Managers seek information about populations most vulnerable to climate change to prioritize resources for climate adaptation efforts.
To address this need, NOAA, USGS, and university researchers conducted a climate vulnerability assessment for ESA-listed Pacific salmon and steelhead population units in the western United States. Units ranked most vulnerable were Chinook in the California Central Valley, coho in California and southern Oregon, sockeye in the Snake River Basin, and spring‑run Chinook in the interior Columbia and Willamette River Basins. Threats include projected increases in stream temperature, sea surface temperature, and ocean acidification. Migration barriers, habitat degradation, and hatchery influence have reduced the adaptive capacity of most steelhead and salmon populations, which is essential to mitigate for climate change. Authors identify the most vulnerable populations and life stages, and assess where life histories are most likely to change. Results provide a framework to support recovery planning for climate change impacts on West Coast salmon.
Crozier, L.G., McClure, M.M., Beechie, T., Bograd, S.J., Boughton, D.A., Carr, M., Cooney, T.D., Dunham, J.B., Greene, C.M., Haltuch, M.A., Hazen, E.L., Holzer, D.M., Huff, D.D., Johnson, R.C., Jordan, C.E., Kaplan, I.C., Lindley, S.T., Mantua, N.J., Moyle, P.B., Myers, J.M., Nelson, M.W., Spence, B.C., Weitkamp, L.A., Williams, T.H., Willis-Norton, E., 2019, Climate vulnerability assessment for Pacific salmon and steelhead in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem: PLoS ONE, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217711
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Aquatic & Landscape Ecology Research Team (FRESC)
Fresh waters are one of the most valuable and threatened resources worldwide. They supply critical services to society and harbor many of the world’s most imperiled species. We conduct research and provide technical assistance to address challenges to fresh waters. Our research focuses on ecological processes in freshwater and terrestrial systems and the effects of those processes on landscape...Climate and Aquatic Ecosystems
Effects of changing climate on aquatic ecosystems requires understanding a complex series of interactions between terrestrial climates, their corresponding impacts on hydrological processes, and ultimately a suite of biological responses. These uncertainties stand in contrast to the urgent need for reliable information to be used in developing long-term strategies for climate adaptation to... - Publications
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