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AFSC/ABL: Movements of Yukon River Chinook salmon

Metadata Updated: April 1, 2024

Upriver movements were determined for Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha returning to the Yukon River, a large, relatively pristine river basin. A total of 2,860 fish were radio tagged during 2002-2004, and 2,790 fish (98%) tracked upriver. Most fish exhibited continual upriver movements and strong fidelity to the terminal tributaries entered, with only a small percentage (2.5%) deviating from this pattern. Average movement rates were substantially slower for fish spawning in lower river tributaries (28-40 km d-1) compared to upper basin stocks (52-62 km d-1). Three distinct migratory patterns were observed, including a gradual decline, pronounced decline, and substantial increase in movement rate as the fish moved upriver. Stocks destined for the same region exhibited similar migratory patterns. Migratory patterns among individual fish within a stock showed substantial variation, but tended to reflect the regional pattern. Differences between consistently faster and slower fish explained 74% of the within-stock variation, whereas relative shifts in sequential movement rates between hares (faster fish becoming slower) and tortoises (slow but steady fish) explained 22% of the variation. Pulses of fish moving upriver were not cohesive. Fish tagged over a 4-day period took 14 and 16 d to pass tracking station sites 580 and 872 km upriver, respectively. Movement data provided valuable insights into the run dynamics of the return, but individual variation among fish complicates efforts to manage in-river fisheries. The diverse migratory patterns exhibited by the fish also suggest that movement studies based on small numbers of individuals may not adequately reflect the patterns exhibited by the larger population. Movement rates were substantially faster and the percentage of atypical movements considerably less than reported in more southern drainages, but may also reflect the pristine conditions within the Yukon River, wild origins of the fish, and relatively discrete run timing of the returns.

Access & Use Information

License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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Dates

Metadata Date February 29, 2024
Metadata Created Date October 28, 2022
Metadata Updated Date April 1, 2024
Reference Date(s) (publication)
Frequency Of Update notPlanned

Metadata Source

Harvested from NMFS AFSC

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Date February 29, 2024
Metadata Created Date October 28, 2022
Metadata Updated Date April 1, 2024
Reference Date(s) (publication)
Responsible Party (Point of Contact, Custodian)
Contact Email
Guid gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:17267
Access Constraints Cite As: Alaska Fisheries Science Center, [Date of Access]: AFSC/ABL: Movements of Yukon River Chinook salmon [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/17267., Access Constraints: Contact the Point of Contact for data request form., Use Constraints: User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Data should not be used beyond the limits of the source scale. Acknowledgement of NOAA, as the source from which these data were obtained, in any publications and/or other representations of these data is suggested., Distribution Liability: The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Bbox East Long -133
Bbox North Lat 68
Bbox South Lat 59
Bbox West Long -164
Coupled Resource
Frequency Of Update notPlanned
Harvest Object Id efb37512-4b2a-47d8-8156-20b12ada92ca
Harvest Source Id 26a29bb9-50b0-47fd-920b-edc74aa6ec76
Harvest Source Title NMFS AFSC
Licence NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose.
Lineage
Metadata Language eng
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-164.0, 59.0], [-133.0, 59.0], [-133.0, 68.0], [-164.0, 68.0], [-164.0, 59.0]]]}
Progress completed
Spatial Data Service Type
Spatial Reference System
Spatial Harvester True
Temporal Extent Begin 2002
Temporal Extent End 2004

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