Physiology of individual late-run Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) sampled in the ocean correlates with fate during spawning migration

Abstract

Beginning in 1995, segments of the late-run sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) stocks from the Fraser River, British Columbia, have initiated upriver spawning migration up to 6 weeks earlier than historical records; and those fish have experienced high rates of en route mortality. We examined the correlations between physiological and energetic status prior to river entry with subsequent migratory performance of individual salmon using telemetry and noninvasive biopsies for Adams–Thompson–Shuswap (Adams) and Weaver–Harrison (W–H) stocks. Salmon that failed to reach the river were characterized by a tendency to have elevated levels of chronic and acute stress indicators. For one stock of fish (i.e., Adams) that entered the river, those that died before reaching spawning grounds were individuals with low gross somatic energy. Furthermore, females tended to have elevated plasma estradiol levels. When contrasting fish with different behaviours and fates, fish that did not hold in the estuary and subsequently died tended to have less energy than fish that held and reached spawning areas. Females from the former group also had higher 11-ketotestosterone and estradiol levels relative to those from the later group. These data suggest that differences in physiological and energetic status may be associated with high en route mortality in late-run sockeye salmon.