Pacific Ocean Salmon Tracking Project Receives Foundation Funding
Current Status of Accomplishment or Milestone: Funding received: planning project underway.
Background: Understanding the ocean survival of Pacific salmon is hindered by our lack of knowledge of the migration patterns of salmon and how they use the ocean environment. Relatively little progress has been made since a 1996 workshop on using archival tags, but this technology has great potential to help us understand how salmon move and use the ocean under varying conditions. A collaborative effort between NMFS and DFO-Canada led to a proposal to the Census of Marine Life (CoML) to develop a pilot project called "Pacific Ocean Salmon Tracking" (POST). The planning phase of this project has been funded.
Purpose of Activity/Goal of Project: There is growing evidence that all species of Pacific salmon have clearly defined migration behaviors in the sea, and that salmon may move between their well defined spawning grounds and what may be equally well-defined ocean feeding grounds, subject to modification by environmental factors. This project will refine the evidence and undertake efforts to develop systems that will allow us to track salmon over vast distances in the sea.
Description of Accomplishment and Significant Results: Funding of the planning phase of POST will allow us to convene several workshops -- looking at how to best develop research programs on the continental shelf and in the open Pacific Ocean. It also provides for preliminary research studies on steelhead and chinook salmon which will coordinate with matching funding from the NMFS, USGS, and Canada's DFO. This will promote a broader, coastwide view of this issue.
Significance of Accomplishment (e.g., to the Center, to Management, and to NMFS Strategic plan Goals): Understanding ocean survival of Pacific salmon is important under Recover Protected Species. Research to date has suffered from our inability to understand how salmon use the ocean. This program has the potential to provide important and meaningful results as well as to provide NOAA cooperation in the CoML.
Problems: As a planning project under the Census of Marine Life, this program will run for two years. For the pilot phase of the study, projected to begin in two years, funding will need to be assembled from diverse agencies, including NOAA. This program represents a start, but significant further effort will be required.
Key Contact: George Boehlert (831-648-8515; george.boehlert@noaa.gov)