Genomic tools development for international high sea salmon research

Pacific salmon spend most of their life in the open ocean, where we know little about the factors influencing their health and abundance. Last year, we participated in the first expedition to explore the winter habitat of salmon the Gulf of Alaska. We collect samples to inform ongoing research projects focusing on salmon health and their feeding habits, collected environmental DNA samples that allow us to detect the presence of different species in the environment, and were able to pinpoint coho salmon to their river of origin using a mobile genetic stock identification method. Now, we are preparing to follow up this unprecedented expedition with two more research expatiations in the winters of 2020 and 2021. We aim to repeat and refine the results from the first expedition to get an baseline view of the ecosystem in the Gulf of Alaska that is crucial for the survival of our salmon stocks.

Faculty Supervisor:

Kristi Miller-Saunders

Student:

Christoph Michael Deeg

Partner:

Pacific Salmon Foundation

Discipline:

Forestry

Sector:

University:

University of British Columbia

Program: