Redefining the oceanic distribution of Atlantic salmon

• Published in: Scientific Reports
• Main Authors: Rikardsen, Audun H., Righton, David, Strøm, John Fredrik, Thorstad, Eva B., Gargan, Patrick, Sheehan, Timothy, Økland, Finn, Chittenden, Cedar M., Hedger, Richard D., Næsje, Tor F., Renkawitz, Mark, Sturlaugsson, Johannes, Caballero, Pablo, Baktoft, Henrik, Davidsen, Jan G., Halttunen, Elina, Wright, Serena, Finstad, Bengt, Aarestrup, Kim
• Other Authors: Research Council of Norway, Alta Laksefiskeri Interessentskap, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Cefas, Inland Fisheries Ireland, NOAA Fisheries Service, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Icelandic Salmonid Enhancement Fund, Xunta de Galicia, Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, Danish Rod and Net License Fund and Denmark’s Center for Wild Salmon
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2021
• Subjects: Multidisciplinary; Greenland; Atlantic salmon
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91137-y; http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91137-y.pdf; http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91137-y

Abstract Determining the mechanisms driving range-wide reductions in Atlantic salmon marine survival is hindered by an insufficient understanding of their oceanic ecology and distribution. We attached 204 pop-up satellite archival tags to post-spawned salmon when they migrated to the ocean from seven European areas and maiden North American salmon captured at sea at West Greenland. Individuals migrated further north and east than previously reported and displayed increased diving activity near oceanographic fronts, emphasizing the importance of these regions as feeding areas. The oceanic distribution differed among individuals and populations, but overlapped more between geographically proximate than distant populations. Dissimilarities in distribution likely contribute to variation in growth and survival within and among populations due to spatio-temporal differences in environmental conditions. Climate-induced changes in oceanographic conditions will alter the location of frontal areas and may have stock-specific effects on Atlantic salmon population dynamics, likely having the largest impacts on southern populations.