Seasonal use of the Nisqually Reach and estuary by hatchery-reared Chinook salmon from throughout Puget Sound
Presentation Abstract
We used coded-wire tag (CWT) recoveries to analyze seasonal and yearly information on the origin, distribution, and habitat use by age-0 Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) reared in hatcheries and captured from the Nisqually River estuary and Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve (South Puget Sound). Management in both areas is focused on improving habitats for an array of species, particularly Chinook salmon. Fish were collected over five years using a beach seine or lampara net to sample tideflat and nearshore habitats, while a fyke net was used to sample marsh habitats. Data from more than 600 CWT’s recovered from fish released at 14 different hatcheries suggested that most hatchery fish used the area during late-spring and early-summer with declining numbers by mid- to late-summer. Overall, 72% (5-year range 62-81%) of the tags were recovered from fish released into streams that flow into south Puget Sound (south basin) while 28% (range 19-38%) were from fish originating in more northern (out-basin) areas. Tag data revealed a regular and annual pattern where south basin fish dominated the catch in spring and early summer while the late-summer catch was primarily composed of out-basin fish. The three habitats monitored were regularly used by hatchery fish; however, out-basin fish were less common in the emergent marsh (11% of the catch) than in delta (39%) or nearshore (28%) habitats. Conclusions about fish origin sometimes varied with sampling method and during late-summer the percentage of out-basin fish captured with the lampara net was nearly twice as great as the percentage captured with the beach seine. Our analyses indicated that age-0 Chinook salmon from watersheds nearby and far-afield (>100 km) used an array of habitats in the Nisqually Reach/estuary and point to the need to preserve and enhance this and other essential habitats in Puget Sound.
Session Title
Habitat
Conference Track
Salish Sea Snapshots
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Snapshot
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Chinook salmon--Habitat--Washington (State)--Nisqually River Delta; Chinook salmon--Habitat--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Survival analysis (Biometry); Fish population--Statistical methods
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Puget Sound (Wash.); Nisqually River Delta (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Seasonal use of the Nisqually Reach and estuary by hatchery-reared Chinook salmon from throughout Puget Sound
2016SSEC
We used coded-wire tag (CWT) recoveries to analyze seasonal and yearly information on the origin, distribution, and habitat use by age-0 Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) reared in hatcheries and captured from the Nisqually River estuary and Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve (South Puget Sound). Management in both areas is focused on improving habitats for an array of species, particularly Chinook salmon. Fish were collected over five years using a beach seine or lampara net to sample tideflat and nearshore habitats, while a fyke net was used to sample marsh habitats. Data from more than 600 CWT’s recovered from fish released at 14 different hatcheries suggested that most hatchery fish used the area during late-spring and early-summer with declining numbers by mid- to late-summer. Overall, 72% (5-year range 62-81%) of the tags were recovered from fish released into streams that flow into south Puget Sound (south basin) while 28% (range 19-38%) were from fish originating in more northern (out-basin) areas. Tag data revealed a regular and annual pattern where south basin fish dominated the catch in spring and early summer while the late-summer catch was primarily composed of out-basin fish. The three habitats monitored were regularly used by hatchery fish; however, out-basin fish were less common in the emergent marsh (11% of the catch) than in delta (39%) or nearshore (28%) habitats. Conclusions about fish origin sometimes varied with sampling method and during late-summer the percentage of out-basin fish captured with the lampara net was nearly twice as great as the percentage captured with the beach seine. Our analyses indicated that age-0 Chinook salmon from watersheds nearby and far-afield (>100 km) used an array of habitats in the Nisqually Reach/estuary and point to the need to preserve and enhance this and other essential habitats in Puget Sound.
