Bottlenecks to Survival is part of the PSF
Marine Science Program
Bottlenecks to Survival Synthesis Report
A summary of the project to 2024 including a project overview, results to date, lessons learned, recommendations and next steps.
A summary of the design and implementation of the Bottlenecks to Survival data system. The system addresses data management for the large, multi-year research project and supports reproducible research and a high level of data integrity.
Tagging-Related Mortalities and Rejections for Hatchery Reared Chinook and Coho Salmon
Investigating tagging-related mortality and tag rejection rates for Chinook and coho salmon across multiple hatcheries to provide insights and help inform field tagging activities to improve salmon survival.
Overwinter Survival of Hatchery Coho Salmon in Earthen Channels
A multi-year collaborative study with SEP using PIT tags to investigate prerelease mortality of hatchery-reared coho salmon focused on overwinter survival of coho in earthen ponds or channels – specialized, man-made, pond-like habitats excavated from the earth, designed for juvenile salmon rearing.
Robertson Creek Enhanced Steelhead Differential Release Trials
The Robertson Creek hatchery steelhead study utilized PIT-tagging to evaluate differences in the survival and behaviour of hatchery steelhead released in river and offshore.
Movement and Habitat Use of Coastal Cutthroat Trout in Shelly Creek
A technical report examining the migratory movements of a coastal cutthroat trout population in the upper reaches of Shelly Creek during the summer of 2021 for Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society (MVIHES).
Heron Predation Technical Report
A technical report on the use of PIT scanners at heron rookeries to detect PIT tags that were ingested and subsequently excreted there to explore salmonid susceptibility to predation by herons. Report prepared by Poisson Consulting.
To track marine movements and identify links with individual condition, Chinook salmon from two ocean entry cohorts (2022, 2023) were acoustic tagged in their first fall and winter at sea (2022-23; 2023-24). This report contains an analysis of initial movements up to the middle of the second ocean winter for the first cohort and up to the middle of the first ocean winter for the second cohort.
First Marine Winter Coho Salmon Distribution in the Strait of Georgia
A study to enhance our understanding of the marine distributions of juvenile coho within the Strait of Georgia during their first marine winter with microtrolling techniques. This report explores the first study year 2020-2021 on their spatial and temporal distribution patterns, and includes a detailed interactive marine hotspot map.
The Winter Ecology study aims to complement PIT tag-based survival estimates by building a comprehensive understanding of how juvenile Chinook experience winter in the Strait of Georgia, and in turn what factors could be causing mortality. This project represents the first investigation of juvenile Chinook overwinter ecology in the Canadian Salish Sea.
Movement and mortality of Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, elucidated from pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs)
Post-spawn winter-run steelhead trout were affixed with pop-up satellite archival tags to understand kelt movement and mortality. The study demonstrated the utilization of satellite tags to collect information on a life stage that is relatively unknown for steelhead and the data suggest that pelagic fish predation may have a larger impact on adult steelhead survival than previously thought.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cowichan River Steelhead Kelt Reconditioning
The study assessed the effectiveness of a reconditioning treatment for improving the condition factor of Cowichan River steelhead kelts and whether reconditioning could be a viable way to subsequently increase marine survival of kelts.
Innovative Pinniped Predation Monitoring Pilot Studies
A pilot study exploring the use of mobile PIT tag scanning and monitoring antennas at pinniped haulout locations to provide spatiotemporal data on predation events and contribute to understanding predator-prey interactions and informing questions on the survival rates of salmon.
Mill Stream PIT Tagging Program Summary 2024
A Peninsula Streams and Shoreline report describing results from a PIT tagging program that was started in Mill Stream in 2022 in collaboration with BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF) and Goldstream Hatchery.
