Anomalous warm ocean conditions impact the depth and distribution of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) off the Oregon Coast

With the effects of climate change becoming more apparent, assessing the impact on populations important to wildlife conservation and fishery sustainability has become an increasingly important topic to explore. Among those fish which express diverse life history strategies, we are learning that Chinook salmon ocean residence strategies are sensitive to ocean temperatures at depths. Thus warming ocean conditions could present a challenge to maintaining vitality of the species and fisheries for which the Pacific Northwest has become globally renowned. Through study of precise location and oceanographic parameters among chinook encounters observed in fisheries off of Oregon in years 2012-2015 we will examine the effects of the 2014-2015 marine heat-wave (‘Warm blob’) on the depth and location distributions of Chinook Salmon. Specifically, we will focus on stocks which are economically valuable as well as indicator stocks which are crucial for making management decisions. We then outline how these findings may have relevance to management and policy decisions.