Freshwater and marine migration and survival of endangered Cultus Lake sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) smolts using POST, a large-scale acoustic telemetry array

Abstract

Freshwater and early marine migration and survival of endangered Cultus Lake sockeye ( Oncorhynchus nerka ) salmon were studied using the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST) array. Smolts were acoustically tagged in 2004–2007, and their migration was recorded within the lower Fraser River and coastal southern British Columbia waters. Most smolts showed rapid directional movement (swimming speeds of ~15–30 km·day^–1). Average exit time from the Fraser River was 4.0–5.6 days after release, and average residence time within the Strait of Georgia was 25.6–34.1 days. Most individuals migrated northward, generally close to the mainland coast. Survival rates, assessed using standard mark–recapture methods, were generally high during the downstream migration (50%–70%), except in 2005 when survival was <20%, possibly because of a late release. Marine survival rates were stable among years, between 10%–30% at a subarray sited 500 km away from the release site. Movement rates were similar to those of previously published work, but the POST array provided direct measurements of movement and estimates of survival and demonstrated the feasibility of establishing continental-scale acoustic arrays for management and conservation of marine species.