Abstract

Determining the mechanisms driving range-wide reductions in Atlantic salmon marine survival is hindered by an insufficient understanding of their oceanic ecology and distribution. We attached 204 pop-up satellite archival tags to post-spawned salmon when they migrated to the ocean from seven European areas and maiden North American salmon captured at sea at West Greenland. Individuals migrated further north and east than previously reported and displayed increased diving activity near oceanographic fronts, emphasizing the importance of these regions as feeding areas. The oceanic distribution differed among individuals and populations, but overlapped more between geographically proximate than distant populations. Dissimilarities in distribution likely contribute to variation in growth and survival within and among populations due to spatio-temporal differences in environmental conditions. Climate-induced changes in oceanographic conditions will alter the location of frontal areas and may have stock-specific effects on Atlantic salmon population dynamics, likely having the largest impacts on southern populations.

Details

Title
Redefining the oceanic distribution of Atlantic salmon
Author
Rikardsen, Audun H 1 ; Righton, David 2 ; Strøm, John Fredrik 3 ; Thorstad, Eva B 1 ; Gargan, Patrick 4 ; Sheehan, Timothy 5 ; Økland Finn 6 ; Chittenden, Cedar M 3 ; Hedger, Richard D 6 ; Næsje, Tor F 6 ; Renkawitz, Mark 5 ; Sturlaugsson Johannes 7 ; Caballero, Pablo 8 ; Baktoft Henrik 9 ; Davidsen, Jan G 10 ; Halttunen Elina 3 ; Wright, Serena 2 ; Finstad Bengt 11 ; Aarestrup, Kim 9 

 UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Tromsø, Norway (GRID:grid.10919.30) (ISNI:0000000122595234); Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 9007 Tromsø/7034 Trondheim, Norway (GRID:grid.420127.2) (ISNI:0000 0001 2107 519X) 
 Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Centre for Environment, Lowestoft, UK (GRID:grid.14332.37) (ISNI:0000 0001 0746 0155) 
 UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Tromsø, Norway (GRID:grid.10919.30) (ISNI:0000000122595234) 
 Inland Fisheries Ireland, Dublin 24, Ireland (GRID:grid.494077.9) (ISNI:0000 0004 0510 4503) 
 Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries Service, Woods Hole, USA (GRID:grid.474350.1) (ISNI:0000 0001 2301 4905) 
 Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 9007 Tromsø/7034 Trondheim, Norway (GRID:grid.420127.2) (ISNI:0000 0001 2107 519X) 
 Laxfiskar, Mosfellsbaer, Iceland (GRID:grid.474350.1) 
 Servicio de Conservación de la Naturaleza de Pontevedra, Ponteverda, Spain (GRID:grid.474350.1) 
 Technical University of Denmark, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Silkeborg, Denmark (GRID:grid.5170.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 2181 8870) 
10  NTNU University Museum, Department of Natural History, Trondheim, Norway (GRID:grid.5947.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 1516 2393) 
11  NTNU University of Science and Technology, Department of Biology, Trondheim, Norway (GRID:grid.5947.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 1516 2393) 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2539746030
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.