The Role of Puget Sound and Washington Coastal Estuaries in the Life History of Pacific Salmon: An Unappreciated Function

Simenstad, Charles A.; Fresh, Kurt L.; Salo, Ernest O.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-404070-0.50026-0

Cited by 132 publications

(149 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Furthermore, channels with bordering vegetation promote input of neustonic insects that are also important, energetically-rich sources of prey, especially for fish species of concern. For example, juvenile Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, are widely known to feed extensively on aquatic insects throughout their estuarine residency and outmigration (Simenstad et al 1982;Schreffler et al 1992;Gray et al 2002), which occurs between February and April in the estuary (McFarlane and Norton 2001). During this time, we observed increasing densities of chironomid larvae in interior marsh channels, the emergent or adults of which dominated the neuston assemblage in March.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Macroinvertebrate Prey Availability and Fish Diet Selectivity in Relation to Environmental Variables in Natural and Restoring North San Francisco Bay Tidal Marsh Channels

Howe¹,

Simenstad²,

Toft³

et al. 2014

SFEWS

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Tidal marsh wetlands provide important foraging habitat for a variety of estuarine fishes. Prey organisms include benthic/epibenthic macroinvertebrates, neustonic arthropods, and zooplankton. Little is known about the abundance and distribution of interior marsh macroinvertebrate communities in the San Francisco Estuary (estuary). We describe seasonal, regional, and site variation in the composition and abundance of neuston and benthic/epibenthic macroinvertebrates that inhabit tidal marsh channels, and relate these patterns to environmental conditions. We also describe spatial and temporal variation in diets of marsh-associated inland silverside, yellowfin goby, and western mosquitofish. Fish and invertebrates were sampled quarterly from October 2003 to June 2005 at six marsh sites located in three river systems of the northern estuary: Petaluma River, Napa River, and the west Delta. Benthic/epibenthic macroinvertebrates and neuston responded to environmental variables related to seasonal changes (i.e., temperature, salinity), as well as those related to marsh structure (i.e., vegetation, channel edge). The greatest variation in abundance occurred seasonally for neuston and spatially for benthic/epibenthic organisms, suggesting that each community responds to different environmental drivers. Benthic/epibenthic invertebrate abundance and diversity was lowest in the west Delta, and increased with increasing salinity. Insect abundance increased during the spring and summer, while Collembolan (springtail) abundance increased during the winter. Benthic/epibenthic macroinvertebrates dominated fish diets, supplemented by insects, with zooplankton playing a minor role. Diet compositions of the three fish species overlapped considerably, with strong selection indicated for epibenthic crustaceans-a surprising result given the typical classification of Menidia beryllina as a planktivore, Acanthogobius flavimanus as a benthic predator, and Gambusia affinis as a larvivorous surface-feeder. Fish diets were influenced by position along the estuarine gradient and season. Overall, our data show that local-scale site effects and marsh position within the estuary influence invertebrate community composition and abundance. Additionally, we show that restoring marsh ecosystems can subsidize fishes similarly to reference marshes. We thus recommend that managers focus on the ability of restoring marshes to produce food subsidies for target species when planning and designing tidal marsh restoration projects, especially those targeted for food web support.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Macroinvertebrate Prey Availability and Fish Diet Selectivity in Relation to Environmental Variables in Natural and Restoring North San Francisco Bay Tidal Marsh Channels

Howe¹,

Simenstad²,

Toft³

et al. 2014

SFEWS

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“…Central Valley fall Chinook salmon have been captured consistently in the Oregon troll fishery (Weitkamp 2010); however, additional information on the juvenile migratory phenotypes represented in additional samples of Central Valley adult fall Chinook salmon, including those collected from other fishery locations and on spawning grounds, is needed to evaluate the consistency of the observed patterns. Fork length (mm) < 4 6 4 6 -5 5 5 6 -6 5 6 6 -7 5 7 6 -8 5 8 6 -9 5 9 6 -1 0 5 1 0 6 -1 1 5 > 1 1 6 < 4 6 4 6 -5 5 5 6 -6 5 6 6 -7 5 7 6 -8 5 8 6 -9 5 9 6 -1 0 5 1 0 6 -1 1 5 > 1 1 6 Although estuaries are known to provide rearing habitat for Chinook salmon (Reimers 1973, Healey 1991, Simenstad et al 1982, Bottom et al 2005, Volk et al 2010 Hatchery fish account for an estimated 17 to 90% of the total adult fall Chinook salmon production in the Central Valley (Kjelson et al 1982, Yoshiyama et al 1998, Yoshiyama et al 2000, Barnett-Johnson et al 2007. The relatively large range in estimates of hatchery contribution is due, in part, to challenges associated with accurately identifying hatchery fish and interannual variation in the hatchery contribution.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the contribution of juvenile migratory phenotypes in a population of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Miller¹,

Gray²,

Merz³

2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

100

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Chinook salmon is an anadromous species that varies in size at freshwater emigration, which is hypothesized to increase population resiliency under variable environmental regimes. In California's Central Valley (USA), the majority of naturally spawned juveniles emigrate in 2 pulses: small juveniles (referred to as fry), typically ≤55 mm fork length (FL), emigrate from natal streams in February-March, whereas larger juveniles (smolts), typically > 75 mm FL, emigrate in mid-AprilMay. In some river systems, there is a smaller pulse of emigrants of intermediate size (parr), typically 56 to 75 mm FL. Although the relative contribution of these migratory phenotypes to the adult population is unknown, management activities focus on survival of larger emigrants and most artificially produced fish (98%) are released from hatcheries at parr and smolt sizes. We reconstructed individual length at freshwater emigration for a sample of adult Central Valley Chinook salmon from 2 emigration years using chemical (Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca) and structural otolith analyses. The adult sample was comprised of individuals that emigrated as parr (mean = 48%), followed by smolts (32%) and fry (20%). Fry-sized emigrants likely represent natural production because fish ≤55 mm FL comprise < 2% of the hatchery production. The distribution of migratory phenotypes represented in the adult sample was similar in both years despite apparent interannual variation in juvenile production, providing evidence for the contribution of diverse migratory phenotypes to the adult population. The contribution of all 3 migratory phenotypes to the adult population indicates that management and recovery efforts should focus on maintenance of life-history variation rather than the promotion of a particular phenotype. KEY WORDS: Chinook salmon · Migratory phenotype · Otolith chemistry Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 408: [227][228][229][230][231][232][233][234][235][236][237][238][239][240] 2010 logistic and interpretive limitations. Chemical and structural analyses of fish otoliths, which hold a record of aspects of an individual's environment, provide an alternative approach to generating empirical data on the contribution of migratory phenotypes without the need to recapture individuals (Campana 1999, Campana & Thorrold 2001.Extensive agricultural land use conversion and water development within California's Central Valley (USA) (Fig. 1) have impacted the region's fall Chinook salmon (Moyle 2002), which are listed as a species of concern under the Endangered Species Act (Good et al. 2005). The majority of naturally spawned juveniles emigrate in 2 pulses: small juveniles (referred to as fry), typically ≤55 mm fork length (FL), emigrate from natal streams in February-March, whereas larger juveniles (smolts), typically > 75 mm FL, emigrate in mid-April-May (Brandes & McLain 2001) (Fig. 2a-f). In some river systems, there is a smaller pulse of emigrants of intermediate size (parr), typically 56 t...

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“…Western black brant geese (Branta bernicla nigricans) have a winter diet that consists largely of eelgrass (COTTAM, LYNCH, and NEL- SON, 1944;COTTAM and MUNRO, 1954), and several other waterfowl, including greater scaup (Aythya marila), wigeon (Anas penelope), and teal (Anas crecca) also use eelgrass in their diets (COTTAM, LYNCH, and NELSON, 1944;TUBBS and TUBBS, 1983). SIMENSTAD and WISSMAR (1985) determined that eelgrass provides the fundamental basis of the food web for out-migrating juvenile chum salmon, and eelgrass also supports communities of preferred invertebrate prey items for juvenile chinook salmon in Pacific Northwest estuaries (SIMENSTAD, 1983;SIMENSTAD, FRESH, and SALO, 1982). In some estuaries, Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) spawn on eelgrass, where the blades provide a substratum for development and aeration of the adherent egg masses (LEVINGS, 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concurrent Assessment of Eelgrass Beds (Zostera marina) and Salt Marsh Communities along the Estuarine Gradient of the South Slough, Oregon

Rumrill¹,

Sowers

2008

Journal of Coastal Research

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The Role of Puget Sound and Washington Coastal Estuaries in the Life History of Pacific Salmon: An Unappreciated Function

Cited by 132 publications

References 5 publications

Macroinvertebrate Prey Availability and Fish Diet Selectivity in Relation to Environmental Variables in Natural and Restoring North San Francisco Bay Tidal Marsh Channels

Macroinvertebrate Prey Availability and Fish Diet Selectivity in Relation to Environmental Variables in Natural and Restoring North San Francisco Bay Tidal Marsh Channels

Quantifying the contribution of juvenile migratory phenotypes in a population of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Concurrent Assessment of Eelgrass Beds (Zostera marina) and Salt Marsh Communities along the Estuarine Gradient of the South Slough, Oregon

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