Intra- and inter-population variation in sensitivity of migratory sockeye salmon smolts to phenological mismatch

Wilson, Samantha M.; Patterson, D.; Jw, Moore

doi:10.3354/meps14070

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 94 publications

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“…Meanwhile, predictions of annual upwelling onset date, termination date, and duration are not expected to change significantly at the latitude of the Russian River mouth by 2100 (Wang et al, 2015), exacerbating the potential phenological mismatch. Conservation in a warming climate may benefit from further identification of phenotypic traits, such as sensitivity to starvation during phenological mismatches (Wilson et al, 2022), that may influence population resilience.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration in drought: Receding streams contract the seaward migration window of endangered salmon

et al. 2022

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Prolonged migration windows buffer migratory animal populations against uncertainty in resource availability. Understanding how intensifying droughts from climate change influence the migration window is critical for biodiversity conservation in a warming world. We explored how drought affects the seaward migration of endangered coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) near the southern extent of their range in California, USA. We tracked stream departures of juvenile coho, measuring streamflow and temperature in seven streams over 13 years, spanning a historic drought with extreme dry and warm conditions. Linear mixed effects models indicate that, over the range of observations, a decrease in seasonal streamflow (from 4.5 to 0.5 mm/day seasonal runoff) contracted the migration window by 31% (from 11 to 7 weeks). An increase from 10.2 to 12.8°C in mean seasonal water temperature hastened the migration window by three weeks. Pacific salmon have evolved to synchronize ocean arrival with productive ocean upwelling. However, earlier and shorter migration windows during drought could lead to mismatches, decreasing fitness and population stability. Our study demonstrates that drought‐induced low flows and warming threaten coho salmon in California and suggests that environmental flow protections will be needed to support the seaward migration of Pacific salmon in a changing climate.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration in drought: Receding streams contract the seaward migration window of endangered salmon

et al. 2022

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“…All other factors being equal, salmonids migrating later in the season likely face greater physiological challenges than early migrants (McCormick et al, 1999). Overall, this can create greater physiological challenges, affect sensitivity to starvation, and adversely influence ocean survival (McCormick et al, 1999;Zydlewski et al, 2003;Wilson et al, 2022).…”

Section: Third: Delays Of Migrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seven dam challenges for migratory fish: insights from the Penobscot River

Zydlewski,

Coghlan,

Dillingham

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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More than a century of impoundments in the Penobscot River, Maine, USA, has contributed to population declines in migratory fish in the system. A decade of change, research, and monitoring has revealed direct and indirect ways that dams have influenced the river habitat, connectivity for migratory fish, and the food web. The removal of two main-stem dams (in 2012 and 2013) and bolstering of fish passage have been part of coordinated restoration efforts in the watershed. Integral to this undertaking was support for short- and long-term monitoring and research that included physical habitat, fish passage, and broad scale ecological assessments. Herein we discuss the seven interconnected and complex ways that dams have affected the Penobscot River ecosystem, particularly for migratory fish. These include familiar influences ascribed to dams: i) impaired access to habitat, ii) injury and mortality, and iii) delays of migration. Other ecological influences are less studied and more subtle: iv) facilitation of predation, v) community shifts, and vi) demographic shifts. Lastly, dams result in vii) a loss of ecosystem services that would otherwise be intact in an unimpounded system. We draw on both direct examples from the Penobscot River and broader information to characterize how impoundments have transformed this ecosystem for more than a century. Recent dam removals and mitigation efforts have reestablished some of these ecological functions.

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“…Global warming also affects the receiving marine ecosystem by increasing surface seawater temperatures, and the results of this mismatch are difficult to predict. Climate change affects how and when species interact, potentially decoupling species interactions, combining others, and reconstructing predator-prey interactions [148]. Some of these mismatches may lead to increased predation on smolt production or cause starvation; some may have no effect.…”

Section: Smolt Migrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Impact of Climate Change on Salmonid Smolt Ecology

Vehanen

Sutela

Huusko

2023

Fishes

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The migratory life history of anadromous salmonids requires successful migration between nursery, feeding, and spawning habitats. Smolting is the major transformation anadromous salmonids undergo before migration to feeding areas. It prepares juvenile fish for downstream migration and their entry to seawater. We reviewed the effects of climate change on smolt ecology from the growth of juveniles in fresh water to early post-smolts in the sea to identify the potential effects of climate change on migratory salmonid populations during this period in their life history. The focus was especially on Atlantic salmon. The shift in suitable thermal conditions caused by climate change results in Atlantic salmon expanding their range northward, while at the southern edge of their distribution, populations struggle with high temperatures and occasional droughts. Climatic conditions, particularly warmer temperatures, affect growth during the freshwater river phase. Better growth in northern latitudes leads to earlier smolting. Thermal refuges, the areas of cooler water in the river, are important for salmonids impacted by climate change. Restoring and maintaining connectivity and a suitably diverse mosaic habitat in rivers are important for survival and growth throughout the range. The start of the smolt migration has shifted earlier as a response to rising water temperatures, which has led to concerns about a mismatch with optimal conditions for post-smolts in the sea, decreasing their survival. A wide smolt window allowing all migrating phenotypes from early to late migrants’ safe access to the sea is important in changing environmental conditions. This is also true for regulated rivers, where flow regulation practices cause selection pressures on migrating salmonid phenotypes. The freshwater life history also affects marine survival, and better collaboration across life stages and habitats is necessary among researchers and managers to boost smolt production in rivers. Proactive measures are recommended against population declines, including sustainable land use in the catchment, maintaining a diverse mosaic of habitats for salmonids, restoring flow and connectivity, and conserving key habitats.

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Intra- and inter-population variation in sensitivity of migratory sockeye salmon smolts to phenological mismatch

Cited by 6 publications

References 94 publications

Migration in drought: Receding streams contract the seaward migration window of endangered salmon

Migration in drought: Receding streams contract the seaward migration window of endangered salmon

Seven dam challenges for migratory fish: insights from the Penobscot River

Potential Impact of Climate Change on Salmonid Smolt Ecology

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