Assessing climate change impacts on North American freshwater habitat of wild Atlantic salmon - urgent needs for collaborative research

Gillis, Carole‐Anne; Ouellet, Valérie; Breau, Cindy; Frechette, Danielle M.; Bergeron, Normand

doi:10.1080/07011784.2022.2163190

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 189 publications

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“…There is also evidence that adult Atlantic salmon are beginning to migrate further North when at sea in response to warming 58,59 . Whilst these strategies may be possible in some Atlantic salmon populations, our results highlight the fact that if prey availability is to remain constant, decrease or disconnect with warming as has been predicted in temperate freshwaters 14,25,60,61 , warming will raise possibly insurmountable challenges in the path of their ability to adapt to climate change. Our results thus emphasise the importance of the freshwater stages, which cannot easily shift ranges in response to warming.…”

Section: Figure 1 Illustration Of the Metabolic Integral Projection M...mentioning

confidence: 70%

Climatic limits to Atlantic salmon population fitness at continental scales

Morris,

Bárðarson,

González-Ferreras

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Anadromous fish populations are declining globally, partly due to acute pressure from rapid environmental change in their freshwater and marine habitats. A more mechanistic understanding of how climatic and land use changes impact their population-level fitness is needed to mitigate these declines. Here we develop a model that successfully captures the thermal niche of the declining Atlantic salmon. This allows us to predict the combined effects of changes in two dominant threats to this species: climate and resource availability. Specifically, the model predicts that a 50% reduction from metabolically optimal resource supply could constrict their thermal niche by ∼7°C. We also show that daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations have a relatively minor impact. A conservative increase of 1.5°C in global temperatures will cause fitness declines for populations in higher climatic regimes, across resource levels. Our results provide new and general insights into factors limiting the distribution of extant Atlantic salmon populations. They also highlight the relative importance of future threats from climatic warming, fluctuations, and changes in resource availability due to land use change.

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Section: Figure 1 Illustration Of the Metabolic Integral Projection M...mentioning

confidence: 70%

Climatic limits to Atlantic salmon population fitness at continental scales

Morris,

Bárðarson,

González-Ferreras

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…2007; Sharma et al. 2019; Gillis et al., in press). In New England rivers, winter air temperature was significantly correlated with the timing of snowmelt‐driven streamflow (Hodgkins et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2014; Teichert et al. 2020; Gillis et al., in press). Indeed, the initiation of seaward movements is occurring approximately 2.5 d earlier per decade (Otero et al.…”

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confidence: 99%

Managing for Atlantic Salmon Smolt Run Timing Variability in a Changing Climate

Frechette

Hawkes

Kocik

2023

N American J Fish Manag

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The Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar is listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, with dams cited as a key threat to the species. Safe, timely, and efficient passage of emigrating smolts is critical for advancing recovery goals. However, climate change and the earlier (and more variable) onset of smolt migration have challenged the effectiveness of measures designed to protect smolts. Therefore, we used data from four long-term smolt trapping sites in Maine to characterize run duration, identify a standardized smolt run, and develop a predictive model for the initiation of smolt emigration for natural-and hatchery-origin smolts. We combined these data into a basinwide deterministic model that projects the movement of smolts from their point of origin to estuary entry, which we used to (1) evaluate duration and temperature triggers for supplemental spill periods used at hydroelectric dams to protect smolts and (2) investigate how knowledge of smolt emigration dynamics can guide protective measures in rivers where management actions are being developed. Timing of run initiation varied by over 14 d; however, mean air temperature for the first quarter of the year explained over 60% of the variance in the onset of emigration. Initiation temperature was linked with higher-elevation rearing areas where smolts originated and not with downstream dams where temperature was monitored. The shape of the smolt wave varied considerably; thus, our standardized smolt wave captured average dynamics but not the specific shape. Overall, 14-d spill windows are too short. To account for the variable timing and shape of the run, a 54-72-d protection window would be necessary to protect the earliest and latest emigrants in the absence of physical structures (e.g., turbine screens) and preserve the adaptive variation required for populations to respond to climate-driven changes in temperature and hydrology.Populations of Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar in Maine are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and the impacts of dams on these fish pose a threat to the species' recovery (National Research Council 2004;Fay et al. 2006; USFWS and NMFS 2018). Although both upstream and downstream passage at dams is essential, losses during the downstream migration of smolts in the springtime are particularly problematic. Estimates of smolt emigration from the Penobscot River-the largest watershed in Maine-from 1970 to 2012 indicated that of 19.7 million smolts stocked, only 7.7 million (39%) entered the ocean, and survival (63-95%) was most variable at dams (Stevens et al. 2019).

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“…However, the optimal temperature for growth in juvenile salmon, determined under controlled conditions, is lower, ranging from 15 to 20°C ( Elliott and Hurley, 1997 ; Jonsson et al, 2001 ; Elliott and Elliott, 2010 ). In another study, the thermal optimum ( T opt ) for Atlantic salmon parr was determined to be 15–19°C ( Gillis et al, 2023 ). These differences between our study and others could possibly be due to feed availability and consumption.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The effects of water temperature are perhaps most influential during the smolt life stage of Atlantic salmon ( Gillis et al, 2023 ). Smolts are juveniles preparing to transition from freshwater phenotype to saltwater phenotype during migration from freshwater streams to the ocean.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impacts of diel thermal variability on growth, development and performance of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from two thermally distinct rivers

Andrew,

Swart,

McKenna

et al. 2024

Conservation Physiology

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Temperature in many natural aquatic environments follows a diel cycle, but to date, we know little on how diel thermal cycles affect fish biology. The current study investigates the growth, development and physiological performance of wild Atlantic salmon collected from the Miramichi and Restigouche rivers (NB, Canada). Fish were collected as parr and acclimated to either 16–21 or 19–24°C diel thermal cycles throughout the parr and smolt life stages. Both Miramichi and Restigouche Atlantic salmon parr grew at similar rates during 16–21 or 19–24°C acclimations. However, as smolts, the growth rates of the Miramichi (−8% body mass day−1) and Restigouche (−38% body mass day−1) fish were significantly slower at 19–24°C, and were in fact negative, indicating loss of mass in this group. Acclimation to 19–24°C also increased Atlantic salmon CTmax. Our findings suggest that both life stage and river origin impact Atlantic salmon growth and performance in the thermal range used herein. These findings provide evidence for local adaptation of Atlantic salmon, increased vulnerability to warming temperatures, and highlight the differential impacts of these ecologically relevant diel thermal cycles on the juvenile life stages in this species.

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Assessing climate change impacts on North American freshwater habitat of wild Atlantic salmon - urgent needs for collaborative research

Cited by 13 publications

References 189 publications

Climatic limits to Atlantic salmon population fitness at continental scales

Climatic limits to Atlantic salmon population fitness at continental scales

Managing for Atlantic Salmon Smolt Run Timing Variability in a Changing Climate

The impacts of diel thermal variability on growth, development and performance of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from two thermally distinct rivers

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