Spatial variation in age-specific growth of female Chinook salmon

Details

• Journal Title:
  Environmental Biology of Fishes
• Personal Author:
  Wilson, Lorna I. ; Adkison, Milo D. ; Brenner, Richard E. ; Yasumiishi, Ellen M. ; McPhee, Megan V.
• NOAA Program & Office:
  NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) ; AFSC (Alaska Fisheries Science Center)
• Description:
  While declines in size, age at maturity, and productivity in Chinook populations have been documented in several large-scale comprehensive studies, changes in growth phenology that might underlie these phenomena have examined one to two populations at a time. We measured growth in freshwater (FW) and in the 1st through 4th year in salt water (SW1–SW4) from > 17,000 scales sampled from 14 populations across Alaska, 1966–2015. We examined correlations between increments within brood years, populations, and ages at maturity and estimated population-level growth and differences in growth for fish that matured at age 5 vs. age 6. Growth generally declined with additional years at sea. SW1 growth was above average for Bering Sea populations and below average for Gulf of Alaska populations, particularly in Cook Inlet. SW2 growth was clinal, decreasing from southeast to northwest. SW3 and SW4 growth varied regionally (Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound > Bering Sea > Southeast). Fish that matured at age 5 had higher incremental growth than those that matured at age 6, and these differences increased with each increment. Populations with greater age 5 than 6 SW1 growth had greater SW2 growth, and populations with greater age 5 than 6 SW3 growth had greater SW4 growth. Within brood years, FW growth was positively correlated with SW2 growth, but high SW2 growth was negatively correlated with SW4 growth. Our results highlight the need for research on mechanisms linking Chinook salmon growth and maturation in a rapidly changing climate, with potential negative consequences for demography.
• Keywords:
  Chinook Salmon Pacific Salmon Scales (Fishes) Sclerochronology Chinook Salmon Pacific Salmon Body Growth Maturation Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha Population Variation
• Source:
  Environ Biol Fish (2025) 108:875–895
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-025-01697-5
• Format:
  PDF
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Bering Sea ; Alaska, Gulf of (Alaska)
• Rights Information:
  Accepted Manuscript
• Compliance:
  Submitted
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d329c7ea6b2a5662f7abd8538d7c9a079b5e0905945d99ea58defe4736c1d8f946564d2682a8d92be91b4ff6d43525bd121f19a4745750ad8a75933f25aa3de8
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/70612/noaa_70612_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.64 MB ]