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Early Ocean Dispersal Patterns of Columbia River Chinook and Coho Salmon

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Title Early Ocean Dispersal Patterns of Columbia River Chinook and Coho Salmon
Names Fisher, J. P. (creator)
Weitkamp, L. A. (creator)
Teel, D. J. (creator)
Hinton, S. A. (creator)
Orsi, J. A. (creator)
Farley, E. V., Jr. (creator)
Morris, J. F. T. (creator)
Thiess, M. E. (creator)
Sweeting, R. M. (creator)
Trudel, M. (creator)
Date Issued 2014-01 (iso8601)
Note To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Taylor & Francis and can be found at: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/utaf20/current#.Uz8B2_Pn-Hs.
Abstract Several evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) of Columbia River basin Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
and Coho Salmon O. kisutch are listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Yet little is
known about the spatial and temporal distributions of these ESUs immediately following ocean entry, when year-class
success may be determined. We documented differences in dispersal patterns during the early ocean period among
groups defined by ESU, adult run timing, and smolt age. Between 1995 and 2006, 1,896 coded-wire-tagged juvenile
fish from the Columbia River basin were recovered during 6,142 research trawl events along the West Coast of North
America. Three distinct ocean dispersal patterns were observed: (1) age-1 (yearling) mid and upper Columbia River
spring-run and Snake River spring–summer-run Chinook Salmon migrated rapidly northward and by late summer
were not found south of Vancouver Island; (2) age-0 (subyearling) lower Columbia River fall, upper Columbia River
summer, upper Columbia River fall, and Snake River fall Chinook Salmon dispersed slowly, remaining mainly south
of Vancouver Island through autumn; and (3) age-1 lower Columbia River spring, upper Columbia River summer,
and upper Willamette River spring Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon were widespread along the coast from summer
through fall, indicating a diversity of dispersal rates. Generally, the ocean dispersal of age-1 fish was faster and more
extensive than that of age-0 fish, with some age-1 fish migrating as fast as 10–40 km/d (0.5–3.0 body lengths/s). Within groups, interannual variation in dispersal was moderate. Identification of the distinct temporal and spatial
ocean distribution patterns of juvenile salmon from Columbia River basin ESUs is important in order to evaluate the
potential influence of changing ocean conditions on the survival and long term sustainability of these fish populations.
Genre Article
Identifier Fisher, J. P., Weitkamp, L. A., Teel, D. J., Hinton, S. A., Orsi, J. A., Farley Jr, E. V., ... & Trudel, M. (2014). Early Ocean Dispersal Patterns of Columbia River Chinook and Coho Salmon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 143(1), 252-272. doi:10.1080/00028487.2013.847862

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