Habitat Utilization by Juvenile Pink and Chum Salmon in Upper Resurrection Bay, Alaska

• Main Authors: Faurot, Mary W., Landino, Steve W., Reisenbichler, Reg R., Clarke, Douglas G.
• Other Authors: ARMY ENGINEER WATERWAYS EXPERIMENT STATION VICKSBURG MS ENVIRONMENTAL LAB
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1989
• Subjects: Agronomy; Horticulture and Aquiculture; *HABITATS; *FISHES; ALASKA; CONSTRUCTION; STOMACH; UTILIZATION; HARBORS; SMALL SHIPS; HABITS; SITES; DISTRIBUTION; FOOD; *SALMON; Keta; Boat Harbor; Oncorhynchus gorbuscha; Alaska; Copepods
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA216315; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA216315

Patterns of habitat utilization by pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and chum (O. keta) salmon were studied in Resurrection Bay at a proposed small-boat harbor construction site near Seward, AK. Relative distribution and abundance of salmon fry and their predators were determined by beach seining during the outmigration period at six stations in upper Resurrection Bay; estuarine residence time of salmon fry was determined by otolith analysis; and predation on salmon fry and food habits of salmon fry were qualitatively assessed. The outmigration period lasted from mid-April through mid-May and peaked in the first week of May during both years of the study. Catches of salmon fry and their predators were highest at seine stations located in the proposed harbor area. The most consistently occurring food items in stomachs of both pink and chum salmon were epibenthic harpacticoid copepods and planktonic calanoid copepods. Keywords: Daily growth increments; Food habits; Otolith analysis; Outmigration.