Movement of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Onchorynchus Kisutch) and Dolly Varden Char (Salvelinus Malma) in Headwater Rearing Habitat in the Kenai Lowlands of South-central Alaska

Movement of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Onchorynchus Kisutch) and Dolly Varden Char (Salvelinus Malma) in Headwater Rearing Habitat in the Kenai Lowlands of South-central Alaska PDF Author: Kristin L. Berger
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Chars
Languages : en
Pages : 74

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"Patterns of juvenile salmonid movement in natal streams provide insight into factors driving movement and ways to develop proactive conservation practices for wild salmon populations. This work expands on years of ongoing investigations for a comprehensive understanding of landscape and habitat characteristics important for salmon success. This study ties into an existing model for headwater streams in the Kenai Lowlands which predicts the presence of juvenile coho salmon and Dolly Varden by age-class based on catchment topography, wetland geomorphology, water chemistry, substrate composition, channel morphology, and macroinvertebrate and fish communities. We tagged nearly 1,000 juvenile coho salmon (Onchorynchus kisutch) and Dolly Varden char (Salvelinus malma) with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in headwater streams with varying gradients and habitat conditions in the Kenai Lowlands, Alaska from May to October 2012, and tracked their movement with stationary antenna arrays spaced approximately 0.8-3.5 km apart. Our results demonstrate that juvenile salmonids moved considerably in rearing habitat during non-migratory periods (e.g. seaward migrations), conceivably in an exploratory nature to find optimal habitat. Larger juveniles appeared to move more than smaller juveniles. Our results suggest that stream temperature, stage and time of year may be correlated to summer movement in headwater streams. Most fish were detected again within their site of capture moving 5-10 m, and 23% of tagged fish moved distances of 0.8-3.5 km to another site. This novel finding is important, because we now know that fish are moving between habitats at different reach levels. The movement of fish between reaches and the utilization of different habitats emphasizes the importance of habitat heterogeneity and connectivity between diverse shelter and foraging habitats during pre-smolt stages. Further investigation into habitat use by juvenile salmonids during different seasons may clarify species- and age-class specific patterns of movement."--Abstract.

Movement of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Onchorynchus Kisutch) and Dolly Varden Char (Salvelinus Malma) in Headwater Rearing Habitat in the Kenai Lowlands of South-central Alaska

Movement of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Onchorynchus Kisutch) and Dolly Varden Char (Salvelinus Malma) in Headwater Rearing Habitat in the Kenai Lowlands of South-central Alaska PDF Author: Kristin L. Berger
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Chars
Languages : en
Pages : 74

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Book Description
"Patterns of juvenile salmonid movement in natal streams provide insight into factors driving movement and ways to develop proactive conservation practices for wild salmon populations. This work expands on years of ongoing investigations for a comprehensive understanding of landscape and habitat characteristics important for salmon success. This study ties into an existing model for headwater streams in the Kenai Lowlands which predicts the presence of juvenile coho salmon and Dolly Varden by age-class based on catchment topography, wetland geomorphology, water chemistry, substrate composition, channel morphology, and macroinvertebrate and fish communities. We tagged nearly 1,000 juvenile coho salmon (Onchorynchus kisutch) and Dolly Varden char (Salvelinus malma) with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in headwater streams with varying gradients and habitat conditions in the Kenai Lowlands, Alaska from May to October 2012, and tracked their movement with stationary antenna arrays spaced approximately 0.8-3.5 km apart. Our results demonstrate that juvenile salmonids moved considerably in rearing habitat during non-migratory periods (e.g. seaward migrations), conceivably in an exploratory nature to find optimal habitat. Larger juveniles appeared to move more than smaller juveniles. Our results suggest that stream temperature, stage and time of year may be correlated to summer movement in headwater streams. Most fish were detected again within their site of capture moving 5-10 m, and 23% of tagged fish moved distances of 0.8-3.5 km to another site. This novel finding is important, because we now know that fish are moving between habitats at different reach levels. The movement of fish between reaches and the utilization of different habitats emphasizes the importance of habitat heterogeneity and connectivity between diverse shelter and foraging habitats during pre-smolt stages. Further investigation into habitat use by juvenile salmonids during different seasons may clarify species- and age-class specific patterns of movement."--Abstract.

A Landscape Approach to Determining and Predicting Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) Movement Timing and Growth Patterns Prior to Ocean Entry

A Landscape Approach to Determining and Predicting Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) Movement Timing and Growth Patterns Prior to Ocean Entry PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Coho salmon
Languages : en
Pages : 124

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Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) rely on unique habitats during the winter season, which may dictate how much individuals may growth and when migration from freshwater rearing habitat to the ocean occurs. Here I analyze movement timing and growth patterns for coho salmon through a field-based study and a literature review. For the field portion, I examined hatchery-stocked juvenile coho salmon across four stream basins in the Russian River watershed, California to determine the relative importance of climate, landscape, and fish size metrics in predicting movement and growth patterns over a winter rearing and spring smolt outmigration time period (December 2014-June 2015). I observed three unique movement strategies: winter parr movement, spring smolt movement, and inter-tributary movement. Movement was predicted in relation to daily temperature and precipitation, followed by in-stream and upslope basin conditions in random forest modeling. Specifically, fish that moved later were associated with basins that contained higher productivity and low-gradient floodplain habitats, while fish that moved earlier came from streams that lacked invertebrate prey and had limited low-gradient rearing habitat. Fish size and timing of movement were the primary predictors of growth, with relatively larger fish in the spring growing faster than fish that were relatively smaller prior to winter. These relationships suggest that hatchery-release fish are still highly influenced by environmental conditions once released, especially in terms of initial seasonal movement, and that watershed conditions should be considered when utilizing hatchery-rearing programs to supplement wild fish populations. In North America, coho salmon populations are distributed from Alaska through California, and may exhibit unique movement and growth patterns in relationship to population-scale vulnerability (Endangered Species Act listing), basin area, and availability and types of rearing habitat. For the second part of my thesis, I conducted a literature review to assess what factors are commonly considered in predicting movement and growth patterns for these fish, as well as the types (season and life stage) and number of movement strategies reported. Eighteen studies were summarized, of which sixteen identified unique movement strategies, ranging from one to four. Despite a wide range of basin areas and latitudes, winter parr and spring smolt movements were commonly observed, with authors primarily relating these behaviors to in-stream habitat and fish size metrics. Additionally, growth was linked positively and primarily with off-channel winter rearing, which may outweigh the importance of fish size in predicting growth when high quality rearing habitats are available during the winter season. Recognizing movement timing diversity and its drivers can help recover threatened coho salmon populations. More widely distributed populations may have unique phenotypic expressions based on localized genetic and environmental interactions, increasing diversity and overall stability across the population, a concept known as the portfolio effect. Understanding fish-habitat relationships can aid recovery efforts by providing a framework of climatic and watershed conditions that support unique behaviors, even in already severely limited populations.

Longitudinal Distribution Patterns and Habitat Associations of Juvenile Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus Kisutch in Tributaries of the Little Susitna River, Alaska

Longitudinal Distribution Patterns and Habitat Associations of Juvenile Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus Kisutch in Tributaries of the Little Susitna River, Alaska PDF Author: Kevin Michael Foley
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Coho salmon
Languages : en
Pages : 286

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Understanding how headwater streams function as rearing habitats for juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch is essential for effective population management and conservation. To inform habitat restoration activities within the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Alaska, I determined upstream distribution limits, validated abundance estimates, and established fish habitat relationships in two headwater stream tributaries of the Little Susitna River in 2010-11. Using a low-effort, spatially continuous sampling approach and linear mixed-effects models, I related local- and landscape-scale habitat associations to abundance estimates. All-aged coho salmon composed approximately 98% of all fish sampled and inhabited the entire stream length to their upstream limits. Age-1+ fish resided in 64% and 44% of the stream length for the two sampled streams. The mean upstream elevation limit for all-aged fish in these streams was 278m and 267m. For age- 1+ fish, the upstream elevation limit in the two streams was 275m and 238m. Percent slope at the distribution limit of all-aged fish was consistent across streams at 5%, whereas percent slope for age-1+ fish correspond to 4% and 6%. Elevation and percent slope consistently described upstream distribution limits among age classes. Therefore, we must consider these landscape features when prioritizing restoration projects in headwater streams.

Effects of Logging on Growth of Juvenile Coho Salmon

Effects of Logging on Growth of Juvenile Coho Salmon PDF Author: Paul M. Iwanaga
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Fishes
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Overwinter Survival and Movement of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) in Relation to Large Woody Debris and Low-velocity Habitat in Northern California Streams

Overwinter Survival and Movement of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) in Relation to Large Woody Debris and Low-velocity Habitat in Northern California Streams PDF Author: John D. Deibner-Hanson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Coho salmon
Languages : en
Pages : 96

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Some studies suggest that Coho Salmon populations are limited by overwinter survival as a result of insufficient winter habitat. While many small-scale projects aim to define reach and basin-level habitat requirements for Coho Salmon, large-scale studies that assess multiple independent populations remain few. For my research, I quantified large woody debris (LWD) by volume and low-velocity rearing habitat (LVH) as percent area in three coastal watersheds of similar size in northern California to untangle the relationships between Coho Salmon overwinter survival, emigration timing and specific winter habitats. I used mark-recapture techniques with PIT tags to formulate Cormack-Jolly-Seber models for each of three years (2013-2015) to (1) estimate apparent overwinter survival of juvenile Coho Salmon populations, (2) determine to what extent outmigration timing varies among basins, and (3) evaluate the relationships between reach-specific survival, movement and winter habitat. LWD volume ranged from 47.8 to 109.9 cubic meters per kilometer among stream reaches while LVH area spanned from 9.3% to 23.6% of total stream area per reach. Effects of LWD on apparent overwinter survival and early emigration were absent during all three years of the study. Effects of LVH were not observed during 2013 and 2014. In 2015, LVH correlated positively with apparent overwinter survival and negatively with emigration. Larger Coho Salmon had higher apparent overwinter survival rates than small fish, whereas smaller fish had greater emigrations rates before spring. Mean apparent overwinter survival varied by basin from 0.052 to 0.567 but basins maintained consistency across years. Early emigration rates ranged even further by basin (0.023-0.773). Variation in both apparent overwinter survival and early emigration was much greater among basins than within basins. A lot remains to be learned regarding how habitat affects the migratory behavior of Coho Salmon in California and these results suggest the effects may vary significantly by stream. The drastic life history differences observed in neighboring Coho Salmon populations demonstrate the plasticity in a species once thought to be relatively inflexible. Moving forward, incorporating multi-basin approaches should be considered when evaluating freshwater survival and movement to inform large-scale restoration and conservation.

Identification of Physical Habitats Limiting the Production of Coho Salmon in Western Oregon and Washington

Identification of Physical Habitats Limiting the Production of Coho Salmon in Western Oregon and Washington PDF Author: Gordon H. Reeves
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Coho salmon
Languages : en
Pages : 24

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Abundance, Size, Habitat Utilization, and Intrastream Movement of Juvenile Coho Salmon in a Small Southeast Alaskan Stream

Abundance, Size, Habitat Utilization, and Intrastream Movement of Juvenile Coho Salmon in a Small Southeast Alaskan Stream PDF Author: Roger Dean Harding
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Coho salmon
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Juvenile Coho Salmon Movement, Growth and Survival in a Coastal Basin of Southern Oregon

Juvenile Coho Salmon Movement, Growth and Survival in a Coastal Basin of Southern Oregon PDF Author: Adam D. Weybright
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Coho salmon
Languages : en
Pages : 110

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Juvenile salmonids display highly variable spatial and temporal movement patterns that are influenced by density dependent (e.g., competition, predation) and density independent (e.g., genetics, stream discharge, physical habitat conditions) factors. The effects of these factors differ with fish life history stage, but will ultimately affect how salmonids utilize freshwater nursery habitats and influence their size at smolting. Although juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) (Walbaum 1792) movement patterns and their relationships with body mass have been previously examined, the temporal scale considered in most studies has been within individual seasonal periods. In this study, we monitored the movement of PIT tagged juvenile coho salmon throughout the period of freshwater residence in an entire southern Oregon coastal basin to identify the prevalent sedentary and mobile strategies these fish may adopt and to examine possible relationships between those strategies and fish body mass, growth and survival. Specific objectives include: 1) to describe juvenile coho salmon movement strategies and patterns during the freshwater residence period; 2) to determine the relative proportions of juvenile coho salmon that exhibit each movement strategy; 3) to establish whether juvenile coho salmon body mass and growth rates are related with a set of habitat variables recorded during this study; 4) to determine whether coho salmon body mass or growth rates are related to movement strategy; and 5) to evaluate whether winter survival of juvenile coho salmon is associated with movement strategy. Results revealed seasonally and spatially variable movement. More than half of coho salmon tracked throughout the period of freshwater residence exhibited movement behavior that differed between summer and winter seasons. Within seasonal periods, coho salmon in tidally affected reaches exhibited greater prevalence of mobile behavior relative to those in riverine reaches. Regression analysis indicated coho biomass density, habitat unit structural complexity and size at tagging were important in predicting summer growth of coho salmon. Juvenile coho salmon that were mobile during summer were either larger or no different in body mass in early summer relative to fish that exhibited sedentary behavior. Similarly, no consistent differences were observed between sedentary and mobile coho salmon in regards to summer growth. Coho salmon that were sedentary in summer and winter experienced higher apparent winter survival than mobile fish in each season, though the reach in which an individual resided at the start of winter appeared to also affect survival. Coho salmon residing in the tide gate reservoir reach and mainstem headwater reaches experienced greatest apparent winter survival. These results indicate that juvenile coho salmon movement within a stream basin is spatially and temporally variable and that mobility does not necessarily indicate inferior competitive ability. In a broader context, variable movement patterns reflect the capacity for plastic behavior in salmonids and this research demonstrates the importance of maintaining seasonally diverse freshwater and estuarine nursery habitats for juvenile fish.

Marking Juvenile Coho Salmon in the Kenai River with Coded, Microwire Tags

Marking Juvenile Coho Salmon in the Kenai River with Coded, Microwire Tags PDF Author: Jamie A. Carlon
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Coho salmon
Languages : en
Pages : 55

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Report of a study in which Kenai River (southcentral Alaska) juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were marked with coded, microwire tags to provide estimates of the contribution of Kenai River coho salmon to UCI (Upper Cook Inlet) commercial fisheries.

Survival, Growth, and Movement of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) Over-wintering in Alcoves, Backwaters, and Main Channel Pools in Prairie Creek, California

Survival, Growth, and Movement of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) Over-wintering in Alcoves, Backwaters, and Main Channel Pools in Prairie Creek, California PDF Author: Ethan Bell
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Coho salmon
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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