Some ESA-threatened and endangered Pacific salmon and steelhead populations require intensive, full life-cycle rearing (a captive broodstock) for genetic maintenance and recovery efforts. The Northwest Fisheries Science Center's Manchester Research Station has developed captive broodstock technologies and implemented freshwater and seawater programs for over 40 years. Captive broodstock projects benefit from staff involvement in Biological Review Teams, Recovery Teams, Interagency Hatchery Design Teams, Technical Oversight Committees, and numerous interagency groups rebuilding and enhancing salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest.
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Research
We conduct research to:
- Produce adult salmon for regional ESA recovery and reintroduction actions.
- Refine captive rearing technology for the conservation of ESA listed stocks.
- Refine application of captive rearing technology (e.g., breeding versus adult release) to recover ESA-listed populations.
- Provide advice on the appropriate use of captive rearing to the West Coast Region Office.
Current Projects
- Production of ESA-listed Snake River Sockeye Salmon for use in recovery actions.
- Determining the effect of feed and feed ration on the growth, age of maturation, and egg quality of Sockeye Salmon.
- Comparing the effects of direct versus gradual seawater acclimation on the survival, growth, age of maturation, and reproductive quality of Sockeye Salmon.
- Analyze long-term dataset to determine how multigenerational captive breeding affects reproductive traits.
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Collaborators
- NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region Office
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
- Nez Perce Tribe
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- Lummi Nation
- Nooksack Indian Tribe
- Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians
Contact
Barry Berejikian, Fisheries Conservation and Enhancement Program
