Pacific Salmon

2. Alaska’s Salmon Species

3. Pink (Humpies)
 3-5 lbs, 20-25”
 Eggs hatch early to mid winter
 2 year life cycle
 migrate to ocean immediately…late winter-spring.
 Move to Gulf of AK or the Aleutians to feed
 Females lay 1500-2000 eggs

4. Chum (Dog, Keta)
 Widest distribution
 7-18 lbs, 24-32” long
 As young fry - migrate to ocean in Spring
 3-6 year life cycle
 Females lay 2400-3000 eggs

5. Sockeye (Red)
 Up to 3 ft, 15 lbs…avg is 25 inches & 6 lbs
 Spend 1-3 yrs in freshwater followed by…
 1-4 yrs in ocean
 Turn bright red on back and sides when spawn
 2000-4500 eggs

6. Coho (Silver)
 8-12 lbs, ~ 2ft
 Spend 1-2 yrs in
freshwater
 ~ 1 ½ yrs in ocean
 2400-4500 eggs

7. Chinook (King)
 Alaska’s State Fish
 20-40 lbs, 2-4 feet
 1yr in freshwater
 2-7 yrs in ocean
 3-4,000 eggs

8. Pacific
Salmon
Life Cycle

9. Salmon Life Cycle:
Adults swim upstream to spawn

12. Salmon Life
Cycle:
Female lays eggs
in “redds” when
ready and male
fertilizes

13. Salmon Life Cycle:
Adults die after spawning

14. Salmon Life Cycle: “Alevins” emerge
from eggs with yolk sac attached

16. Salmon Life Cycle:
Emerge into free-flowing water as “fry”
Seek out different rearing habitats

17. Salmon Life Cycle:
“Smolts” swim to ocean to feed and grow

18. Salmon Life Cycle: After time in ocean,
will return to stream where born to spawn

19. How Do They
Find Their Way?
SMELL
Can detect 1 part
per trillion…that’s
1 drop per
500,000 barrels of
water!

20. Salmon Life Cycle: Once enter stream
undergo changes
 Fat composition
 Blood Chemistry
 Hormones
 Enzymes
 Skin Pigmentation

21. Each dying
salmon
Is a gift of life
to the
ecosytem

22. Salmon Need the Four C’s:
 CLEAR water
 CLEAN water
 COOL water
 CONSISTENT water

23. Salmon are a Keystone Species
 Provide food for
bears, eagles,
other fish
 Nutrients recycled
into stream and
forest
 > 130 different
plants & animals
utilize nutrients
from salmon!

24. Salmon Depend on the Forest

25. Eat Wild Alaskan Salmon

28. Alaska’s Salmon Species

29. Packing chinook salmon in Juneau, 1800’s

32. Eat Wild Alaskan Salmon
 Farmed salmon not
as healthy

36. Salmon “Smolt”