Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

PC07 Spatial and Temporal Connections

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001

Location: Southwest Hall

Popp Noskov, J, , Oregon State University, Newport, USA, Jackie.Popp@noaa.gov

Morgan, C, A, Oregon State University, Newport, USA,

Brodeur, R, D, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Newport, USA,

Peterson, W, T, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Newport, USA,

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIABILITY IN JUVENILE SALMON FEEDING IN RELATION TO PREY AVAILABILITY IN AND AROUND THE COLUMBIA RIVER PLUME

Enhanced production and accumulation of prey within the Columbia River plume and at the plume front provides high availability of food during the critical period of early ocean survival for salmon. Stomach contents of juvenile coho and chinook salmon collected in and around the plume were examined and compared with zooplankton and neuston samples from the same stations during summer and fall of 1998 and 1999. Substantial interannual, seasonal, and inshore-offshore variability in diet composition was observed. The neuston and especially the zooplankton composition were less variable among collections. Fishes, decapod larvae, and hyperiid amphipods occurred in greater proportion and copepods and euphausiids in lesser proportions in the stomachs compared to the plankton. Our data suggest that juvenile salmon select the larger and more visible prey taxa that may be concentrated at hydrographic frontal regions.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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