Estuarine reliance of juvenile salmonids in the Skeena River

Research on salmon in the Skeena River estuary in 2007 and 2013 quantified the abundance of different species of salmon in different locations of the estuary over time. These results indicate that the region where industrial development is proposed contained the highest abundances of Chinook and sockeye in both years surveyed, and coho in 2007. Furthermore, genetic analyses identified that the sockeye and Chinook salmon that were captured in the estuary originated from dozens of locallyadapted populations throughout the Skeena and Nass watersheds, highlighting the vast connections of these estuaries habitats to fish and their commercial, recreational, and First Nations fisheries. While our previous research illuminates the relative abundance of different populations and species in the estuary, the next step, proposed in this project, is to quantify their reliance on these estuary habitats.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jonathan Moore

Student:

Charmaine Carr-Harris

Partner:

Lax Kw’alaams Fishing Enterprises Ltd.

Discipline:

Resources and environmental management

Sector:

Fisheries and wildlife

University:

Simon Fraser University