New research uncovers the survival strategy juvenile Chinook salmon adopt to migrate to the ocean, providing insight on how to conserve the threatened fish.
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For young salmon, the journey along the San Joaquin River in Central California is no small feat. Every spring and fall, thousands of these fish — each as long as a pinky finger — embark on a 350-mile race, swimming day and night and dodging predators along the way to reach the Pacific Ocean.
But less than 5% survive the journey, and in some years, hardly any make it. Elevated water temperatures, dams and poor water quality all endanger the animal, but human-introduced predators, including striped and largemouth bass, kill most of them.
