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Tracking steelhead migration from the Columbia River through the Pacific Ocean: a proposal

Tracking steelhead migration from the Columbia River through the Pacific Ocean: a proposal. Michelle Rub and Laurie Weitkamp NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center. The salmon life cycle. Major questions Where do they go (migratory route)?

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Tracking steelhead migration from the Columbia River through the Pacific Ocean: a proposal

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  1. Tracking steelhead migration from the Columbia River through the Pacific Ocean: a proposal Michelle Rub and Laurie Weitkamp NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center

  2. The salmon life cycle • Major questions • Where do they go (migratory route)? • What habitats do they use (temp, depth, prey)? • Are there survival bottlenecks?

  3. Ocean distribution of North American steelhead (1956-2000) “few and far between” Which way do they go? Gritsenko 2002

  4. Why we need to know more about Columbia steelhead ocean residence • Better understand how if or how ocean conditions influence growth and survival • Where and when does it happen? • Determine what “good” ocean conditions are for steelhead • Predict how they might fare with climate change • Changing productivity of California current • Explosion of Humboldt squid

  5. Study Objectives • Determine feasibility of tagging Columbia River steelhead in estuary • Test three acoustic ‘detection systems’ in the North Pacific • Supplement ‘sporadic’ but precise information on geo-position with continuous information on temperature and depth ►Increase our understanding of ocean residence period for Columbia steelhead

  6. Talk outline • Collecting Columbia steelhead • Existing sampling in Columbia estuary • Tagging technology • Acoustic, archival • Listening arrays • Coastal, oceanic, living • Expected results

  7. Collecting juvenile Columbia River steelhead • Existing NWFSC sampling for out-migrating yearling smolts • Sampling at edges of deep channels • Every other week, mid April to late June • 2007-present: caught over 200 steelhead/yr • CWT & PIT tags = fish from throughout basin

  8. Sampling equipment: purse seine • Minimizes injury and descaling to fish • Post-release survival expected to be high • Allows sampling in deep water (far from beach) • Net dimensions: 500 x 35 ft

  9. Pulling it on deck Setting the net Fish in the bunt Pursed net

  10. Sorting, counting and measuring fish

  11. Steelhead timing in the Columbia River estuary

  12. Steelhead size, 2007-2009 (n = 679) Mean size 214.9 mm FL (range 132-320)

  13. Acoustic Transmitters • 69 kHz • nominal pri interval = 180 sec • (range = 90-270 sec) VEMCO 21mm V7 V9 Goal is to maximize tag life and power output while keeping the weight of the tag to a minimum.

  14. Advantages of acoustic transmitters for this study • can be used to collect precise geo-positional information • information transferred to receiver for collection • Disadvantages of acoustic transmitters • long-lived tags are large/heavy • expensive (~$275 each) • must be ‘heard’

  15. In 2010, there will be three different types of ‘receivers’ operating in the Northern Pacific Ocean with the capability of hearing or detecting VEMCO acoustic tags. • SWFSC towed hydrophone array • The POST project acoustic receiver arrays • SWFSC elephant seal array • *Extensive collection of acoustic receivers in the lower Columbia River and estuary

  16. SWFSC towed hydrophone acoustic surveys from 2008 Red =Aug & Sept Green = Oct & Nov

  17. Detection range: V9 tags ~400-500m V7 tags ~ 200-300m Positions of VEMCO VR2 and VR3 acoustic receiver lines maintained by the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Project (http://www.postcoml.org/)

  18. Photo courtesy of Sean Hayes SWFSC Juvenile elephant seal with a BCT, and an archival tag attached to the animal’s back, and a satellite tag attached to the animal’s head.

  19. Elephant Seal Acoustic Array Image from TOPP- Simmons & Costa

  20. Archival Tags • record temperature and depth • pre-programmed sampling interval from 1/10 sec to 32hrs • Capacity = 32,000 records

  21. Advantages of archival tags • long-lived tag smaller than AT tag • less expensive (~$90-125 each) • large storage capacity • collects a continuous record of temperature and or pressure Disadvantages of archival tags • no precise information on geo-position • must be physically retrieved

  22. Retrieving Archival Tags • stocks originating above Bonneville Dam can potentially be collected in the separation-by-code system • lower river stocks could be collected upon return to the hatchery of origin, from a trap or concrete collection facility • SARs range from ~1-3% for SR steelhead depending on the migration year and origin

  23. Archival tags: 80% >189 mm V7-2L tags: 50% >214 mm V7-3L: 40% >222 mm V9: 7% >259 mm Steelhead size, 2007-2009 (n = 679) Minimum steelhead size by tag Mean size 214.9 mm FL (range 132-320)

  24. Cost • Acoustic Tags ~$275 each x 100 = $27,500 • Archival Tags ~$90 each x 150 = $13,500 • Misc. ~$3,500 • Total = $44,500

  25. Expected results • Determine feasibility of tagging Columbia River steelhead in estuary • Acoustically-tagged steelhead will be “heard” somewhere in the North Pacific • Archival-tagged steelhead will return with temperature record of ocean migration ►Increase our understanding of ocean residence/migration patterns for Columbia steelhead

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