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Dryad

Juvenile life history, migration, and habitat use of natural- versus hatchery-origin Chinook salmon

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May 13, 2025 version files 149.73 MB

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Abstract

Objectives: Our overall objective was to directly compare the early life history and migration patterns of hatchery and natural-origin fish and determine when hatchery fish provide good surrogates for natural-origin winter-run Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Sacramento River system. Specifically, our objectives were to compare the juvenile freshwater habitat use, residence time in freshwater habitats, and size-at-age and relative growth of juveniles.

Methods: Using otoliths collected from adult carcasses, we reconstructed the freshwater life history of hatchery and natural-origin fish through microstructural and chemical analyses. We analyzed the otolith strontium isotope chemistry and daily increment widths to characterize habitat use, migration timing, and growth.

Results: Following their hatchery rearing period, hatchery fish had much shorter residence times (11 days, SD = 16 days) in the river than natural-origin fish (129 days, SD = 37 days). Beyond the reduced duration of river residence, hatchery fish occupied fewer areas of the watershed during ocean outmigration. Despite these differences in outmigration behaviors, adults from both groups reached saltwater during their downstream outmigration at similar sizes (natural-origin: 633 µm, SD = 68 µm; hatchery-origin: 625 µm, SD = 63 µm) and ages (natural-origin: 161 days old, SD = 20 days; hatchery-origin: 165 days old, SD = 22 days) as juvenile smolts.

Conclusions: Considering differences in habitat use and timing between hatchery and natural-origin fish is critical to avoiding bias when applying data collected from hatchery fish to manage and conserve natural populations. Explicitly considering the presence of winter-run Chinook Salmon in habitats beyond the migratory corridor during habitat management is needed to promote and enable the contribution of multiple life histories for productivity, and resilience, and ultimately recovery.