Assessment of Smolt Condition: Biological and Environmental Interactions

The Problem

Salmonid species in the Pacific Northwest continue to decline despite management efforts to mitigate the effects of development of the Columbia River basin and power system. Altered fish species diversity and changes in the aquatic habitat have created the need for research to determine the status, life history, and habitat requirements of at risk salmon and steelhead populations and other aquatic species to provide science to restore and maintain declining species and habitats.

From left to right top to bottom: Salmon eggs, alevin, and smolt.

Objectives

Objectives of the project are: 1) investigate and compare the effects of different aquatic habitats and rearing conditions on physiological and immunological development in hatchery and wild/natural spawning populations, 2) determine how rearing conditions affect long-term survival, 3) determine critical limitng factors for salmonids, 4) develop indices of fish development, health, and smoltification, and 5) provide science support to other fisheries agencies.

Methodology

The project develops specialized research techniques and applies them with standard physiological or immunological techniques to investigations of how the aquatic environment affects the life history

Exposing salmon fry to commercial immunostimulants for physiological and immunological comparisons.

and productivity of individuals, stocks, populations, and species. Water quality analyses include biological and chemical components; physiological assessments include growth indices; blood cell and blood chemistry analysis; blood and tissue analysis for immunological and biochemical constituents; and diet and immunization testing. The project develops new techniques, or modifies methods from other disciplines for application to evaluations of fish eggs, other early life stages, and tissues.

Special methods: development of a detection method for glucan in tissue for mass screening purposes.

Highlights and Key Findings

Cover for compact disk - BIGSAM: A Biologically Integrated Geospatial Salmonid Data Access Management Tool.

Development of a detection method for glucan in tissue for mass screening of fish during experimental exposure to water- and feed-borne immunostimulants in treatment trials and during immunization events to improve fish health.

Development of a data access tool for life history-based data acquisition for anadromous fish populations:

BIGSAM: A Biologically Integrated Geospatial Salmonid Data Access Management Tool. Compact disk prototype data access tool. National Biological Information Infrastructure, U. S. Geological Survey. Schrock, R. M., R. E. Reagan, and T. E. Batt. 2001. (released 2002)

Where Are We Headed In 2003

• Determine the effects of rearing and river conditions on physiological condition of juvenile salmonids.

• Complete written review of long-term comprehensive hatchery rearing conditions data summary to describe factors contributing to smolt-to-adult survival.

• Complete cooperative sampling, analysis, and interpretation of results on science support projects to fishery managers at national fish hatcheries to determine developmental differences among fish reared in different environments.

• Determine performance indicators for production, based on physiological responses of fish to different environmental conditions.

• Cooperate with hatchery managers to determine selective factors at hatcheries that contribute to differences in physiological and immunological development between wild and hatchery fish. Provide technical assistance to cooperating agencies and BPA-funded projects.

• Organize annual smolt workshop to facilitate information transfer among juvenile salmonid co-managers in the Columbia River Basin.

Project Contact

James H. Petersen
U.S. Geological Survey
Western Fisheries Research Center
Columbia River Research Laboratory
5501-A Cook-Underwood Rd.
Cook, WA 98605-9717

Email: jim_petersen@usgs.gov
Phone: 509-538-2299
Fax: 509-538-2843

Publications