Current Research Projects
The Research
Objective: To track ocean salmon journeys.
Two kinds of data are needed for the tracking. The first is which river the salmon came from. The second is where in the ocean they were later found, and what the ocean conditions were at that time and place.
Potential Benefits:
- For Fish Runs — Genetic testing of fish in the ocean helps identify where distinct genetic populations of salmon swim. This information helps fishery managers decide on specific areas in which to close fishing, protecting stocks of concern such as the Klamath run while minimizing economic impact to fishermen.
- For Management — Fish DNA can be analyzed to determine a fish's origin, which can be shared with managers within 48 hours. This allows managers to use real-time data to predict the behavior of fish populations. By monitoring local fishing grounds in this way, it's possible to spread out the fishery, instead of pressuring only a few stocks.
- For the Market — Tracking fish origins can allow the industry to certify the origin of wild-caught fish. This provides the consumer with uncommonly specific information about the exact fish they're purchasing. They can know its river of origin, plus where and when it was harvested and by whom. We can now use codes on packaging to digitally track fish from harvest to dinner table.
Current Research Projects
Genetic Stock Identification
Scientists are taking a close look at salmon DNA to determine which river the salmon was born from. A DNA sample from a salmon located in the Pacific Ocean can help managers and fishermen identify if the fish came from a river with a stressed population. Then, they can work together to rebuild that population. The information is important in helping to strengthen the West Coast salmon fisheries.
Salmon ear bones – Otoliths
Otoliths are crystalline structures located in the salmon's inner ear. Like growth rings in trees, these record not only age, but also chemical elements that provide clues to the environment in which the fish lived.
The oldest, smallest rings can tell scientists what stream a fish came from by oxygen isotope levels. Newer, younger rings can provide date on where the fish have been between that original stream and where they were caught. With enough otoliths catalogued in the database, patterns will emerge, and this information could change fisheries management significantly.
Oregon salmon processors and buyers are returning some of the heads from specially marked fish to the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center. Here, scientists will conduct the tests on their otoliths.
Scales
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Scale Project analyzes scale samples taken from salmon and other fish. These samples allow us to determine a number of things including the fish’s age, whether it was raised in the wild or a hatchery, what season it was hatched in, and more.
Oceanography
Oceanographic analysis of data collected by Project CROOS is focused on two principle
questions of interest. First, is there an observed tendency for adult Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to spatially aggregate by discreet population units? Second, do average ocean conditions and short-term local events affect the local and coast-wide migration and ocean distribution of Oregon Chinook salmon? As a result of the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of its team members, Project CROOS is uniquely positioned to address these research questions. Currently we are working to characterize ocean salmon distribution in space, time, and in relation to oceanic conditions such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity and chlorophyll. We can use this information to predict the outcome of environmental fluctuations on salmon distribution and productivity.