Applicants will use radiotelemetry techniques and mark-recapture methodology to estimate total abundance, stock composition, run timing, migration characteristics, and spawning distribution of chum salmon in the Unalakleet River drainage. The North River tower (a tributary river) is currently used to enumerate salmon escapements in that drainage. From other studies, it has been found to be a good index of abundance of chinook salmon in the Unalakleet River. This study will assess whether chum salmon counts at North River tower can be used to estimate the Unalakleet River drainage population, and if the majority of chum salmon migrate and spawn past a proposed weir location upriver in the Unalakleet River.
a) Estimate the proportion of the chum salmon fitted with radio tags in the lower Unalakleet River that migrate upriver and past the North River counting tower.
B) Estimate drainage-wide escapement of chum salmon in the Unalakleet River, such that, with 90% confidence, the estimate is within ±25% of the true value.
C) Estimate run timing and rates of Unalakleet River chum salmon and compare to North River chum salmon timing and rates.
D) Estimate the age, sex, and length (ASL) composition of chum salmon entering the Unalakleet River drainage such that all estimated proportions are within 5 percentage points of the actual proportions 95% of the time, and compare to tagged fish that migrate into the North River.
E) Determine tributary distribution and major spawning locations, represented by chum salmon fitted with radio tags and tracked to their final spawning location within the Unalakleet River drainage, and using those tagged fish estimate peak spawning timing.
F) Estimate short term tagging mortality and tag retention.
Jeff Estensen
jeff_estensen@fishgame.state.ak.us
Division of Commercial Fisheries
907-443-3768
Division of Commercial Fisheries
Pouch 1148
Nome
AK
99762-1148
A Final Report is available for this project: Click to view
A Project Authorization Statement is available for this project: Click to view
The following Semi Annual Progress Reports are available
July 2004
January 2005
July 2005
First Year Funding: $158,164.00
Second Year Funding:
Third Year Funding:
Fourth Year Funding:
Fields of Expertise |
| Biological Science |
| Physical Science |
| Socio/Economic |
Professional Activity |
| Field research and Data Collection - 37 Other Projects |
Ecosystems |
| Freshwater – Rivers/Streams - 45 Other Projects |
Ecosystem Components |
| Fish - 51 Other Projects |
| Species Groups |
| Anadromous salmonids - 51 Other Projects |
| Chum - 24 Other Projects |
| Specific research issues |
| Distribution and abundance - 21 Other Projects |
Geographic Regions |
| Norton Sound - 18 Other Projects |
Technological Expertise/Lab Methods |
| Lab Methods |
| Technology |
Modeling |
| Method |
| Type |
Physical Science Specialties Areas |
Management/Policy/Social |