The DNA of salmon heritage
Two UBC researchers are exploring the problem of dwindling salmon runs from opposite ends of the knowledge continuum—cutting edge genomics, and empirical evidence gathered over millennia by the Indigenous Peoples of the coast.
Seafood farming’s growth rate has already peaked, and now it’s in decline
The growth rate of seafood farming worldwide peaked in 1996 according to new UBC research, highlighting the importance of rebuilding wild fish stocks to feed future demand.
Food quality might be key for juvenile sockeye salmon growth and survival
The quality of food sockeye salmon eat along their migration routes is more important to their growth and condition than quantity, a new study has found, highlighting concerns about the effects of climate change on ocean conditions and salmon.
Expect shorter food chains in more productive coastal ecosystems
“We provided evidence for bottom-up omnivory in nutrient-rich temperate pelagic ecosystems, where food chain length is determined by the level of diatom production,” said Jacob Lerner. “This is very different from the global model for pelagic ecosystems.”
BC is facing a steep decline in sockeye salmon
The sockeye population has been in decline for a century – since 1913, returns in the Skeena River have dropped by 75% – and while there are many factors at play, says Dr. William Cheung, “climate change is definitely one of them.”
Southern resident killer whales not getting enough to eat since 2018
The animals have been in an energy deficit, averaged across spring, summer and fall, for six of the last 40 years.
World Oceans Week 2022 – Kasey Stirling
Stirling works with six Lower Fraser First Nations for her project, which investigates how single-celled algae may be linked to salmon abundance. Although Indigenous Peoples are increasingly working collectively to solve environmental problems that affect Earth’s oceans, challenges remain when it comes to collaborating with the Canadian government, she says.
Elders share knowledge of profound wild Pacific salmon decline
Elders reported that salmon catches are one sixth what they were 50 to 70 years ago, and that the loss of salmon had taken a toll on their communities, especially their ability to teach young people about the fish.
Expect to see more squid and less sockeye salmon on “climate changed” menus
Vancouver seafood lovers may see more Humboldt squid but less sockeye salmon on restaurant menus in the near future due to climate change.
International Year of the Salmon Expedition helps IOF researchers map North Pacific food webs
For scientists in the IOF’s Pelagic Ecosystems Lab, the trip represents a chance to trace the outline of North Pacific food webs, in which salmon play a central role as both predator and prey.