Imprinting Salmon and Steelhead Trout for Homing, 1982 Annual Report of Research.
The National Marine Fisheries Service, under contract to the Bonneville Power Administration, began conducting research on imprinting Pacific salmon and steelhead for homing in 1978. The juvenile marking phase was completed in 1980; over 4 million juvenile salmon and steelhead were marked and released in 23 experiments. The primary objectives were to determine; (1) a triggering mechanism to activate the homing imprint, (2) if a single imprint or a sequential imprint is necessary to assure homing, and (3) the relationship between the physiological condition of fish and their ability to imprint. Research in 1982 concentrated on: (1) recovering returning adults from previous experiments, (2) analyzing completed 1979 steelhead and chinook salmon experiments, and (3) preliminarily analyzing 1980 fall chinook salmon experiments. Six experimental groups are discussed: two steelhead, two spring chinook salmon, and two fall chinook salmon. In four test groups, survival was enhanced by the imprinting-transportation procedures. Homing back to the hatchery area was partly successful in two test groups, and generally, unless there were extenuating circumstances (eruption of Mount St. Helens, disease problem, etc.), greater returns to user groups were evident.
- Research Organization:
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- United States. Bonneville Power Administration.
- DOE Contract Number:
- 1981BP27891
- OSTI ID:
- 912863
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BP-0017; R&D Project: 1978-001-00; TRN: US200802%%423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Imprinting Salmon and Steelhead Trout for Homing, 1983 Annual Report of Research.
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