Images

Dr. Gael Kurath, Joanne Salzer and Bill Batts joining Spokane fish health scientist Rebecca Cook and Spokane Tribal intern Justine Flett to conduct virus exposures in the WFRC Seattle weblab.

Joanne Salzer and Spokane Tribal intern, Justine Flett, conducting virus exposures in the WFRC Seattle wetlab. Our scientists are collaborating with the fisheries staff from the Spokane Tribe and Coeur d'Alene Tribe in a study to determine how susceptible Redband trout are to IHN virus (infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus).

WFRC partners with researchers investigating the causes of Sea Star Wasting Disease and the impacts of viral infection on fish swimming performance. Left - right: Dr. David Paez, Dr.

Two groups of sea lions can be seen some distance away from the shore in deeper water. Sea lions are herring predators, feeding on herring while they spawn. Therefore, the presence of sea lions can be indicative of the presence of herring. However, herring schools are absent in this image.

Northern lights above Hawkins Island, Alaska. Large purse seine net is deployed from the stern of the research vessel R/V Solstice (owned and operated by Alaska Department of Fish and Game) during a joint collection effort with the USGS to sample fish for an annual disease survey in the sound.

Ashley MacKenzie, U.S. Geological Survey, watches as Heather Scannell, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and Jenni Morella, ADF&G pull the purse seine onto the deck of the research vessel R/V Solstice after setting on a school of Pacific herring in Prince William Sound Alaska.

Purse seine net filled with Pacific herring in Prince William Sound Alaska. The seine net is deployed off the research vessel R/V Solstice (owned and operated by Alaska Department of Fish and Game) during a joint collection effort with the USGS to sample fish for an annual disease survey in the sound. Collection of herring is rare during the daytime.

U.S. Geological Survey, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game researchers perform disease sampling on herring collected from a purse seine in Prince William Sound Alaska. Sampling includes length, weight, sex, age, blood for VHSV antibodies and VEN slides, gills/kidney/spleen for VHSV, and hearts for Ichthyophonus.

Large purse seine net being loaded onto the research vessel R/V Solstice (Cordova Alaska). This net is used to collect Pacific herring throughout Prince William Sound. The herring disease surveys are the beginning of the field season for Alaska Department of Fish & Game in Cordova AK.

Using an ultra-light plane, researchers are looking at the landscapes where herring spawn in Prince William Sound Alaska.

Using an ultra-light plane, researchers are looking at the landscapes where herring spawn in Prince William Sound Alaska.

Using an ultra-light plane, researchers are looking at the landscapes where herring spawn in Prince William Sound Alaska.

(Left to Right) Bill Batts, Joanna Salzer, and Dr. Jee Youn Hwang sample fish during a swim performance trial. Once fish have completed swim trials they are euthanized and kept fresh on ice. Sampling includes length and weight measurements, and collection of a small portion of tissues to confirm the presence of virus.

Chinook salmon orient into the water current of the swim flume during a performance trial.

Dr. David Paez observes as Chinook salmon undergo a swim performance trial. Water velocity in the swim chamber is increased over a prescribed period to determine time of exhaustion for each individual fish. Virus-exposed and healthy control fish are swum together in a small group and must be watched carefully.

(Left to Right) Dr. David Paez, Joanna Salzer, Dr. Jee Youn Hwang and Bill Batts observe as Chinook salmon are conditioned in the swim flume prior to swim performance trials.

Multi-tribal ceremonial release of adult Chinook to the Spokane River during 2022 National American Fisheries Society Meeting. Here, people line up to participate in ceremonial multi-tribal fish release in the Spokane River.

Multi-tribal ceremonial release of adult Chinook to the Spokane River during 2022 National American Fisheries Society Meeting. Here, fish biologist Ian Jezorek participates in ceremonial multi-tribal fish release in the Spokane River.

Multi-tribal ceremonial release of adult Chinook to the Spokane River during 2022 National American Fisheries Society meeting. Here, fish biologist, Jill Hardiman, participates in the event by releasing an adult Chinook salmon into the Spokane River.

Overhead view of the Spokane River, where adult Chinook salmon were released during a multi-tribal ceremonial fish release. During 2022 National American Fisheries Society, many scientists and citizens took part in a ceremonial fish release. Adult Chinook salmon are currently blocked by dams and unable travel upstream to their historic range.

Gills from Lost River suckers with a heavy infestation of Ichthyobodo sp. (arrows).  Slide is stained with hematoxylin and eosin.