Current Salmon Industry Research

Ongoing research projects related to salmon. For more information about these projects, contact the principal investigator.

Freshwater behavior and habitat

Evaluation of the impact of tagging operations on migrating chum salmon. (Joe Margraf)
Determination of migratory routes and spawning locations of sockeye salmon in Lake Clark. (Joe Margraf)
Determination of the efficiency of screw traps for estimating coho salmon smolt out-migration. (Joe Margraf)
Develop and testing foraging and habitat selection models for juvenile coho and steelhead. (Nick Hughes)
Develop a rapid assesment approach to identifying and classifying degredation of salmon habitat in urban streams. (Nick Hughes)
Develop and test models that predict the influence of body size on the migratory path and speed of adult salmon during their upriver migration. (Nick Hughes)
Study of the limnology of Lake Clark, Bristol Bay. (Nick Hughes)
Develop and test models explaining the influence of sub-gravel habitat characteristics on the survival of summer and fall chum salmon in the Yukon drainage. (Nick Hughes)
Linking 2D hydrodynamic models of stream flow with models that predict spatial variation in invertebrate drift density and the energy intake rate of drift-feeding salmoninds (e.g. coho, chinook, steelhead, cutthroat). (Nick Hughes)
Develop and test models that predict the energy expenditure of drift-feeding stream fish. (Nick Hughes)
Develop and test models that predict the prey detection rates of drift-feeding fish. (Nick Hughes)
History and stable isotope analysis of Iliamna Lake. (Bruce Finney)
Historical salmon production of Lake Clark National Park. (Bruce Finney)

Apply 3D videography to observe the behaviour of outmigrating sockeye salmon smolts and assess the accuracy of sonar equipment used to enumerate the smolts. (Nick Hughes)

DNA analysis of the origins of chinook salmon bycatch in the Alaskan trawl fishery. (Tony Gharrett)
Conserving salmon biodiversity: Outbreeding depression in pink salmon. (Tony Gharrett, Bill Smoker)

Salmon tagging in Cook Inlet. (Terry Quinn)
A model system to examine the delayed effects of crude oil exposure on fish. (Mike Stekoll)
The effects of total dissolved solids (modeled after mine processing wastes) on the life history of coho salmon. (Mike Stekoll, Bill Smoker)
Long-term variability in salmon abundance in the Gulf of Alaska and California current systems. (Bruce Finney)
Long-term variability in Alaskan Sockeye Salmon abundance part 2: Effects of past warm climates on salmon abundance. (Bruce Finney)
Chignik system food web analysis. (Bruce Finney)
Relationship between growth and survival of coho salmon utilizing the coastal Gulf of Alaska. (Milo Adkison)

Examination of the use of habitat quantification for determining biological escapement goals for salmon. (Joe Margraf)
Long-term variations in Alaskan salmon abundance determined from sediment core analysis. (Bruce Finney)
Setting salmon escapement goals that account for climatic fluctuations and uncertainty. (Milo Adkison)
Optimal in-season management of pink salmon given uncertain run sizes and declining economic value. (Milo Adkison)
Forecasting relative abundance of Western Alaska chum and chinook salmon. (Milo Adkison, Bill Smoker)
Understanding the role of marine-derived nutrients in population dynamics of sockeye salmon. (Milo Adkison, Bruce Finney)

A basin-wide retrospective analysis of growth and survival patterns in pink and chum salmon. (Milo Adkison, Bill Smoker)