Seaward Migration. To go or not to go? Timing Locomotion Life history patterns Environmental changes. Chinook salmon smolt

Transcription

1 Seaward Migration To go or not to go? Timing Locomotion Life history patterns Environmental changes Chinook salmon smolt

2 Because streams in our region are unproductive, salmonids face a fundamental dilemma each year: stay, grow slowly but be safe, or go to sea, grow fast, and face the sharks! G. Ruggerone

3 Annual Dilemmas Go to Sea Stay in Freshwater Mature Remain Immature Mature Remain Immature Timing: 1. Go this year? 2. What time of the year? 3. What date? 4. What time of day or night?

4 Hypothesized costs and benefits of freshwater residence for juvenile survival 1.0 Freshwater survival Marine survival 0.14 Proportion surviving to enter sea Freshwater age 0 Freshwater age 1 Freshwater age Mariine survival Fork length (mm) 0.00

5 Timing of Seaward Migration 1. Internal Endogenous 2. Photoperiod: Zeitgeber 3. Temperature: Stimulus 4. Genetic Variation 5. Condition of the Fish rhythm Size Growth rate Fatness (weight/length ratio)

6 Conservation issues related to seaward migration Mortality Concerns about mortality in general Losses associated with dams and other human activities Changes in Selection on Life History Traits We have increased the costs of migration by mortality associated with dams and fishing but we have not increased the benefits of anadromy Environmental Changes Climate-related changes in flow and temperature regimes Hydrologic changes from hydroelectric development Growth patterns in hatcheries differ from those of wild fish Predation pressure from non-native fish

7 Evaluating Life History Patterns Goal: Maximize the number of viable offspring over one s life Semelparous Animal: Probability of surviving to maturity. Reproductive success at maturity. Iteroparous Animal: Summed probability of reproductive success for each age, and probability of surviving over the entire lifetime. Each life history decision has consequences for survival, growth, and therefore lifetime reproductive success.

8 Fitness = W Where W = Σ l x * b x l = probability of survival and b = reproductive success Summed over all ages (x) Anadromy increases the fish s potential reproduction (because growth increases fecundity, etc.) but decreases the probability of surviving to realize that potential.

9 Techniques for studying downstream migration Numerous nets, traps, weirs, counting boards, acoustic devices and other techniques have been devised to quantify the timing and magnitude of downstream migration Trap efficiency typically varies with fish size, species, flow, time of day, etc. and careful calibration is needed if data are to be reliable.

10 Inclined plane or scoop trap

11 Screw trap Downstream trapping methods

12 Fan trap, Forks Creek, Washington

13 Fyke net

14 Seining in Shilshole Bay

15 Typical (++) and less common (+) smolt ages Pink salmon ++ Chum salmon ++ Chinook salmon Coho salmon Masu salmon Steelhead trout Cutthroat trout Dolly Varden Arctic charr

16 Intra-specific patterns: Smolt age is positively correlated with latitude and negatively correlated with growing conditions For example, yearling chinook are virtually the only type to occur north of 56 N latitude, and in southern areas they are more common at high altitudes

17 Chinook, age 1+, ~ 120 mm Cedar chinook 1+ smolt Chinook, age 0+, ~ mm Cedar coho smolt

18 Steelhead smolts tend to be older at higher latitudes Smolt age Alaska (6) B.C. (15) WA (9) Columbia River (18) Oregon (4) California (8) Busby et al NOAA-NMFS Steelhead status review

19 Older smolts are not necessarily larger (e.g., steelhead sampled at Rock Island Dam) 185 fork length (mm) % 43.2% 46.4% 8.6% 1.0% steelhead smolt age Peven et al. (1994)

20 Patterns among populations: Some habitats produce faster growing salmon than others, because of temperature, primary and secondary production, competition, etc. In some cases this results in differences in smolt age but in other cases smolts go to sea at very different sizes, reflecting different ecological pressures

21 Average population-specific 40 lengths of age 1 smolts % of populations sockeye (n = 85) coho (n = 117) Smolt length (mm)

22 Average age composition, size, and marine survival of sockeye smolts from Bristol Bay Lake system Years Smolt age Survival Weight % at age Iliamna Becharof Ugashik Wood River Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game data, summarized by Gregory Ruggerone, NRC Inc.

23 Patterns among years within populations: Smolt age within a given population varies with growing conditions For example, higher density or lower temperature can reduce growth and increase the average smolt age

24 Iliamna Lake sockeye salmon 100 % age 1 smolts r 2 = mean fry length on 1 September

25 Timing patterns among populations: Smolt migration is generally earlier in the year in the south and later in the north, matching local conditions Northern populations also tend to migrate over a narrower period each year, and vary less among years than southern ones Internal rhythms and photoperiod combine to produce population-specific patterns of readiness for seaward migration

26 Relationship between latitude and median date of downstream migration of various populations and species Month Feb. Mar. Apr. May. Jun. Jul J.-G. Godin In: Brannon and Salo Latitude o N

27 3,500 Timing of chum salmon downstream migration in the Skagit River, 2006 (WDFW data) 3,000 2,500 Median: 6 April 2,000 1,500 1, Feb 15-Mar 5-Apr 26-Apr 17-May

28 Smolt timing varies among species 80 (e.g., Columbia River) % of annual total coho chinook sockeye steelhead months of the year

29 100 chum: median = 6 April Cumulative % migration by salmon and trout in the Skagit River (2006: WDFW data) 50 0 pink: median = 14 April 2-Feb 22-Feb 14-Mar 3-Apr 23-Apr 13-May 2-Jun 22-Jun Chinook: median = 30 March coho: median = 16 May 0 2-Feb 22-Feb 14-Mar 3-Apr 23-Apr 13-May 2-Jun 22-Jun 100 steelhead: median = 22 May 50 cutthroat: median = 31 May 0 2-Feb 22-Feb 14-Mar 3-Apr 23-Apr 13-May 2-Jun 22-Jun

30 Timing patterns among years with populations: Migration is often earlier after a warm spring 14-Jun 7-Jun Median migration date of Kvichak River sockeye salmon 31-May 24-May 17-May June 1-15 water temperature

31 Smolt migration is early after a warm spring: Umpqua River Chinook salmon Median migration date 24-Jul 24-Jun 25-May 25-Apr Umpqua River Jackson Creek Roper and Scarnecchia Average spring water temperature

32 Older and larger smolts leave before smaller ones Percent of age 2 (rather than age 1) sockeye smolts and average length of age 2 smolts 1990: Iliamna Lake, AK % age 2 smolts % age 2 length mean length (mm May 29-May 5-Jun 12-Jun

33 Smolt fork length (mm) Older and larger smolts tend to migrate earlier than smaller ones: Big Beef Creek coho salmon Day of the year

34 Downstream migration reflects changes in behavior: loss of territoriality, and downstream orientation % of juvenile ocean-type chinook showing downstream movement in experimental tanks % downstream movement Mar 14-Apr 4-May 24-May 13-Jun 3-Jul Whitman 1987

35 Migration downstream tends to be at night: Lakelse River system, B.C. % of catch for each species sockeye coho pink 21:00 23:00 1:00 3:00 5:00 Hour ending McDonald 1960

36 Smolts starting farther upriver migrated faster than those starting downriver: age 0 Chinook salmon Travel rate (km/day) Dawley et al Km from release site to Jones Beach

37 Smolts released later migrated faster than those released earlier: coho smolts going 462 km down the Snake and Columbia rivers 50 Travel rate (km/d) to Jones Beach Mar 25-Mar 14-Apr 4-May 24-May Date of release at Ice Harbor Dam

38 Larger smolts may travel faster than smaller ones: Little White Salmon Hatchery chinook Rate of movement (km/day) Mean fork length (mm)

39 Travel rate of Chinook salmon smolts from the UW hatchery to the Ballard Locks in Days from UW to locks Fork length (mm)

40 Chinook salmon smolts released later in the season migrated faster from the UW hatchery to the Ballard Locks Year Release date Travel rate (days) May May May 6.1

41 Back on the Columbia River Relationship of flow to smolt travel time Log average travel time per project (days) chinook steelhead Log of flow at Ice Harbor Dam (cfs) Sims and Ossiander NMFS Report to Corps of Engineers

42 Relationship of flow to smolt survival Log average survival per dam chinook steelhead Log average flow at Ice Harbor Dam (cfs) +/- 7 days of peak migration Sims and Ossiander NMFS Report to US Army Corps Engineers

43 Average June flow at Bonneville Dam flow (kcfs) Year

44 Stage # fish Survival Eggs Fry Parr dam dam dam dam dam dam dam dam smolts st year nd year rd year th year 1.3 Hypothetical Snake River Spring Chinook Salmon Life table 300 to 129 salmon: 43% survival

45 Rates of travel and survival of Chinook salmon and steelhead smolts in the Fraser- Thompson and Columbia-Snake systems: Welch et al km 349 km Columbia Fraser Km/day Chinook steelhead Survival (%) Chinook steelhead Note: Faster travel in the Fraser River, with no dams, but lower survival rates, despite shorter distances

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47 Relationship between flow and water clarity at Ice Harbor Dam during chinook smolt seaward migration Secchi disk visibility (ft) Bevan Team Recovery Plan Daily mean flow (kcfs)

48 Preferred salinity of juvenile oceantype chinook based on distribution of fish in vertical salinity gradients Salinity (ppt) Mar 14-Apr 4-May 24-May 13-Jun 3-Jul Whitman 1987

49 Babine Lake sockeye: Early smolts from North and Morrison arms, late smolts from the main lake.

50 Early and Late run sockeye from Babine Lake, B.C Percent of the total run Early run 9.73 Million Late run 6.83 Million Days of the 1967 run

51 Relationship between water clarity and survival of chinook salmon passing Ice Harbor Dam Smolt to adult survival (%) Secchi disk visibility (ft) Bevan Team Recovery Plan

52 Yakima River Chinook Salmon Life table Stage # fish Survival Eggs Smolt Prosser McNary John Day Dalles Bonneville Adultsescapement Fast et al BPA Rept.

53 Characteristics of redds made by rainbow trout and steelhead on the Deschutes River, OR Form Depth (cm) Redd site Velocity (cm/s) Gravel (mm) Redd dimensions Length (m) Width (m) Steelhead Rainbow Zimmerman and Reeves 2000

54 Steelhead and rainbow spawning timing inferred from new redds in the Deschutes River, Oregon new redds (% of total) Zimmerman and Reeves week of the year steelhead rainbow

55 Levels of ATPase activity in the gill tissue of wild steelhead caught migrating down the Snake River, migrating Dworshak Hatchery steelhead, and steelhead held at the hatchery Mean gill Na+ K+ ATPase activity wild held released 10-Apr 20-Apr 30-Apr 10-May 20-May Sampling date Zaugg et al

56 Plasma hormone concentration or body size Hormone levels in migrating Body size salmonids Critical period Insulin IGF-I Thyroxine Growth hormone Jan Feb Mar April May

57 Model of growth, survival, and reproductive potential of sockeye and kokanee Age form length survival number fecundity fitness 1st spring kokanee sockeye st fall kokanee sockeye nd spring kokanee sockeye nd fall kokanee sockeye rd fall kokanee sockeye th fall kokanee sockeye

58 Atlantic salmon smolt age is inversely 6 related to growth opportunity Mean smolt age (years) Thorpe TAFS 123: Growth opportunity index 40 (temperature and day length)

59 Density-dependent growth and development of sockeye salmon Fry stocked into Leisure Lake, AK # Fry % age 1 Smolt Weight (g) Smolt stocked smolts age 1 age 2 biomass 0.5 M 97% % % % Koenings and Burkett 1987

60 Millions of Fish Older and larger smolts tend to migrate earlier than smaller ones: Kvichak River sockeye Percent Age II Numbers of Smolts Percent 0 May June 0

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62 Late and early Babine Lake salmon run counts from Millions of Salmon Late run Early run

63 Early and Late run sockeye into Babine Lake, B.C Percent of the total run Early run: 9.03 Million Late run: Million Days for the 1979 run