Occurrence of salmonid alphavirus and piscine orthoreovirus-1 infections in migrating salmon (Salmo salar L.) post-smolt in western Norway.

Viral diseases are a serious problem in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) farming in Norway, often leading to reduced fish welfare and increased mortality. Disease outbreaks in salmon farms may lead to spread of viruses to the surrounding environment. There is a public concern that viral diseases may negatively affect the wild salmon populations. Pancreas disease (PD) caused by salmonid alphavirus (SAV) and heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) caused by piscine orthoreovirus-1 (PRV-1) are common viral diseases in salmon farms in western Norway. In the current study, we investigated the occurrence of SAV and PRV-1 infections in 651 migrating salmon post-smolt collected from three fjord systems (Sognefjorden, Osterfjorden and Hardangerfjorden) located in western Norway in 2013 and 2014 by real-time RT-PCR. Of the collected post-smolts, 303 were of wild origin and 348 were hatchery-released. SAV was not detected in any of the tested post-smolt, but PRV-1 was detected in 4.6% of them. The Ct values of PRV-1 positive fish were usually high (mean 32.0; range: 20.1-36.8). PRV-1 prevalence in post-smolts from the three fjords was 6.1% in Sognefjorden followed by 4.8% in Osterfjorden and 2.3% in Hardangerfjorden. The prevalence PRV-1 was significantly higher in wild (6.9%) compared to hatchery-released post-smolt (2.6%). The occurrence of PRV-1 infection in the fish was lowest in the Hardangerfjorden which has the highest fish farming intensity. Our results suggest that SAV infection are uncommon in migrating smolt while PRV-1 infection can be detected at low level. These findings suggest that migrating smolts were at low risk from SAV or PRV-1 released from salmon farms located in their migration routes in 2013 and 2014.

Comparing the migration behavior and survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) smolts.

Many organisms rely on migrations between habitats to maximize lifetime fitness, but these migrations can be risky due to a suite of factors. In anadromous salmonids, the smolt migration from fresh water to sea is a critical life stage, during which smolts can experience high mortality from multiple sources. This study investigated the migratory behavior and survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta) smolts during their seaward migration using acoustic telemetry between March and May 2021. Due to the extinction of wild salmon in the River Gudenaa after the construction of the Tange hydropower plant, this study used hatchery-reared salmon originating from a nearby Danish river. A total of 75 hatchery-reared salmon smolts, 75 hatchery-reared trout smolts, and 75 wild trout smolts were tagged with acoustic transmitters and released into River Gudenaa, Denmark. The downstream movements of tagged fish were monitored using acoustic receivers deployed in the river and fjord. Hatchery-reared trout initiated migration first, followed by hatchery-reared salmon, with wild trout being the last to migrate. There was no difference in riverine progression rates among the three smolt groups, but noticeable differences emerged once in the fjord: trout (wild and hatchery) slowed down, whereas hatchery-reared salmon maintained their speed. Riverine migration was predominantly nocturnal for all smolts; however, daytime migration increased at the fjord arrays. Day-of-year significantly influenced diurnal patterns in the river and fjord, where daytime migration increased later in the year. Hatchery-reared salmon and wild trout had reasonably good overall survival from river to sea entry (≥66%), whereas hatchery-reared trout had poor survival (c.26%). The fjord was the major bottleneck for survival of hatchery-reared trout. We found no strong evidence for differences in progression rate or diurnal patterns between wild and hatchery-reared trout to explain the lower survival. This study demonstrates that salmon and trout differ in their life-history strategy already in the post-smolt phase, and that stocking is a sub-optimal strategy to aid wild populations.

The use of predator tags to explain reversal movement patterns in Atlantic salmon smolts (Salmo salar L.).

Acoustic telemetry has seen a rapid increase in utility and sophistication in recent years and is now used extensively to assess the behavior and survival rates of many aquatic animals, including the Atlantic salmon. As part of the salmon's complex life cycle, salmon smolts are thought to make a unidirectional migration from fresh water to the sea, which is initiated by changes in their physiology. However, some tag movement patterns do not conform with this and can be difficult to explain, particularly if the tagged fish has been eaten by a predator. This study combines the use of predator tags with machine learning techniques to understand the fate of migrating salmon smolts and thereby improve estimates for migration success. Over 3 years between 2020 and 2022, 217 salmon smolts (including wild and hatchery-reared ranched fish) were acoustically tagged and released into an embayment on the west coast of Ireland. Some tagged smolts were observed to return from the estuary back into a saline lagoon through which they had already migrated. To distinguish between the movement of a salmon smolt and that of a predator, predator tags were deployed in migrating smolts in 2021 and 2022. The addition of a temperature sensor in 2022 enabled the determination of predator type causing the returning movement. A significant number of predator tags were triggered, and the patterns of movement associated with these triggered tags were then used with two types of machine learning algorithms (hierarchical cluster analysis and random forest) to identify and validate the behavior of smolts tagged without extra sensors. Both models produced the same outputs, grouping smolts tagged with predator tags with smolts tagged without the additional sensors but showing similar movements. A mammalian predator was identified as the cause of most reversal movement, and hatchery-reared ranched smolts were found to be more likely predated upon by this predator than wild smolts within the lake and the estuary. However, overall migration success estimates were similar for both wild and hatchery-reared ranched fish. This study highlights the value of predator tags as an essential tool in the overall validation of detection data.

Evidence of successful recruitment of non-native pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha in Iceland.

In mid-May 2022, pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha smolts were caught in the rivers Botnsá, Grímsá, and Langá in Iceland. This observation provides the first evidence of successful spawning and the completion of the freshwater phase of the life cycle in Icelandic rivers. It is the most western record of O. gorbuscha smolts in Europe, further west than Russia, Norway, and the UK. Smolts originating from Iceland potentially support the recruitment of this species in the North Atlantic and may lead to the establishment of a self-sustaining population in Iceland.

Estimating multiple years, tributary-specific, and overall Atlantic salmon smolt abundance in a large Canadian catchment using capture-mark-recapture experiments.

Population monitoring of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) abundance is an essential element to understand annual stock variability and inform fisheries management processes. Smolts are the life stage marking the transition from the freshwater to the marine phase of anadromous Atlantic salmon. Estimating smolt abundance allows for subsequent inferences on freshwater and marine survival rates. Annual abundances of out-migrating Atlantic salmon smolts were estimated using Bayesian models and an 18-year capture-mark-recapture time series from two to five trapping locations within the Restigouche River (Canada) catchment. Some of the trapping locations were at the outlet of large upstream tributaries, and these sampled a portion of the total out-migrating population of smolts for the watershed, whereas others were located just above the head of tide of the Restigouche River and sampled the entire run of salmon smolts. Due to logistic and environmental conditions, not all trapping locations were operational each year. Additionally, recapture rates were relatively low (<5%), and the absolute number of recaptures was relatively few (most often a few dozen), leading to incoherent and highly uncertain estimates of tributary-specific and whole catchment abundance estimates when the data were modeled independently among trapping locations and years. Several models of increasing complexity were tested using simulated data, and the best-performing model in terms of bias and precision incorporated a hierarchical structure among years on the catchability parameters and included an explicit spatial structure to account for the annual variations in the number of sampled locations within the watershed. When the best model was applied to the Restigouche River catchment dataset, the annual smolt abundance estimates varied from 250,000 to 1 million smolts, and the subbasin estimates of abundance were consistent with the spatial structure of the monitoring programme. Ultimately, increasing the probabilities of capture and the absolute number of recaptures at the different traps will be required to improve the precision and reduce the bias of the estimates of smolt abundance for the entire basin and within subbasins of the watershed. The model and approach provide a significant improvement in the models used to date based on independent estimates of abundance by trapping location and year. Total abundance and relative production in discrete spawning, nesting, or rearing areas provide critical information to appropriately understand and manage the threats to species that can occur at subpopulation spatial scales.

A multi-population approach supports common patterns in marine growth and maturation decision in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) from southern Europe.

This study provides a regional picture of long-term changes in Atlantic salmon growth at the southern edge of their distribution, using a multi-population approach spanning 49 years and five populations. We provide empirical evidence of salmon life history being influenced by a combination of common signals in the marine environment and population-specific signals. We identified an abrupt decline in growth from 1976 and a more recent decline after 2005. As these declines have also been recorded in northern European populations, our study significantly expands a pattern of declining marine growth to include southern European populations, thereby revealing a large-scale synchrony in marine growth patterns for almost five decades. Growth increments during their sea sojourn were characterized by distinct temporal dynamics. At a coarse temporal resolution, growth during the first winter at sea seemed to gradually improve over the study period. However, the analysis of finer seasonal growth patterns revealed ecological bottlenecks of salmon life histories at sea in time and space. Our study reinforces existing evidence of an impact of early marine growth on maturation decision, with small-sized individuals at the end of the first summer at sea being more likely to delay maturation. However, each population was characterized by a specific probabilistic maturation reaction norm, and a local component of growth at sea in which some populations have better growth in some years might further amplify differences in maturation rate. Differences between populations were smaller than those between sexes, suggesting that the sex-specific growth threshold for maturation is a well-conserved evolutionary phenomenon in salmon. Finally, our results illustrate that although most of the gain in length occurs during the first summer at sea, the temporal variability in body length at return is buffered against the decrease in post-smolt growth conditions. The intricate combination of growth over successive seasons, and its interplay with the maturation decision, could be regulating body length by maintaining diversity in early growth trajectories, life histories, and the composition of salmon populations.

Salmon-lice as a potential threat to anadromous Arctic charr populations.

Salmon-lice have the potential to change the behaviour and growth of their salmonid host species. Here, the baseline infection levels of salmon-lice of post-smolts (n = 815) and veteran migrants (n = 875) of sea-run Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus Linnaeus, 1758) were monitored over two successive years in a sub-Arctic Norwegian fjord without farming of salmonids. All Arctic charr were collected after the sea-migration period from a trap placed in the river, ascending to their overwintering freshwater habitat (Lake Laksvatn). The sea-lice infection showed a stable infection across the 2 years while increasing through the migration period and with the size of the wild sea-run Arctic charr. The prevalence of sea-lice infection was intermediate to high, and the intensities of sea-lice infections observed were generally modest, although some individuals had high infections. The relatively high infection of salmon-lice highlights the potential detrimental effects these parasites can have at both the individual and population level of such endangered sub-Arctic life-history strategies. A comparative study should be performed in fjords with aquaculture activity as focal points for salmon-lice, to investigate the impact farming have on sea-run Arctic charr populations.

Evaluation of binding capacity of circulating insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1b in salmonids using a ligand immunofunctional assay.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) regulate the activity of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1. Among the three major circulating IGFBPs in salmonids, IGFBP-1b is an inhibitor of IGF activity induced under catabolic conditions. IGFBP-1b is considered to quickly sequester IGF-1 from the circulation. However, the level of circulating IGFBP-1b present in its unoccupied free form is unknown. Here, we aimed to develop a non-equilibrium ligand immunofunctional assay (LIFA) to evaluate IGF-binding capacity of circulating intact IGFBP-1b. Purified Chinook salmon IGFBP-1b, its antiserum, and europium-labeled salmon IGF-1 were used as the assay components. In the LIFA, IGFBP-1b was first captured by the antiserum, allowed to bind to the labeled IGF-1 for 22 h at 4 °C, and quantified its IGF-binding capacity. Serial dilutions of the standard and serum were prepared simultaneously within a certain concentration range (1.1-12.5 ng/ml). In underyearling masu salmon, IGF-binding capacity of intact IGFBP-1b was higher in fasted fish than in fed fish. Transferring Chinook salmon parr to seawater also increased IGF-binding capacity of IGFBP-1b, most likely due to osmotic stress. In addition, there was a strong relationship between total IGFBP-1b levels and its IGF-binding capacity. These results suggest that IGFBP-1b expressed under stress is mostly present in the free form. On the contrary, during smoltification of masu salmon, IGF-binding capacity of IGFBP-1b in the serum was relatively low and less related to the total IGFBP-1b level, suggesting its functional difference under certain physiological conditions. These results indicate that estimating both total IGFBP-1b level and its IGF-binding capacity is useful for evaluating the catabolic status and unraveling the regulation of IGF-1 activity by IGFBP-1b.

Evidence of potential establishment of pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha in Scotland.

In spring 2022, pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha smolts were recorded in the UK. Fish were caught in the Rivers Thurso and Oykel in Scotland between 13 and 17 March. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first observation of O. gorbuscha smolts in Europe outside the Scandinavian and Kola peninsulas, including other tributaries of the White and Barents Seas. It also provides evidence of successful spawning in 2021 and completion of the freshwater phase of the life cycle, and indicates the possibility for potential establishment of an O. gorbuscha population in Great Britain.

Network analysis reveals that acute stress exacerbates gene regulatory responses of the gill to seawater in Atlantic salmon.

The transition from freshwater to seawater represents a physiological challenge for Atlantic salmon smolts preparing for downstream migration. Stressors occurring during downstream migration to the ocean impair the ability of smolts to maintain osmotic/ionic homeostasis in seawater. The molecular mechanisms underlying this interaction are not fully understood, especially at the organ level. We combined RNA-Seq with measures of whole-animal homeostasis to examine gene expression dynamics in the gills of smolts associated with impaired seawater tolerance after an aquaculture-related stressor. Smolts were given a 24 h seawater tolerance test before and after exposure to an acute handling/confinement stress. RNA-Seq followed by differential expression and weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was used to quantify the transcriptional response of the gill to handling/confinement stress, seawater and their interaction. Exposure to acute stress was associated with a general stress response and impaired osmotic/ionic homeostasis in seawater. We identified gene networks in the gill exhibiting response to acute stress alone, seawater alone, and others exhibiting combined effects of both stress and seawater. Our findings indicate that acute handling/confinement stress increases the intensity of seawater-related gene expression and suggest that increased investment in mechanisms related to ion transport may be part of a compensatory response to impaired seawater tolerance in smolts.

A comparison of the behaviour and survival of angling vs. trap-sampled Salmo salar smolts.

An experiment was undertaken, using acoustic telemetry, to compare the survival and migratory timing of Salmo salar L. smolts sampled, under optimal conditions, in a traditional fixed Wolf trap against a sample of rod-caught fish captured using a sensitive angling technique. No significant difference was evident in survival with 83% of both samples detected in the river outflow, 67% of the trap and 76% of the rod samples were detected in coastal waters and finally 43% of the trap and 35% of the rod samples were detected on an offshore array c. 50 km from the river outlet. No significant difference was evident in the time taken for trap- and rod-sampled fish to reach either the river outflow, coastal or offshore waters. Angling, if undertaken sensitively, can provide an effective, resource-efficient and ethically justifiable sampling tool for juvenile salmonid age classes.

Variation in the post-smolt growth pattern of wild one sea-winter salmon (Salmo salar L.), and its linkage to surface warming in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean.

Variation in circulus spacing on the scales of wild Atlantic salmon is indicative of changes in body length growth rate. We analyzed scale circulus spacing during the post-smolt growth period for adult one sea-winter salmon (n = 1947) returning to Scotland over the period 1993-2011. The growth pattern of the scales was subjectively and visually categorized according to the occurrence and zonal sequence of three intercirculus spacing criteria ("Slow", "Fast" and "Check" zones). We applied hierarchical time-series cluster analysis to the empirical circulus spacing data, followed by post hoc analysis of significant changes in growth patterns within the 20 identified clusters. Temporal changes in growth pattern frequencies showed significant correlation with sea surface temperature anomalies during the early months of the post-smolt growth season and throughout the Norwegian Sea. Since the turn of the millennium, we observed (a) a marked decrease in the occurrence of continuous Fast growth; (b) increased frequencies of fish showing an extended period of initially Slow growth; and (c) the occurrence of obvious growth Checks or hiatuses. These changes in post-smolt growth pattern were manifest also in decreases in the mean body length attained by the ocean midwinter, as sea surface temperatures have risen.

Anadromous red-spotted masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae), a southernmost sea-migration form of salmonid, displays low variation in both age at seaward migration and sea age.

We examined variations in age at seaward migration and sea age for the anadromous form of red-spotted masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae) in two Japanese rivers. The anadromous form of red-spotted masu salmon expressed only two sea migration patterns in the two rivers: (a) the majority of the salmon (95%, n = 81) were of age-0, and age-1 migrants were rare (n = 4); and (b) all the salmon examined (n = 22) made a return migration within a year, with 23% of the salmon exhibiting potamodromy in the river. Owing to low variation in their sea migratory patterns, the anadromous form of red-spotted masu salmon is likely vulnerable to environmental fluctuations.

Keeping close to the river, shore and surface: the first marine migration of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) post-smolts.

Acoustic telemetry was utilized to track 49 brown trout (Salmo trutta) and 37 Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) first-time migrants of wild origin [post-smolts; mean LF (fork length): 169 and 172 mm] in a large fjord in northern Norway. The S. trutta were registered at sea for more than twice the time of the S. alpinus (medians of 54 and 22 days, respectively). Both species were mostly detected near river mouths (>80% of detections) and almost exclusively spent their time (>95%) within the interior 18 km of the fjord. They were surface oriented, with most detections at <1 m depth and S. trutta deeper on average (median mean depths of 0.7 and 0.5 m, respectively). This study concludes that post-smolts of both species stay closer to the surface and to river mouths than larger veteran migrants. This study emphasizes the importance of river mouths and upper water layers for the survival of both species during their first marine migration.

Body condition of returning Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. correlates with scale δ13 C and δ15 N content deposited at the last marine foraging location.

Patterns of feeding and growth of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. in the marine environment are critical to understanding how observed declines in recruitment may reflect warming or other oceanic drivers. The isotopic composition of scales can provide insight into differences in marine feeding location and possibly temperature regime. The authors used archived scale samples to measure δ13 C and δ15 N deposited in the scales of one sea-winter (1SW) salmon during their last season of growth at sea before they returned to five Irish rivers. δ13 C values were related statistically to observed salmon body condition (Fulton's K), and fish with higher δ13 C values tended to show significantly better condition. In contrast, δ15 N values were negatively related to body condition. There was no important effect on condition of length at smolt migration, and the effect of duration of marine residence varied among rivers. It is likely that δ13 C values partly reflected ambient ocean temperature and recent marine feeding environment before return migration, such that the observed relationship between higher δ13 C values and increased body condition may express an advantage for adult fish feeding in warmer, potentially closer, waters. If greater body condition influences fitness, then a changing temperature regime in the Northeast Atlantic may drive shifts in salmon survival and reproduction. This study provides evidence that there is spatial and trophic variation at sea between salmon from rivers of origin that are located relatively close to each other, with potential consequences for body condition and, consequently, fitness and life history; this suggests that salmon populations from geographically proximate rivers within regions may exhibit differential responses to ocean-scale climatic changes across the Northeast Atlantic.

Short-term homeostatic regulation of blood/interstitial fluid Ca2+ concentration by the scales of anadromous sea trout Salmo trutta L. during smoltification and migration.

The elasmoid scales of anadromous sea trout Salmo trutta L. represent a significant internal reservoir of Ca2+ . Although more is known about long-term remodelling of scales in response to calciotropic challenges encountered during smoltification and migration, very little is known about the contribution made by scales to the short-term, minute-to-minute regulation of Ca2+ homeostasis in the extracellular fluid (ECF) during these phases of the life cycle. This gap in the knowledge is partly due to the technical challenges involved in measuring small Ca2+ fluxes around the scales of live fish in real time. Here, this study describes exfoliating, mounting and culturing scales and their resident cells from parr, smolt and adult sea trout from a freshwater environment, as well as from adult sea trout caught in sea or brackish water. All the scales were then examined using an extracellular, non-invasive, surface-scanning Ca2+ -sensitive microelectrode. The authors quantified the Ca2+ fluxes, in the absence of any systemic or local regulators, into and out of scales on both the episquamal and hyposquamal sides under different extracellular calcemic challenges set to mimic a variety of ECF-Ca2+ concentrations. Scales from the life-cycle stages as well as from adult fish taken from sea, brackish or fresh water all showed a consistent efflux or influx of Ca2+ under hypo- or hypercalcemic conditions, respectively. What were considered to be isocalcemic conditions resulted in minimal flux of Ca2+ in either direction, or in the case of adult scales, a consistent but small influx. Indeed, adult scales appeared to display the largest flux densities in either direction. These new data extend the current understanding of the role played by fish scales in the short-term, minute-to-minute homeostatic regulation of ECF-Ca2+ concentration, and are similar to those recently reported from zebrafish Danio rerio scales. This suggests that this short-term regulatory response might be a common feature of teleost scales.

Changing estuaries and impacts on juvenile salmon: A systematic review.

Estuaries are productive ecosystems providing important habitat for a diversity of species, yet they also experience intense levels of anthropogenic development. To inform decision-making, it is essential to understand the pathways of impacts of particular human activities, especially those that affect species such as salmon, which have high ecological, social-cultural and economic values. Salmon systems provide an opportunity to build from the substantial body of research on responses to estuary developments and take stock of what is known. We conducted a systematic English-language literature review on the responses of juvenile salmon to anthropogenic activities in estuaries and nearshore areas asking: what has been studied, where are the major knowledge gaps and how do stressors affect salmon? We found a substantial body of research (n = 167 studies; 1,369 comparative tests) to help understand responses of juvenile salmon to 24 activities and their 14 stressors. Across studies, 82% of the research was conducted in the eastern Pacific (Oregon and Washington, USA and British Columbia, Canada) showing a limited geographical scope. Using a semiquantitative approach to summarize the literature, including a weight-of-evidence metric, we found a range of results from low to moderate-high confidence in the consequences of the stressors. For example, we found moderate-high confidence in the negative impacts of pollutants and sea lice and moderate confidence in negative impacts from connectivity loss and changes in flow. Our results suggest that overall, multiple anthropogenic activities cause negative impacts across ecological scales. However, our results also reveal knowledge gaps resulting from minimal research on particular species (e.g. sockeye salmon), regions (e.g. Atlantic) or stressors (e.g. entrainment) that would be expedient areas for future research. With estuaries acting as a nexus of biological and societal importance and hotspots of ongoing development, the insights gained here can contribute to informed decision-making.

River lamprey present an unusual predation threat to Atlantic salmon smolts in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland.

A new monitoring programme on the Lough Neagh catchment has documented a high incidence of river lamprey, Lampetra fluviatilis L., predation on Atlantic salmon smolts, Salmo salar L. In total 470 smolts were examined during the 2020 emigration period with 168 fish (36%) exhibiting lamprey scars of which 57 were lightly scarred and 111 were classed as heavily scarred. Lamprey predation was not size selective on Lough Neagh S. salar smolts.

Salmonid gene expression biomarkers indicative of physiological responses to changes in salinity and temperature, but not dissolved oxygen.

An organism's ability to respond effectively to environmental change is critical to its survival. Yet, life stage and overall condition can dictate tolerance thresholds to heightened environmental stressors, such that stress may not be equally felt across individuals and at all times. Also, the transcriptional responses induced by environmental changes can reflect both generalized responses as well as others that are highly specific to the type of change being experienced. Thus, if transcriptional biomarkers specific to a stressor, even under multi-stressor conditions, can be identified, the biomarkers could then be applied in natural environments to determine when and where an individual experiences such a stressor. Here, we experimentally challenged juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to validate candidate gill gene expression biomarkers. A sophisticated experimental design manipulated salinity (freshwater, brackish water and seawater), temperature (10, 14 and 18°C) and dissolved oxygen (normoxia and hypoxia) in all 18 possible combinations for 6 days using separate trials for three smolt statuses (pre-smolt, smolt and de-smolt). In addition, changes in juvenile behaviour, plasma variables, gill Na+/K+-ATPase activity, body size, body morphology and skin pigmentation supplemented the gene expression responses. We identified biomarkers specific to salinity and temperature that transcended the multiple stressors, smolt status and mortality (live, dead and moribund). Similar biomarkers for dissolved oxygen were not identified. This work demonstrates the unique power of gene expression biomarkers to identify a specific stressor even under multi-stressor conditions, and we discuss our next steps for hypoxia biomarkers using an RNA-seq study.

The phenology of migration in an unpredictable world.

In Focus: Freshwater, C., Trudel, M., Beacham, T. D., Gauthier, S., Johnson, S. C., Neville, C. & Juanes, F. (2016) Individual variation, population-specific migration behaviours and stochastic processes shape marine migration phenologies. Journal of Animal Ecology, 88, 67-78. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12852 Pacific salmon undertake arduous and risky migrations from their freshwater nursery grounds to the coastal ocean, northwards to their feeding grounds, and then back to their freshwater natal habitats to spawn. Understanding the phenology of such migrations has largely been viewed through the lens of microevolution producing optimal strategies that reflect local selection pressures; less emphasis has been placed on quantifying how variation in migration patterns can spread the risks associated with life in variable and unpredictable ecosystems. In this issue, Freshwater et al. use the information contained in ear stones (otoliths) and DNA of migrating juvenile sockeye salmon from the Fraser River of western Canada to quantify variation in the timing of their marine migrations. Not only were there population-specific differences in migration phenology of fish from the same river, but there was substantial variation among individuals from specific populations. These patterns also varied from year to year. Data like these emphasize the risks involved in such migrations and suggest that variation in key migration traits are maintained because of the inherent unpredictability of ecosystems. Management and conservation efforts would be well-served to consider actions that maintain such ecological variation to facilitate meta-population persistence in a rapidly changing world.