual changes in salmon runs or populations in the northeast Pacific. Detailed photos are encouraged in addition to information about the precise location and dates of the observations. Data summaries from point locations are also requested.

Source Data: Posts on the LEO Network, or from other sources.

Outputs: Contributed data will be added to LEO regional map and to timeline trends. Contributed data will potentially be used in published reports or papers.

Project Updates: Project updates may be provided in forthcoming LEO BC newsletters, regional ocean health reports, and through direct collaboration with project contributors.

Resources:

Clayoquot Biosphere Trust

Clayoquot Salmon Round Table Stakeholder Risk Assessment Matrix.

Pacific Salmon on the Encyclopedia of Life

Salmon Run on Wikipedia

Pacific Salmon on Wikipedia

Pacific Salmon on Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Pacific Salmon Foundation

References:

Okey, T.A., Alidina, H.M., Lo, V. and Jessen, S., 2014. Effects of climate change on Canada’s Pacific marine ecosystems: a summary of scientific knowledge. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 24(2), pp.519-559.

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