Disentangling Population Level Differences in Juvenile Migration Phenology for Three Species of Salmon on the Yukon River

Migration phenology influences many important ecological processes. For juvenile Pacific salmon, the timing of the seaward migration from fresh to marine waters is linked to early marine survival and adult returns. Seaward migration phenology is determined by interactions between the intrinsic attri...

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Main Authors: Katharine B. Miller, Courtney M. Weiss
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-03-01
Series:Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/3/589
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author Katharine B. Miller
Courtney M. Weiss
author_facet Katharine B. Miller
Courtney M. Weiss
author_sort Katharine B. Miller
collection DOAJ
description Migration phenology influences many important ecological processes. For juvenile Pacific salmon, the timing of the seaward migration from fresh to marine waters is linked to early marine survival and adult returns. Seaward migration phenology is determined by interactions between the intrinsic attributes of individual species and environmental factors that are acting upon them. Temperature and discharge are two factors of the freshwater environment that have been shown to influence intra- and interannual variation in juvenile salmon phenology, but these factors may affect the migrations of sympatric species differently. Understanding how variations in phenology change with environmental heterogeneity is a critical first step in evaluating how the future climate may affect salmon. This is especially crucial for high-latitude rivers, where the pace of climate change is nearly twice as rapid as it is for more temperate areas. This research investigates the influence of river conditions on the seaward migration phenology of Chinook, chum, and coho salmon in the Yukon River. The results identified species-specific differences in the factors affecting migration duration, concentration, and skew and provide a starting point for a more detailed examination of how phenological variability may affect the temporal matching of juvenile salmon with biological resources and environmental conditions for optimal survival.
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spelling doaj.art-51368e34fa1a4c24b9d6a1f6621428f62023-11-17T11:57:44ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122023-03-0111358910.3390/jmse11030589Disentangling Population Level Differences in Juvenile Migration Phenology for Three Species of Salmon on the Yukon RiverKatharine B. Miller0Courtney M. Weiss1National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 17109 Point Lena, Loop Road, Juneau, AK 99801, USAYukon Delta Fisheries Development Association, 2909 Arctic Blvd., Anchorage, AK 99503, USAMigration phenology influences many important ecological processes. For juvenile Pacific salmon, the timing of the seaward migration from fresh to marine waters is linked to early marine survival and adult returns. Seaward migration phenology is determined by interactions between the intrinsic attributes of individual species and environmental factors that are acting upon them. Temperature and discharge are two factors of the freshwater environment that have been shown to influence intra- and interannual variation in juvenile salmon phenology, but these factors may affect the migrations of sympatric species differently. Understanding how variations in phenology change with environmental heterogeneity is a critical first step in evaluating how the future climate may affect salmon. This is especially crucial for high-latitude rivers, where the pace of climate change is nearly twice as rapid as it is for more temperate areas. This research investigates the influence of river conditions on the seaward migration phenology of Chinook, chum, and coho salmon in the Yukon River. The results identified species-specific differences in the factors affecting migration duration, concentration, and skew and provide a starting point for a more detailed examination of how phenological variability may affect the temporal matching of juvenile salmon with biological resources and environmental conditions for optimal survival.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/3/589phenologyPacific salmonYukon Riversmoltfreshwater migrationenvironmental variables
spellingShingle Katharine B. Miller
Courtney M. Weiss
Disentangling Population Level Differences in Juvenile Migration Phenology for Three Species of Salmon on the Yukon River
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
phenology
Pacific salmon
Yukon River
smolt
freshwater migration
environmental variables
title Disentangling Population Level Differences in Juvenile Migration Phenology for Three Species of Salmon on the Yukon River
title_full Disentangling Population Level Differences in Juvenile Migration Phenology for Three Species of Salmon on the Yukon River
title_fullStr Disentangling Population Level Differences in Juvenile Migration Phenology for Three Species of Salmon on the Yukon River
title_full_unstemmed Disentangling Population Level Differences in Juvenile Migration Phenology for Three Species of Salmon on the Yukon River
title_short Disentangling Population Level Differences in Juvenile Migration Phenology for Three Species of Salmon on the Yukon River
title_sort disentangling population level differences in juvenile migration phenology for three species of salmon on the yukon river
topic phenology
Pacific salmon
Yukon River
smolt
freshwater migration
environmental variables
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/3/589
work_keys_str_mv AT katharinebmiller disentanglingpopulationleveldifferencesinjuvenilemigrationphenologyforthreespeciesofsalmonontheyukonriver
AT courtneymweiss disentanglingpopulationleveldifferencesinjuvenilemigrationphenologyforthreespeciesofsalmonontheyukonriver