Project Information

Title: Management Applications: Implementing the SEA Pink Salmon Survival Model - Tagging Technology 050758

Project Year and Number: 2005: 050758

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: None

Principal Investigator (PI): Steve Moffitt (Alaska Department of Fish & Game)

Managing Agency: ADFG

Assisting Personnel: None

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Research

Injured Resources Addressed: Commercial Fishing, Pink Salmon, Subsistence

Abstract: This project will conduct tagging technology studies needed to develop management applications from the SEA pink salmon model. This project was conceived during a pink salmon predictive workshop recently held in Cordova March 16-18, 2004. Workshop participants recommended that preseason forecasting and numerical model validation could be approached by a direct census of juveniles as they are leaving Prince William Sound (PWS). Catching juveniles emigrating from PWS would also enable application of a second mark to partition survival between the early marine and oceanic lifestages. At present, all juveniles of hatchery origin in PWS are otolith thermal marked. Combining estimates of stock composition obtained from otolith thermal marks and early marine survival will enable estimation of survivals of each hatchery release group and a very robust evaluation of pink salmon model simulations. The estimates will also be used to evaluate the accuracy of preseason forecasts of salmon run size obtained from a direct census of juveniles emigrating from PWS. This project will test the feasibility of using passive integrated transponder tags to partition early marine and oceanic survival of pink salmon. The project will estimate tag loss and tagging-induced mortality of juvenile pink salmon and tag detection rates at area salmon processors.


Proposal: View (505 KB)

Reports:
Annual Report FY05: View (71 KB)
Final Report: View (64 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available