Unexpected effects and unintended consequences:altering emergence timing induces

variability in Chinook salmon life history

Brian Beckman, Don Larsen, Deb Harstad, Kathy Cooper, Dina Spangenberg and Paul Parkins

NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA

Northwest Fish Culture ConferenceNovember 2008

Columbia Riverspring Chinook salmonlife history is variable

““Spawning Spawning -- FallFall””

ocean rearingocean rearing

emergenceemergence

spring smoltingspring smolting(age 1+)(age 1+)

AgeAge--4 4

AgeAge--55

AgeAge--3 jack3 jack

fry

parr

maturationmaturation

Precocious parrage 1

miniJackage 2

fall smoltingfall smolting(age 1)(age 1)

10 years of sampling, >12,000 fish = 2 precocious parr (<0.02%)

Two important points:1). this appears to be quite low

data from other hatchery and wild populations2). most of the fish were sampled for Ray Brunson

Charlie Strom manager

Why so few precocious parr?

One of the reasons CESRF is special: (there are many)

Seasonal timing for ponding fry

Many hatcheries alter emergence (ponding) I). synchronize ponding

Compress(chill early egg take, warm later egg take)

3 months

3 weeks

Many hatcheries alter emergence (ponding) II). Pond “early” - longer growth period, clear egg stacks

Compress and shift early

(incubate at warm temp)

3 weeks

3 months

Many hatcheries alter emergence (ponding) III). Pond “late” - avoid silting of ponds, smaller size

Compress and shift late(incubate at cold temp)

CESRF

3 months

3 weeks

Does late ponding affect rate of age-1 male maturation?

What is “Natural Emergence Timing”?

BY 05 SPAWNING CHANNE

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Data kindly provided by Steve Schroder,Todd Pearsons, Anthony Fritts, Jen Scott, Jordan Vandal, Gene Sanborn (WDFW) and Curt Knudsen (Oncorh Consulting).

Adults spawn within a few daysBut, progeny emerge/migrate over several months

7 weeks

Greater variation in juvenile emergence timing (weeks)than adult spawning (days)

“Natural” emergence timing greatly extendedas compared to many hatcheries

Experimental Question:

What is the effect of emergence timing on life-history variation?

Pond fry at 3 different photoperiods

1 December (early)15 February (middle)1 May (late)

Experimental approach:

Important!!

Purpose of experiment is to investigatelife history variation;

not, to develop protocols for CESRF(or any other hatchery).

My job is not to tell people what to do, my job is to helppeople understand their fish.

Growth rate is also important (Don Larsen ad nausea):

Larsen, D.A., Beckman, B.R., Strom, C., Parkins, P., Cooper, K.A., Fast, D., and Dickhoff, W.W. 2006. Growth modulation alters the incidence of early male maturation and physiological development of hatchery reared spring Chinook salmon: a comparison with wild fish. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 135:1017-1032.

Larsen, D.A., Beckman, B.R., Cooper, K.A., Barrett, D., Johnston, M., Swanson, P., and W.W. Dickhoff. 2004. Assessment of high rates of precocious male maturation in a spring chinook salmon supplementation hatchery program. Trans Am. Fish Soc. 133:98-120.

feed fry at 3 different rates

LowHighSatiation

Experimental approach II:

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Dec Feb Apr Jun Aug Oct Dec

Emergence time, growth and size were varied experimentally

Length (mm)

Fish grown in experimental tanks NOAA Montlake

Monitor Autumnal Smolting:24 hour seawater challenge

parr

freshwater sea water

smolts0% survival

100% survival

Monitor Age-1 (precocious parr) Maturation:milt expression or simple dissection

30

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170

Dec Feb Apr Jun Aug Oct Dec

Emergence and growth of fish did vary

Target sizefor tagging @

CESRF

Thanks to Charlie Strom and CESRF staff for eggs

Average sizewild fish fall 93, 94

(Canyon - Union gap - Zillah)Beckman et al. 2000

Length (mm)

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% survival24 hrs, 37.5 ppt

seawater(Sept - Nov)

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Feeding Rate

Early emerging fish smolt in the autumnlater emerging fish do not

EarlyEmerge

MiddleEmerge

LateEmerge

SW challenge

Late emerge fish do smolt the following spring

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Gill

ATP

ase

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Length (mm)

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MiddleEmerge

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% maturingMales

(% of total males)

Early emerging fish have a high propensityfor early male maturation (age 1)

(precocious parr)

Feeding Rate

0%

We split egg lots betweentreatments

⇒ Absolutely no geneticdifference between groups

SpawningSpawning

fry

emergenceemergence

earlyearly

latelate

Conclusion: Emergence timing mayprovide another axis for

life history variability

““Spawning - FallSpawning - Fall””

ocean rearingocean rearing

spring smoltingspring smolting(age 1+)(age 1+)

Age-4 Age-4

Age-5Age-5

Age-3 jackAge-3 jack

fry

parr

maturationmaturation

Precocious parrage 1

miniJackage 2

fall smoltingfall smolting(age 1)(age 1)

earlyearly

emergenceemergence

Early emergence accelerates life history

““Spawning - FallSpawning - Fall””

ocean rearingocean rearing

spring smoltingspring smolting(age 1+)(age 1+)

Age-4 Age-4

Age-5Age-5

Age-3 jackAge-3 jack

fry

parr

maturationmaturation

Precocious parrage 1

miniJackage 2

fall smoltingfall smolting(age 1)(age 1)

earlyearly

emergenceemergence latelate

Late emergence delays life history

““Spawning - FallSpawning - Fall””

ocean rearingocean rearing

spring smoltingspring smolting(age 1+)(age 1+)

Age-4 Age-4

Age-5Age-5

Age-3 jackAge-3 jack

fry

parr

maturationmaturation

Precocious parrage 1

miniJackage 2

fall smoltingfall smolting(age 1)(age 1)

earlyearly

emergenceemergence latelate

10 years of sampling, >12,000 fish = 2 precocious parr (<0.02%)

Late emergence delays life history

ImplicationsWhat happens in the hatchery does not stay in the hatchery, long-term life history implications for altering emergence (ponding) time exist.

No easy answers for “best” rearing program - a series of trade-offs between male maturation, size (taggingtargets), smolting and SAR.

Current rearing program (late ponding) mimics conditions found in head water streams (high elevation, cold - late emergence) and is favorable for yearling releases.