Kings of the North: Bridging disciplines to understand the effects of changing climate on Chinook salmon in the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Region

Fisheries
By: , and 

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Abstract

Understanding how species are responding to environmental change is a central challenge for stewards and managers of fish and wildlife who seek to maintain harvest opportunities for communities and Indigenous peoples. This is a particularly daunting but increasingly important task in remote, high-latitude regions where environmental conditions are changing rapidly and data collection is logistically difficult. The Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim (AYK) region encompasses the northern extent of the Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha range where populations are experiencing rapid rates of environmental change across both freshwater and marine habitats due to global climate change. Climate–salmon interactions in the AYK region are a particularly pressing issue as many local communities have a deep reliance on a subsistence way of life. Here, we synthesize perspectives shared at a recent workshop on Chinook Salmon declines in the AYK region. The objectives were to discuss current understandings of climate-Chinook Salmon interactions, develop a set of outstanding questions, review available data and its limitations in addressing these questions, and describe the perspectives expressed by participants in this workshop from diverse backgrounds. We conclude by suggesting pathways forward to integrate different types of information and build relationships among communities, academic partners, and fishery management agencies.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Kings of the North: Bridging disciplines to understand the effects of changing climate on Chinook salmon in the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Region
Series title Fisheries
DOI 10.1002/fsh.10923
Volume 48
Issue 8
Year Published 2023
Language English
Publisher American Fisheries Society
Contributing office(s) Alaska Science Center Ecosystems
Description 13 p.
First page 331
Last page 343
Country Canada, United States
State Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon
Other Geospatial Arctic–Yukon–Kuskokwim Region
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