Pacific Salmon in Puget Sound: abundance, survival and body size (1970-2015)

Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) inhabiting Puget Sound marine waters have experienced both recent and long-term variability in abundance while supporting robust commercial, tribal, and sport fisheries. In recent years, numerous species-specific status reports have been completed, though formal comparisons among all five species of salmon and steelhead trout are not available. We compared spatial and temporal patterns of abundance, survival, productivity, and body size between hatchery-origin and naturally-produced adult salmon and steelhead trout returning to marine waters of Puget Sound, Washington, USA. Stock-specific total run size (of fish at the entrance to Puget Sound) was calculated for pink (O. gorbuscha), chum (O. keta), coho (O. kisutch), sockeye (O. nerka), and Chinook (O. tshawytscha) salmon for years 1970-2015 by combining estimates of escapement (spawners) with stock-specific estimates of harvest (catch) in Puget Sound marine and fresh waters. In general, trends in abundance varied by species and origin (hatchery vs naturally produced) with increased abundance, survival, and productivity associated with species exhibiting “fry” (vs. “smolt”) life history types. Overall, average weight of salmon and steelhead has decreased significantly since 1970 with the exception of coho salmon. Information presented here will allow fishery managers to evaluate recovery plans and harvest objectives as well as identify trends in abundance, survival, and productivity related to climate and life history expression

Structural and Magnetic Properties of [(CH₃)₃NH] CuCl₃2H₂O

The crystal structure at room temperature and the low-temperature heat capacity and magnetic susceptibilities of single crystals of [(CH3)3 NH]CuCl3 2H2O are reported. The monoclinic crystals belong to the space group P21c with a=7.479(10), b=7.864(11), c=16.730(23), =91.98(3)°, and Z=4. The structure consists of chains of edge-sharing [CuCl4(OH2)2] octahedra running along the a axis. Each copper atom is coordinated in a square plane by two water molecules and two chlorine atoms, with two more chlorine atoms at a longer distance. The susceptibility data can be fitted adequately between 1.5 and 20°K by a CurieWeiss law [ga=2.080.01, gb=2.020.01; gc=2.110.01; a=(0.380.03)°K, b=(0.360.03)°K, c=(0.410.03)°K], but the susceptibility parallel to the chain can be better fitted as an Ising linear chain. Measurements perpendicular to the chain are not as well fitted by the Ising model. The heat capacity, which consists primarily of a lattice contribution above 3°K, begins to rise as the temperature falls below 3°K, but long-range order does not set in above 1°K, the lowest temperature attained in this work. Both Ising and Heisenberg linear-chain models fit the low-temperature data with |Jk| \u3c1°K. The results are compared with those reported for the compounds CuCl2 2H2O and CuCl2 2NC5H5. © 1972 The American Physical Society

Comparison of triploid and diploid rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fine-scale movement, migration and catchability in lowland lakes of western Washington

Fisheries managers stock triploid (i.e., infertile, artifcially produced) rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in North American lakes to support sport fsheries while minimizing the risk of genetic introgression between hatchery and wild trout. In Washington State, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) allocates approximately US $3 million annually to stock hatchery-origin rainbow trout in>600 lakes, yet only about 10% of them are triploids. Many lakes in Washington State drain into waters that support wild anadromous steelhead O. mykiss that are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. As a result, there is a strong interest in understanding the costs and benefts associated with stocking sterile, triploid rainbow trout as an alternative to traditional diploids. The objectives of this study were to compare triploid and diploid rainbow trout in terms of: (1) contribution to the sport fshery catch, (2) fne-scale movements within the study lakes, (3) rate of emigration from the lake, and (4) natural mortality. Our results demonstrated that triploid and diploid trout had similar day-night distribution patterns, but triploid trout exhibited a lower emigration rate from the lake and lower catch rates in some lakes. Overall, triploid rainbow trout represent a viable alternative to stocking of diploids, especially in lakes draining to rivers, because they are sterile, have comparable home ranges, and less often migrat

Evaluation of Visible Implant Elastomer Tags in Wild Coastal Cutthroat Trout in the Marine Environment

We evaluated the detectability of visible implant elastomer (VIE) tags in Coastal Cutthroat TroutOncorynchus clarkii clarkiiin the marine environment by comparing visually identified recaptures from VIE tags with known recaptures that were identified through genotype matching. A total of 89 individual Coastal Cutthroat Trout were marked in the lower jaw with colored VIE tags, sampled for genetics, and recaptured across 12 months in 2015. The rate of correspondence between the VIE tags and genetic matches was 92% (82/89) of the recaptured Coastal Cutthroat Trout in the nearshore marine environment. We found that red- and blue-colored VIE tags were detected at a higher rate (100%) than were yellow- and orange-colored tags (87.3% and 90.6%, respectively). In contrast, tag type (single or double), tag location (left or right), fish length (FL, mm), and time (days) since tagging had no effect on tag detectability during the study period. All of the tag colors were recovered for the maximum life of the study (up to 342 days). In all of the cases of nondetections (5/89), the tags were not identified upon initial recapture or subsequent capture events, suggesting that they were lost or not visible immediately upon insertion in the field-as opposed to being unidentified due to the degradation of tag detectability over time. The results of this study suggest that VIE tags have the potential to be detectable in juvenile and adult Coastal Cutthroat Trout for at least 12 months after insertion, with blue and red performing the best. Additional monitoring extending beyond 12 months after tagging would be necessary to identify the maximum life of VIE tags

Multidecadal Trends in Body Size of Puget Sound Chinook Salmon: Analysis of Data from the Tengu Derby, a Culturally Unique Fishery

In Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., downward trends in size and abundance have been reported for species and stocks for over 40 years, but the patterns are inconsistent among regions and species. Interpretation of these trends is complicated by many possible contributing factors, including short time series, data comprising a mix of stocks, and varying gear types. Here, we present data on the mass of individual Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha caught in the winter from 1946 to 2019 in central Puget Sound, Washington, by participants in what may be the longest running Pacific salmon derby in North America, the Tengu Derby. In this annual recreational fishing competition, established by Japanese Americans immediately after release from internment camps at the end of World War II, participants follow strict gear, area, and methods regulations and catch almost exclusively salmonids originating from and remaining in Puget Sound. Records revealed an overall decline in fish mass over the decades, with a high degree of variability throughout the time series. Specifically, resident Chinook Salmon exhibited several shifts, including a decrease in size from a high in the 1950s to a low around 1980, followed by an increase to another high around 1990 and then a decline over the most recent 30 years. These size trends of residents differed from those of Puget Sound Chinook Salmon as a whole. We infer that the resident fish experienced ecological conditions affecting their growth that were distinct from those of fish feeding along the Pacific Ocean in the same periods. These distinct trends in size of Chinook Salmon from common origins indicate that the different migration patterns of fish within stocks must be considered in the analysis and interpretation of body size trends and also in patterns of survival

Genetic associations and phenotypic heterogeneity in the craniosynostotic rabbit.

Craniosynostosis (CS) is a disorder that involves the premature ossification of one or more cranial sutures. Our research team has described a naturally occurring rabbit model of CS with a variable phenotype and unknown etiology. Restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing is a genomic sampling method for identifying genetic variants in species with little or no existing sequence data. RAD sequencing data was analyzed using a mixed linear model to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with disease occurrence and onset in the rabbit model of CS. SNPs achieving a genome-wide significance of p ≤ 5 x 10-8 were identified on chromosome 2 in association with disease occurrence and on chromosomes 14 and 19 in association with disease onset. Genotyping identified a coding variant in fibroblast growth factor binding protein 1 (FGFBP-1) on chromosome 2 and a non-coding variant upstream of integrin alpha 3 (ITGA3) on chromosome 19 that associated with disease occurrence and onset, respectively. Retrospective analysis of patient data revealed a significant inverse correlation between FGFBP-1 and ITGA3 transcript levels in patients with coronal CS. FGFBP-1 and ITGA3 are genes with roles in early development that warrant functional study to further understand suture biology

Analysis of Al/Ti, Al/Ni multiple and triple layer contacts to p-type 4H-SiC

This paper presents an experimental investigation into different metallisation structures aimed at reducing the contact resistance and morphology of p-type contacts to 4H-SiC. The structures are based on a combination of Al/Ni and Al/Ti layers. The lowest specific contact resistivity obtained was based on a triple layer Al/Ti/Al contact, measured at 5.0 x 10(-6) Omega cm(2). Analogously, for the triple layer contacts comprised of Al/Ni/Al, the lowest specific contact resistivity was measured at 4.9 x 10(-4) Omega cm(2). In all cases it was found that the multiple layer structures remained rectifying even after annealing. A range of physical characterisation techniques were used to investigate these different structures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) scans point to enhanced formation of silicides for triple layer contacts based on Al/Ti (Ti3SiC2) and Al/Ni (NiSi,) when compared to multiple layer contacts. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and wavelength dispersive analysis (WDA) measurements indicate that a multiple layer metallisation improves the morphology of the contact with respect to the Al spreading, which is known to be problematic during a high temperature anneal. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Comparison of triploid and diploid rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fine-scale movement, migration and catchability in lowland lakes of western Washington

Abstract Fisheries managers stock triploid (i.e., infertile, artificially produced) rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in North American lakes to support sport fisheries while minimizing the risk of genetic introgression between hatchery and wild trout. In Washington State, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) allocates approximately US $3 million annually to stock hatchery-origin rainbow trout in > 600 lakes, yet only about 10% of them are triploids. Many lakes in Washington State drain into waters that support wild anadromous steelhead O. mykiss that are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. As a result, there is a strong interest in understanding the costs and benefits associated with stocking sterile, triploid rainbow trout as an alternative to traditional diploids. The objectives of this study were to compare triploid and diploid rainbow trout in terms of: (1) contribution to the sport fishery catch, (2) fine-scale movements within the study lakes, (3) rate of emigration from the lake, and (4) natural mortality. Our results demonstrated that triploid and diploid trout had similar day-night distribution patterns, but triploid trout exhibited a lower emigration rate from the lake and lower catch rates in some lakes. Overall, triploid rainbow trout represent a viable alternative to stocking of diploids, especially in lakes draining to rivers, because they are sterile, have comparable home ranges, and less often migrate