From the Columbia River Estuary to the farthest reaches of the stormy Gulf of Alaska in the middle of winter, Dr. Laurie Weitkamp has gone far and wide to study and better understand the salmon and steelhead that are the lifeblood of Northwest rivers and cultures.
Last month the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society presented Weitkamp with its Lifetime Achievement Award. It recognized the Northwest Fisheries Science Center scientist’s pioneering research to understand salmon survival and recovery in the Northwest and beyond. Her research helped greatly expand our understanding of Pacific salmon as they move through estuaries to the ocean and back again.
Today she regularly advises the Pacific Salmon Commission on ocean conditions affecting salmon, using ocean indicators such as abundance of prey to assess future salmon returns. Weitkamp and other scientists at the NOAA Fisheries Research Station in Newport, Oregon, track the indicators online. They help inform salmon managers and the fishing fleet about the outlook for salmon.
“Laurie’s work has helped us track and unravel the impacts of rapidly changing ocean conditions on our salmon populations,” said Cisco Werner, NOAA Fisheries’ chief science advisor and acting science center director. “Thanks to Laurie’s efforts and insights, we have a much greater understanding of the outlook for salmon survival in their most critical months in the ocean.”
Leading Winter Salmon Expedition
Weitkamp was chief scientist for a first-ever joint ocean survey in the depths of winter in the Gulf of Alaska. The area is a marine crossroads of many salmon and steelhead stocks from rivers across Alaska and the West Coast. The scientists from Canada, Russia, Japan, and the United States wanted to know more about how fish move through the ocean and what affects their survival. She said the international cooperation that made the expedition possible was unprecedented in salmon science but made sense since the salmon mix in the ocean.
“Our salmon are mixed together, so trying to understand what they’re doing out there is a common need,” Weitkamp said. She said one of the main findings of the voyage was that salmon stocks mix widely in the ocean and appear to respond to different factors. For example, some chum salmon appeared surprisingly skinny even around others that were better fed.
We have begun teasing these details apart but we still have more work to do to understand what they are responding to at different times and in different places.
Weitkamp joined NOAA Fisheries at the Science Center in Seattle after gaining her masters degree at the University of Washington just as several declining Northwest salmon stocks received protection under the Endangered Species Act. She led the effort to map the distinct groups of coho salmon populations across the West Coast. NOAA Fisheries identifies the groups as evolutionarily significant units for protection under the ESA and incorporates them into recovery plans.
Recognizing Salmon Diversity
Research has revealed that the diversity among different evolutionarily significant units is crucial to the resilience of salmon species. Improvements in some areas can help offset impacts such as wildfires or drought that may affect other populations. Since coho salmon have a common life history, she had to look at other factors such as the landscape to determine distinctions between them.
“Laurie has been a strong advocate for communicating and promoting endangered species conservation measures within the commercial fishing industry,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aquatic ecologist Brian Bangs, noting that the award is the group’s highest recognition. “She’s a strong advocate for habitat diversity, and—while this award is primarily focused on her many achievements in the world of salmon—a strong voice for the diverse fish communities where she works.”
Weitkamp said Oregon’s coastal landscape today is much friendlier to salmon than she started. At the time, decrepit culverts blocked their passage to many streams and young fish struggled to find habitat for refuge on their way to the ocean. Weitkamp’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognized her support for community partnerships that have helped restore much of that habitat and reopen streams to salmon migration.
“People have worked together and they have worked hard for salmon,” she said. “There is a pride people have today in having salmon in the stream that goes across their land. They see the difference that restoration makes and they take pride in seeing these fish come back.”
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
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