Pacific salmon

This thesis examines the ontogeny of plasma sodium regulation (an indicator of osmoregulatory ability), current or rheotactic response (an indicator of emigration timing) and salinity preference in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). The purpose of the study was to determine if there are inherited differences in the development of these traits between coastal and interior British Columbia populations of coho. An interior (Cold water River) and a coastal (Rosewall Creek-Big Qualicum River) population were monitored for the above traits throughout the year. Both wild and laboratory groups were included in the study. The laboratory raised populations were divided into two incubation treatment groups: one incubated under a coastal temperature regime, and the other incubated under an interior temperature regime. There were no differences in the development of sodium regulatory ability between wild populations when the data were sorted by coho weight. Coastal coho, however, physiologically smolted after one year in the natal streams, while interior coho smolted after at least two years of freshwater growth. No obvious differences were noted between wild resident populations in the timing of downstream movement or the shift in salinity preference from hypotonic to isotonic and hypertonic salinities. Both of these behavioural responses typically occurred in the spring (April-May) of each year. Fyke net catches, however, sugqested that, in addition to the spring emigrations observed in both populations, a portion of the interior population migrated in the fall (November). No differences in the development of sodium regulatory ability were observed either within or between laboratory raised populations. Ion regulatory ability increased to a plateau in the fall and winter following emergence, and increased to smolting levels during the following spring (April-May). There were differences between coastal and interior populations in the pattern of development of both nocturnal current responses and the preference for isotonic or hypertonic salinities. Interior laboratory raised coho developed negative nocturnal rheotaxis and a preference for isotonic salinities about three months earlier (November) than laboratory raised coastal coho (late February-March). Within populations, no differences were observed in the ontogeny of these traits in the groups reared under different temperature regimes. Because these interpopulation ontogenetic behavioural differences persisted in fish reared under identical laboratory conditions, they probably have some genetic basis. Such an innate component in behaviour implies an adaptive role and in juvenile coho these behavioural traits may allow populations to use a variety of habitats at different distances from the sea, even though a major physiological schedule (in this case the development of ion regulatory capabilities) appears to be fixed within the species. Perhaps variations in migratory timing and salinity preference in juvenile coho evolved to assure survival in a relatively unstable and often severe environment by optimizing habitat use within the constraints of an overriding physiological schedule. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

Highly unsaturated marine lipids are common ingredients in salmon diets, and they are prone to oxidative change. The present study was undertaken to examine the growth and health of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) fed diets containing herring oil autoxidized to different degrees. The efficacy of dietary vitamin E in ameliorating any adverse effect on performance was investigated. Herring oil was oxidized to one of two levels (relative to a control) by aeration and mild heating (40 °C). Peroxide values and iodine numbers were recorded to monitor the extent of autoxidation. Depletion of dietary linolenic acid series fatty acids (n3FA), and the labile vitamins A, C, and E, provided further evidence of the progress of lipid oxidation. The mean initial body weight was 5.1 g/fish, and growth (weight and length) was measured at 3 or 6 week intervals for 28 weeks. Experimental diets contained 16.8% lipid, primarily as herring oil. One diet was made with corn oil replacing herring oil, and another contained a combination of low and highly oxidized oil. Vitamin E (as dl-ɑ-tocopheryl acetate) was added at either 30 IU/kg dry diet or 1000 IU/kg dry diet. At 23 weeks, 1/3 of the fish were vaccinated against vibriosis. At 28 weeks the fish were twice challenged with live Vibrio sp. Immunocompetence was estimated by mortality and by plasma agglutination. The inclusion of autoxidized herring oil reduced the nutritive value of the diets. The poorer growth and feed efficiency of fish fed diets containing oxidized oils appears to have resulted from a combination of appetite suppression and nutrient deficiency. The relative importance of these factors in influencing growth and feed efficiency depended upon the extent of the oxidation, with appetite suppression being most apparent in fish fed diets containing moderately oxidized oil. Dietary supplementation with a high level of vitamin E had no ameliorating effect on growth or feed efficiency. Health and immunocompetence were not impaired by the presence of oxidized dietary lipid, or improved by the addition of vitamin E. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Recent research conducted throughout the Northern California Current (NCC) on the ecology of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) indicates that variable ocean conditions affect the community composition of zooplankton in the nearshore environment which, in turn, can affect the quality of prey for fish, sea birds and mammals. Interannual variability in the quality and composition of the copepod community in the NCC during early marine residency of some Pacific salmon populations is related to survival to adulthood. However, copepods make up a small portion of the diet of coho and Chinook salmon, and the mechanistic linkages between ocean climate, zooplankton composition and salmon prey remain unclear. Parasite analysis provides a supplement to traditional diet analysis that can describe the foraging history of a host species. Coho salmon (O. kisutch) and Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) serve as hosts to an array of marine parasites acquired through consumption of infected intermediate hosts such as copepods, euphausiids, and planktivorous fishes. Causing little or no harm to their salmon host, the presence of trophically transmitted parasites provides information on the dietary history of their salmonid host beyond the 24 hours associated with traditional diet analysis. This study (1) examined differences in feeding behavior of coho and Chinook salmon during their early marine residency using both stomach and parasite community analyses and (2) tested the hypothesis that variability in ocean circulation patterns (measured through the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, sea surface temperature (SST) and Bakun's upwelling index) and copepod species composition are related to variability in the community structure of trophically transmitted marine parasites found in juvenile salmon. I compared the abundance and species composition of parasites recovered from juvenile Columbia River coho and upper Columbia River summer and fall Chinook salmon captured off the coast of Washington from 2002 to 2009. I also compared interannual variability in parasite assemblages to physical and biological indices of ocean conditions. Coho and Chinook salmon consumed similar prey taxa; however, the species richness and abundance of trophically transmitted parasites indicated that Chinook salmon consumed a greater diversity and abundance of infected prey. In addition, differences in the abundance of fish in the diet and Anisakis simplex, a parasitic nematode known to infect salmon through fish consumption, suggest that Chinook salmon consistently consumed more fish prey than coho. In contrast, coho appeared to consume more euphausiids as indicated by stomach content analysis and increased abundance of the euphausiid parasite, Rhadinorhynchus trachuri. Shifts in the parasite community composition of both coho and Chinook salmon were related to interannual variability in SST and the biomass of southern-origin copepods (r > 0.7, P < 0.05). The acanthocephalan R. trachuri and a tetraphyllid cestode were associated with "warm" SSTs and greater biomass of lipid-poor, subtropical copepods while the nematode A. simplex was more abundant in years of "cold" SST and a relatively low biomass of subtropical copepods. These results provide novel insight into differences in the diet of Columbia River coho and Chinook salmon and illustrate linkages between ocean climate, zooplankton community composition and salmon diet during early marine residency. / Graduation date: 2012

Evidence for reduced reproductive success (RS) of wild spawning hatchery-reared fish invites serious consideration with regard to the detrimental effects on subsequent generations of wild populations. Mate choice was evaluated as a potential mechanism contributing to these observed RS differences using a previous pedigree of wild spawning hatchery-reared and wild origin coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Genetic variance at immune-relevant genes was used as ametric toexaminematechoice. Twoyears (2005 and2006)of threewild spawning mate pair classes were examined: wild x wild (W x W), hatchery x hatchery (H x H), and wild x hatchery (W x H). We tested for: (1) a departure from random expectations with regard to mate pair allelic diversity at immune-relevant markers, (2) a correlation between immune-relevant gene diversity and mate pair RS, and (3) distinguishable differences between mate choice strategies used by hatchery-reared and wild origin coho. Eight immune-relevant gene-linked microsatellite markers were used to evaluate mate choice; four linked to immune-relevant expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and four linked to the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC). We found evidence for non-random mating between 2006 W x H mate pairs at BHMS429,an MHC-linked marker, and at SsalR016TKU,an immune-relevantEST-linked marker, which was identified as a vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein. Non-random mating was also evident between 2005 H x H pairs at SsalR015TKU,an immune-relevantEST-linkedmarker,thoughno putativegene was identified. All other pair classes did not display a significant mate choice signature. We found a significant correlation between mate pair RS and immune gene diversity among 2005 and 2006 W x W mate pairs as well as 2006 W x H mate pairs. Notably, H x H mate pair RS was not correlated to immune gene diversity in either year. Results suggest that mate choice and genetic compatibility may influence fitness of wild spawning coho. / Graduation date: 2013

This thesis examined the influence of fall-spawning coho salmon on the density, growth rate, body condition, and survival to outmigration of juvenile coho salmon rearing in beaver ponds on the Copper River Delta, Alaska. During the fall of 1999 and 2000 fish rearing in ponds that received spawning salmon were compared to ponds that did not receive spawners, and to ponds that were artificially enriched with salmon carcasses and eggs. Juvenile coho salmon responded variably to fall-spawning salmon. There were no consistent patterns associated with the two naturally occurring pond types (spawning vs no spawning). In some ponds, fall-spawning salmon increased growth rates and improved the body condition of juvenile coho salmon. Enrichment with salmon carcasses and eggs significantly increased growth rates of fish in non-spawning ponds. For some ponds, the relative influence of spawning and enrichment on body condition depended on fish size. There was no evidence that the influence of fall-spawning resulted in greater smolt production. Fall-spawning salmon provide important food resources that can benefit juvenile coho salmon rearing in beaver ponds on the Copper River Delta. However, other factors such as nutrients from riparian vegetation and catchment characteristics that control hydrology and thermal regimes are important to coho salmon smolt production. / Graduation date: 2004

Submitted by HELSI MARIA ISIDRO CRISTOBAL null (helmar2009@live.com.mx) on 2017-10-25T12:25:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Helsi_final.pdf: 975344 bytes, checksum: bb2e31aa42ebcacbcd49b7790b75ac33 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Monique Sasaki (sayumi_sasaki@hotmail.com) on 2017-10-31T15:36:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 cristobal_hmi_me_jabo.pdf: 975344 bytes, checksum: bb2e31aa42ebcacbcd49b7790b75ac33 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-31T15:36:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 cristobal_hmi_me_jabo.pdf: 975344 bytes, checksum: bb2e31aa42ebcacbcd49b7790b75ac33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-26 / Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) / Os programas de melhoramento em espécies aquícolas apresentam, no geral, um número restrito de famílias e um pequeno tamanho efetivo populacional, levando ao acasalamento de animais aparentados e, consequentemente, ao aumento da endogamia. Por sua vez, maiores níveis de endogamia tendem a ocasionar queda no desempenho dos animais causada pela depressão endogâmica. O objetivo deste estudo foi estimar os níveis de endogamia e depressão endogâmica sobre as características de peso à despesca, comprimento à despesca e resistência a Piscirickettsia salmonis em uma população de salmão coho. A resistência a Piscirickettsia salmonis foi definida como o dia da morte de cada peixe após desafio conduzido em dois anos, com média de 42 dias em 2012 e 14 dias no ano de 2014. Foi utilizado um banco de dados composto por 53.504 observações, provenientes de nove gerações e 930 famílias. A estimação dos componentes de variância e endogamia foram obtidas utilizando o programa computacional AIREMLF90 e os valores de depressão endogâmica foram estimados a partir de um modelo animal. Os valores observados para o coeficiente de endogamia foram crescentes ao longo das gerações, com uma taxa média máxima de 8,75% no ano de 2014. A depressão endogâmica afetou em maior nível as características de peso à despesca e dia de morte, com redução de 6,4 e 9,2% no desempenho dos animais, respectivamente, para o nível máximo de endogamia observado (30%). Os resultados indicam a necessidade de uso de estratégias mais efetivas de controle da endogamia para a manutenção do progresso genético do programa de melhoramento de salmão coho. / Aquaculture breeding programs present, in general, low number of families and reduced effective population size, resulting in mating of related animals and, consequently, increased level of inbreeding. High inbreeding coefficient may negatively impact the animals’ performance due to inbreeding depression. The objective of this study was to estimate inbreeding coefficient and inbreeding depression on growth traits and resistance against Piscirickettsia salmonis in a coho salmon population. Resistance against P. salmonis was defined as days to death of each fish after being challenged in two different years, with an average of 42 days in 2012 and 14 days in 2014. Data of 53,504 animals from 930 families was analyzed. Variance components were estimated using the software AIREMLF90, and inbreeding depression was estimated under an animal model. An increasing rate of inbreeding was observed, attaining an average of 8.75% in 2014. Inbreeding depression was more pronounced for harvest weight (PD) and days to death (DM), in comparison with harvest length. At the highest observed inbreeding level (30%), the estimated reduction caused by inbreeding depression was equal to 6,4% for PD and 9,2% for DM. The results indicate the necessity to control inbreeding more effectively for the studied coho salmon population, to guarantee genetic progress in the long term. / CONACYT: 579741/410470

An investigation was initiated in southern British Columbia during 1984 to determine the degree of similarity between populations of coho salmon, in terms of their demographic traits and exploitation patterns. Fourteen stocks of wild or hatchery origin were subject to coded-wire tagging in nine different streams located within a 150 km region of southeast Vancouver Island during 1985,1986, and 1987. Escapement enumeration and tag recovery were conducted during the 1985-1988 period in all streams by means of counting fences and stream surveys. A new mark-recapture model was formulated specifically for estimating escapement levels in natural streams where only a partial enumeration of spawners is possible. Estimates of the number of tags recovered in various sport and commercial fisheries were generated primarily on the basis of catch and sampling records extracted from the Mark-Recovery Program database, located at the Pacific Biological Station of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Estimates of sampling rates in the Strait of Georgia sport fishery were determined from simulation studies based on catch and sampling statistics associated with the Georgia Strait Creel Survey and Head Recovery programs. Populations were contrasted in terms of their juvenile migration patterns, smolt-to-adult survival, catch distributions, straying rates, escapement patterns, run composition, adult sizes, and exploitation rates. Considerable variation in smolt size and juvenile migration time was detected among populations each year. The most pronounced difference was the consistently shorter migration period of smolts released from public hatcheries. Estimates of ocean survival was highly variable across years and streams, and even among stocks within the same stream. No particular stock or stock type had consistently higher survival, but hatchery fish from the Big Qualicum River exhibited consistently lower survival. Considerable variation was observed in the duration and timing of various runs within the study area. On average, the contribution of strays to each spawning population was relatively small (< 2%), but strays could account for as much as 50% of the escapement to a given stream. Average exploitation rates were in the neighborhood of 80% each year, but were as high as 96% for some stocks. Substantial differences in exploitation rate were detected between stocks from the same stream, and between stocks from adjacent streams, but exploitation rates were not consistently higher or lower for any particular stock or stock type. The influence of specific factors upon straying rates, survival rates and exploitation patterns was estimated by means of log-linear models. Stock contributions to various fisheries appeared to be related to the release location, and two stock assemblages were identified within the study area based on the level of similarity among stocks in fishery contribution. Attempts to quantify the level of co-variation among stocks in survival and exploitation rates were hampered by the lack of sufficiently long time series of data, but preliminary results gave no indication of a high level of similarity among stocks or stock types. Still, it was possible to identify stocks which could be used as indicators of the general status of all stocks in the study area in terms of escapement trends, smolt-to-adult survival and exploitation rates. Based on the level of similarity observed, indicator stocks are considered to be useful stock-assessment tools, and can provide useful information for management purposes. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

Visual estimation techniques were used to quantify habitat characteristics, habitat type (pool, riffle) use and longitudinal distribution of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), cutthroat trout (0. clarki), and coho salmon (0. kisutch) in spring, summer and fall in 8.8 km of Cummins Creek, a basin in the central coast of Oregon. Fish were distributed significantly different than habitat type availability in most samples. Pool habitats contained a disproportionate percent of the salmonid assemblage and 1+ fish in each sample, and the percentage of fish in pools increased as flow decreased. In spring, coho salmon fry were concentrated in side channels and valley floor tributary habitats. Large woody debris formed 57- 68% of pool habitats and was significantly correlated with pool volume, maximum pool depth, slow surface velocity in pools, and pieces of small woody debris. Longitudinal distribution of the salmonid assemblage did not differ from habitat distribution seasonally or between years, even though certain species differed Coho salmon and cutthroat trout were distributed in proportion to longitudinal habitat availability only when fish abundance was relatively high and streamflow was low. In most samples, both 0+ and 1+ steelhead were distributed in proportion to longitudinal habitat availability. Differences in coho salmon abundance between years appeared to influence longitudinal distribution of each species and age class. Certain reaches had consistent numbers of fish between years while the number of fish in other reaches varied widely. In most samples, reaches with highest abundance for steelhead were in the lower basin, cutthroat trout in the upper basin and coho salmon between the two other species. Timing of reduction in number of fish varied among species. Fifty-five percent of 0+ steelhead and 73% of 1+ steelhead lost between August 1988 and April 1989 were lost between August and October during low flow conditions. However, only 18% of the losses, for 0+ coho salmon, occurred between August and October with the remaining losses occurring after October. This study illustrates that habitat availability is not a good index of fish distribution when fish abundance is low, and it highlights the importance of habitat in the lower portions of basins when fish abundance is high. It also demonstrates that the basin wide distribution of salmonids varies among species, age classes, seasons, and years and suggests that our understanding of salmonid distribution and abundance could be greatly enhanced by adopting a basin-wide, community, and seasonal perspective. In addition, the methods used in this study offer one way to assess the seasonal distribution and abundance of salmonids in a relatively quick, inexpensive, and non-destructive manner. / Graduation date: 1994

The fitness of female Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) with respect to breeding behavior can be partitioned into at least four components: survival to reproduction, competition for breeding sites, success of egg incubation, and suitability of the local environment near breeding sites for early rearing of juveniles. Accordingly, breeding sites should exhibit predictable habitat features linked to these components. In this study, I evaluated the relative influences of habitat features linked to fitness components on selection of breeding sites by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). I also evaluated associations between breeding site selection and additions of large wood, as the latter were introduced into the study system as a means of restoring habitat conditions to benefit coho salmon. I used a model selection approach to organize specific habitat features into groupings reflecting fitness components and influences of large wood. The relative likelihood of each of these models was then evaluated based on how coho salmon were observed to select breeding sites. Specific variables examined within these models included depth at the redd, width to depth ratio, stream network location, proximity to other redds, maximum depth, proximity to a pool tail, and the count of naturally occurring and artificially placed large wood. Results of this work suggest that female coho salmon most likely select breeding sites based on habitat features linked to all four hypothesized fitness components. Linkages between large wood and breeding site selection were less clear, likely due to mismatches between the scale at which availability was quantified relative to the geomorphic influences of wood, insufficient time for wood to have geomorphic influences on habitat, or the directionality in which geomorphic effects are currently manifested (i.e., upstream, downstream, or bi-directional influences). Future work focused on geomorphic processes in this system could reveal stronger linkages between instream wood and the habitat features that coho salmon select for breeding. / Graduation date: 2013