The goals of this study are to develop methods to reduce wandering and straying of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) that are collected and barged from the Snake River to below Bonneville Dam. Salmon and steelhead that stray and spawn in non-natal streams are a significant conservation concern, because they may confound accurate assessment of the VSP parameters of recovering native populations and decrease the productivity of these populations through genetic introgression or ecological competition. These issues are a particular concern for listed mid-Columbia River stocks because salmon that are collected and barged downstream as juveniles have shown higher stray rates into these watersheds as returning adults relative to in-river migrants. However, while barging may contribute to elevated stray rates, there are substantial benefits from barging because transported Snake River steelhead consistently have higher smolt-to-adult returns than steelhead left to migrate in-river. Therefore, it is important to identify and develop strategies for reducing the stray rates of transported steelhead while maintaining the survival benefits consistently observed for barged steelhead. The specific aims of this proposal are as follows: 1) Conduct an analysis of existing coded wire (CWT) and PIT tag data to identify causative factors associated with straying by Columbia River salmonids, particularly as it relates to natural rates of straying and straying associated with transport. 2) Assess imprinting of barged and in-river migrants by monitoring imprinting associated changes in physiological function and gene expression as indicators of imprinting success. 3) Identify key environmental parameters (e.g. orienting current, water exchange rate, novel tributary water) that are important for imprinting barged fish and develop barging protocols to optimize imprinting success and thereby minimize straying using a controlled laboratory study. 4) Initiate tests of a modified barge protocol designed to maintain survival benefits while reducing wandering, delay, and straying behavior of returning adults. The work is being conducted by NWFSC scientists in collaboration with the University of Washington. Products for this project will include annual reports, peer-reviewed publications, presentation of results at local and national meetings, and consultation with the FCRPS managers. Physiological data on hatchery-reared steelhead.

Assist Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in determining the extent to which genetic introgression exists between Snake River hatchery steelhead straying into the John Day Basin and the local ESA-listed summer steelhead, and to verify the existing Technical Recovery Team (TRT) population designations within the John Day system. Results of this research will be used to inform the management and conservation of John Day River Basin steelhead. Genetics.

Assist Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in determining the extent to which genetic introgression exists between Snake River hatchery steelhead straying into the John Day Basin and the local ESA-listed summer steelhead, and to verify the existing Technical Recovery Team (TRT) population designations within the John Day system. Results of this research will be used to inform the management and conservation of John Day River Basin steelhead. Genetics.

Steelhead population abundance is depressed throughout much of its southern range, and several Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) are listed as threatened or endangered under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA). Some anadromous populations are associated with relatively large resident trout populations, and some of these resident populations can produce migrating smolts. We are trying to determine the genetic architecture, population history, and plasticity of anadromy and residency in this species, with the intent of determining whether the hybrid migratory strategy expressed in wild populations like this is key to maintaining long-term resilience and productivity of anadromous populations. This collection of NWFSC Genetics and Evolution Program studies represents a long-term collaboration between NWFSC and the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, and the US Geological Survey to understand the intrinsic (biological, genetic) and extrinsic (environmental) factors that influence production, diversity, and variation in these characteristics in wild steelhead and the resident trout they interact with. It involves annual fieldwork to collect data on juvenile and adult fish and reconstruct their molecular pedigrees and conduct quantitative genetic analyses, as well as to assess temporal trends in abundance and productivity and the condition of their freshwater habitats. Genetic basis of migratory tendency and life history plasticity in Oncorhynchus mykiss.

,

This data set contains catch and effort for fishing trips that are taken by vessels with a Federal permit issued for the swordfish and sharks under the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) fishery management plan. Fishermen that own vessels with permits in these fisheries are required to complete a vessel logbook for every trip in which any species in the Highly Migratory Species fishery management plans are caught and landed. Fishermen are not required to report fishing trips in which other than these species are caught. However, fishermen are required to submit a no-fishing report if they did not fish for or catch any HMS species during a calendar month. In 1986, the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) initiated a logbook program for vessels that held a federal vessel permit to fish for swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. In 1993, a similar program was initiated for vessels with a federal permit to fish for sharks that are included in the HMS fishery management plan. In order to provide sufficient level of detail for fishing effort by the longline vessels, the catch and effort data need to be reported for each longline set. Consequently, a single logbook form was designed for the fishermen to record the catch (numbers of animals caught) and effort, which includes data on the length of the longline, the number of hooks and the duration of the set. To reduce the number of times that fishermen need to record certain pieces of information, e.g., location of unloading, duration of trip, number of crew, a trip summary form was designed in 1999 that includes the trip-related information that is the same for every set. This redesign of the logbook form resulted in two forms, the trip summary and the set forms. Only one trip summary needs to be completed for each trip, but a separate set form needs to be completed for each longline set made during the trip. At the same time, additional questions were added to the trip summary form to collect information on the expenses that the vessels incurred during the trip. Initially, this information was voluntary and the fishermen did not have to provide the cost data whereas the catch and effort data are mandatory and the vessels permit will not be renewed if logbooks are not received for every trip where swordfish and/or sharks are caught and landed.

Rainbow trout and steelhead consist of the same species and often inhabit the similar habitat types within the same watershed. Although their life histories differ from one another, there is thought to be genetic introgression between types. This study seeks to undertake genetic characterization of resident rainbow populations prior to reintroduction of steelhead in the Lewis River. Lewis River rainbow trout genetics.

Electronic dealer reporting for highly migratory species (HMS) dealers was instituted to expedite dealer reporting of federally-managed HMS, including swordfish, BAYS (bigeye, albacore, yellowfin and skipjack) tunas, and sharks. All purchases of HMS from a federally permitted dealer are reported electronically and fed to the eDealer database. Data are used for inseason monitoring of HMS quotas, provides collaboration of fishing vessel trips, information for international reporting for The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and domestic management of HMS.

In certain markets, live fish can be sold for substantially higher prices than fresh dressed fish. A significant live-haul industry has developed in the U.S. and fish are commonly hauled 1,500-2,000 miles (25-30 hours) to market. The most common species hauled are tilapia, channel catfish, and rainbow trout; a smaller amount of marine rockfish, hybrid striped bass, and carp are also hauled. The most significant advancement in hauling technology in the last 20 years has been the use of bottled oxygen gas or liquid oxygen to maintain adequate dissolved oxygen levels. These types of systems can maintain significantly higher DO levels than systems using air. Some common stressors include harvest and loading procedures (pumping or out of water transfer), shaking as the transport vehicle is moving, low frequency sound from the vehicle and water treatment systems, crowding, and poor water quality (high ammonia and carbon dioxide levels, low dissolved oxygen), high light levels, or extreme water temperature. The physical shape and construction of the hauling unit may have an important impact on localized low DOs, physical damage to the fish, and survivability. Very little information has been published on the chemical and physical conditions in transport systems during long-distance transport and this limited data may not be representative of current commercial systems. This research will be conducted with NWFSC staff in cooperation with private fish farmers in the Pacific Northwest. Specific sub-objectives will include the following: (1) Documentation of water quality during transport and impact on mortality and product quality (2) Design of efficient aeration systems for oxygen transfer and carbon dioxide stripping (3) Determination of the impact of transport tank design and aerator type on the thermal balance during hauling. The impact of this project will be increased survival and product quality of transported fish as a result of adopting the recommended protocols and utilization of the models. Project outputs will include peer-reviewed publications, popular publications, and conference presentations. Following simulated hauling, fish from individual tanks will be transferred to 4 in diameter circular tanks for observation. Mortality will be recorded daily for 7 days.

This research was initiated by the Puget Sound Steelhead Technical Recovery Team to develop viability criteria for threatened Puget Sound steelhead and to support recovery planning of this species. It involves conventional population viability analysis (PVA) combined with decision support systems such as Bayesian Networks. These systems are parameterized with information on abundance, productivity, spatial structure, and diversity obtained from various sources, including PVAs of individual populations from time-series data of abundance, productivity, age structure, iteroparity, influence of resident fish on anadromous abundance, and influence of human activities such as hatchery production, harvest, and habitat alteration. The work will also focus on assessing status of these listed species every five years as part of NOAA Fisheries' coastwide status review updates for listed salmonids. These data will be outputs from life cycle models developed by the Puget Sound steehead recovery team to evaluate.