Examining salmon population dynamics on the Central Coast of British Columbia to inform conservation and management

Pacific salmon play an important economic, ecological, and cultural role throughout their range. However, declining salmon populations have diminished this role in many regions. The factors responsible for declines are poorly understood but are of great interest, particularly for First Nations, who have a large role in salmon management. To inform management and conservation, I propose to synthesize salmon population data from the Central Coast of British Columbia, in collaboration with the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, an organization representing resource interests of First Nations in the region. I will (i) quantify patterns in abundance and survival of salmon over space and time; (ii) determine the population status of salmon stocks; and (iii) test hypotheses to explain the observed patterns in abundance, status, and survival. This work is a critical first step towards understanding

Faculty Supervisor:

John Reynolds

Student:

Eric Hertz

Partner:

Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Natural resources

University:

Simon Fraser University