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- Title
Catchment-wide survival of wild- and hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon smolts in a changing system.
- Authors
Stich, Daniel S.; Bailey, Michael M.; Holbrook, Christopher M.; Kinnison, Michael T.; Zydlewski, Joseph D.; Bradford, Michael
- Abstract
We developed a hierarchical multistate model to estimate survival of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar) smolts in the Penobscot River, USA, over a decade during which two mainstem dams were removed from the catchment. We investigated effects of ( i) environmental factors, ( ii) rearing history, and ( iii) management actions, including dam removal, turbine shutdown, and installation of new powerhouses. Mean ± SD smolt survival per kilometre was higher through free-flowing reaches of the catchment (0.995 ± 0.004·km−1) than through reaches containing dams that remain in the system (0.970 ± 0.019·km−1). We observed maximum survival between 12 and 17 °C and at intermediate discharges (1200 m3·s−1). Smolt survival increased concurrent with dam removal and decreased following increases in hydropower generation. The greatest increase in smolt survival followed seasonal turbine shutdowns at a dam located on the largest tributary to the Penobscot River, while other shutdowns had little influence. Our model provides a useful tool for assessing changes to survival of migratory species and will be useful for informing stocking plans to maximize numbers of smolts leaving coastal systems.
- Subjects
ATLANTIC salmon; WATERSHEDS; HATCHERY fishes; ESTIMATION theory; ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis; FISH stocking
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, 2015, Vol 72, Issue 9, p1352
- ISSN
0706-652X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1139/cjfas-2014-0573