Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Estuarine Habitat and Demographic Factors Affect Juvenile Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Growth Variability in a Large Freshwater Tidal Estuary

  • Published:
Estuaries and Coasts Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Estuarine rearing has been shown to enhance within watershed biocomplexity and support growth and survival for juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus sp.). However, less is known about how growth varies across different types of wetland habitats and what explains this variability in growth. We focused on the estuarine habitat use of Columbia River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), which are listed under the Endangered Species Act. We employed a generalized linear model (GLM) to test three hypotheses: (1) juvenile Chinook growth was best explained by temporal factors, (2) habitat, or (3) demographic characteristics, such as stock of origin. This study examined estuarine growth rate, incorporating otolith microstructure, individual assignment to stock of origin, GIS habitat mapping, and diet composition along ~130 km of the upper Columbia River estuary. Juvenile Chinook grew on average 0.23 mm/day in the freshwater tidal estuary. When compared to other studies in the basin our growth estimates from the freshwater tidal estuary were similar to estimates in the brackish estuary, but ~4 times slower than those in the plume and upstream reservoirs. However, previous survival studies elucidated a possible tradeoff between growth and survival in the Columbia River basin. Our GLM analysis found that variation in growth was best explained by habitat and an interaction between fork length and month of capture. Juvenile Chinook salmon captured in backwater channel habitats and later in the summer (mid-summer and late summer/fall subyearlings) grew faster than salmon from other habitats and time periods. These findings present a unique example of the complexity of understanding the influences of the many processes that generate variation in growth rate for juvenile anadromous fish inhabiting estuaries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abramoff, M.D., P.J. Magalhaes, and S.J. Ram. 2004. Image processing with ImageJ. Biophotonics International 11: 36–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barton, K. 2013. Multi-model inference. R package version: 1.9.13. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=MuMIn.

  • Bayley, P.B. 1991. The flood pulse advantage and the restoration of river-floodplain systems. Regulated Rivers: Research and Management 6: 75–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchamp, D.A. 2009. Bioenergetic ontogeny: linking climate and mass-specific feeding to life-cycle growth and survival of salmon. In Pacific salmon: ecology and management of western Alaska’s populations, ed. C.C. Krueger and C.E. Zimmerman, 53–72. Bethesda: American Fisheries Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, M.W., K.L. Heck, K.W. Able, D.L. Childers, D.B. Eggleston, B.M. Gillanders, B. Halpern, C.G. Hays, K. Hoshino, T.J. Minello, R.T.J. Orth, P.F. Sheridan, and M.P. Weistein. 2001. The identification, conservation, and management of estuarine and marine nurseries for fish and invertebrates. BioScience 51: 633–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, W.A., and P.B. Moyle. 1996. Where have all the fishes gone: interactive factors producing fish declines in the Sacramento-San Joaquin estuary. In San Francisco Bay: the Ecosystem, ed. J.T. Hollibaugh, 519–542. San Francisco: AAAS, Pacific Division.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bottom, D.L., K.K. Jones, T.J. Cornwell, A. Gray, and C.A. Simenstad. 2005a. Patterns of Chinook salmon migration and residency in the Salmon River estuary (Oregon). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 64: 79–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bottom, D.L., C.A. Simenstad, A.M. Baptista, D.A. Jay, J. Burke, K.K. Jones, E. Casillas, and M.H. Schiewe. 2005. Salmon at River’s End: The role of the estuary in the decline and recovery of Columbia River Salmon. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NWFSC-70, U.S. Department of Commerce.

  • Bottom, D., A. Baptista, J. Burke, L. Campbell, E. Casillas, S. Hinton, D. Jay, M. Lott, G. McCabe, R. McNatt, M. Ramirez, G. Roegner, C. Simenstad, S. Spilseth, L. Stamatiou, D. Teel, and J. Zamon. 2011. Estuarine habitat and juvenile salmon: current and historical linkages in the lower Columbia River and estuary, Final Report 2002–2008. Seattle: Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Fish Ecology Division.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bottom, D., A. Baptista, L. Campbell, S. Hinton, R. McNatt, G. Roegner, C. Simenstad, D. Teel, and R. Zabel. 2012. The contribution of tidal fluvial habitats in the Columbia River Estuary to the recovery of diverse salmon ESUs. Annual Report of Research to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Seattle: Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Fish Ecology Division.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradford, M.J., and G.C. Taylor. 1997. Individual variation in dispersal behaviour of newly emerged Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from the upper Fraser River, British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 54: 1585–1592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, J. L. 2004. Life Histories of Juvenile Chinook salmon in the Columbia River Estuary, 1916 to the Present. Master’s Thesis, Corvallis, Oregon: Oregon State University.

  • Burnham, K.P., and D.R. Anderson. 2002. Model selection and multi-modal inference: a practical information-theoretic approach. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campana, S.E., and J.D. Neilson. 1985. Microstructure of fish otoliths. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 42: 1014–1032.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, L.A. 2010. Life histories of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Columbia River estuary as inferred from scale and otolith microchemistry. Master’s Thesis, Corvallis, Oregon: Oregon State University.

  • Carl, L.M., and M.C. Healey. 1984. Differences in enzyme frequency and body morphology among 3 juvneil life-history types of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Nanaimo River, British-Columbia. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 41: 1070–1077.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Claiborne, A.M., J.A. Miller, L.A. Weitkamp, D.J. Teel, and R.L. Emmett. 2014. Evidence for selective mortality in marine environments: the role of fish migration size, timing, and production type. Marine Ecology Progress Series 515: 187–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connor, W.P., A.R. Marshall, T.C. Bjornn, and H.L. Burge. 2001. Growth and long-range dispersal by wild subyearling spring and summer chinook salmon in the Snake River Basin. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 130(6): 1070–1076.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawley, E. M. 1986. Migrational characteristics, biological observations, and relative survival of juvenile salmonids entering the Columbia River Estuary, 1966–1983, 1985 Final Report of Research. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1984BP39652.

  • Development Core Team, R. 2011. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dey, D. B. 2012. Estimation of percentages for listed Pacific Salmon and Steelhead smolts arriving at various locations in the Columbia River basin 2011. NOAA Technical Memo, U.S. Department of Commerce.

  • Dobson, A.J. 1945. An introduction to generalized linear models, 2nd ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duffy, E.J., and D.A. Beauchamp. 2011. Rapid growth in the early marine period improves the marine survival of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in Puget Sound, Washington. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 68: 232–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emmett, R., R. Lianso, J. Newton, R. Thom, M. Hornberger, C. Morgan, C. Levings, A. Copping and P. Fishman. 2000. Geographic signatures of North American West coast estuaries. Estuaries 23: 765–792.

  • Ferguson, J. W. 2010. Estimation of percentages for listed Pacific Salmon and Steelhead smolts arriving at various locations in the Columbia River basin 2010. NOAA Technical Memo, U.S. Department of Commerce.

  • Francis, R. 1990. Back-calculation of fish length—a critical review. Journal of Fish Biology 36: 883–902.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friesen, T.A., M.A. Johnson, S.E. Savoie, R.K. Schroeder, and P.M. Olmsted. 2013. Migration, survival, growth and fate of hatchery juvenile Chinook salmon released above and below dams in the Middle Fork Willamette River. Corvallis: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Willamette Basin Fisheries Science Review.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gladden, J.E., and L.A. Smock. 1990. Macroinvertebrate distribution and production on the floodplains of 2 lowland headwater streams. Freshwater Biology 24: 533–545.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Good, T.P., R.S. Waples, and P. Adams (editors). 2005. Updated status of federally listed ESUs of West Coast salmon and steelhead. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NWFSC-66, U.S. Department of Commerce.

  • Gray, Ayesha. 2005. The Salmon River Estuary: Restoring tidal inundation and tracking ecosystem response. Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, Seattle, Washington: University of Washington.

  • Gregory, S.V., and P.A. Bisson. 1997. Degradation and loss of anadromous salmonid habitat in the Pacific Northwest. In Pacific salmon and their ecosystems: status and future options, ed. D.J. Stouder, P.A. Bisson, and R.J. Naiman, 277– 314. New-York: Chapman and Hall.

  • Gunderson, D.R., D.A. Armstrong, Y.B. Shi, and R.A. McConnaughey. 1990. Patterns of Estuarine use by juvenile English Sole (Parophrys vetulus) and Dungeness crab (Cancer magister). Estuaries 13: 59–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halyk, L.C., and E.K. Balon. 1983. Structure and ecological production of the fish taxocene of a small floodplain system. Canadian Journal of Zoology-Revue Canadienne De Zoologie 61: 2446–2464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, K.C., K.G. Ostrand, and R.A. Glenn. 2012. Demographic characterization of the juvenile Chinook salmon utilizing different habitats during migration through the Columbia River Estuary. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 163: 343–349.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, D.B., C.P. Ferreri, and W.W. Taylor. 1996. Linking fish habitat to their population dynamics. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 53: 383–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Healey, M.C. 1980. Utilization of the Nanaimo River estuary by juvenile Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. Fishery Bulletin 77: 653–668.

    Google Scholar 

  • Healey, M.C. 1982. Juveine Pacific salmon Oncrhynchus-spp in estuaries: the life support system. In Estuarine comparisons, ed. V. Kennedy, 315–341. New York: Academic.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Healey, M.C. 1983. Coastwide distribution and ocean migration patterns of stream and ocean type Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. The Canadian Field-Naturalis 97: 427–433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilborn, R., T.P. Quinn, D.E. Schindler, and D.E. Rogers. 2003. Biocomplexity and fisheries sustainability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 100: 6564–6568.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, G.E., A.J. Storch, J.R. Skalski, A.J. Bryson, C. Mallette, A.B... Borde, E.S. Van Dyke, K.L. Sobocinski, N.K. Sather, D.J. Teel, E.M. Dawley, G.R. Ploskey, T.A. Jones, S.A. Zimmerman, and D.R. Kuligowski. 2010. Ecology of juvenile salmon in shallow tidal freshwater habitats of the lower Columbia River, 2007–2010, 312. Richland: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

  • Junk, W.J., P.B. Bayley, and R.E. Sparks. 1989. The flood pulse concept in river-floodplain systems. Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 106: 110–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalinowski, S.T., K.R. Manlove, and M.L. Taper. 2007. ONCOR a computer program for genetic stock identification. Bozeman: Montana State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kjelson, M., P.F. Raquel, and F.W. Fisher. 1982. Life history of fall-run juvenile Chinook salmon Oncrhynchus tshaytscha in the Sacramento-San Joaquin estuary, California USA. In Estuarine comparisons, ed. V. Kennedy, 393–411. New York: Academic.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kukulka, T., and D.A. Jay. 2003. Impacts of Columbia River discharge on salmonid habitat: 2. Changes in shallow-water habitat. Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans 108: 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levings, C.D., C.D. McAllister, and B.D. Chang. 1986. Differential use of the Campbell River estuary, British-Columbia, by wild and hatchery-reared juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 43: 1386–1397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Light, S.F. 2007. The Light and Smith manual: intertidal invertebrates from central California to Oregon. Oakland: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Limm, M.P., and M.P. Marchetti. 2009. Juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) growth in off-channel and main-channel habitats on the Sacramento River, CA using otolith increment widths. Environmental Biology of Fishes 85: 141–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luecke, C., and D. Brandt. 1993. Notes: Estimating the energy density of Daphnid prey for use with Rainbow Trout bioenergetics models. Transaction of the American Fisheries Society 122: 386–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacFarlane, B.R., S. Ralston, C. Royer, and E.C. Norton. 2005. Juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) growth on the central California coast during the 1998 El Niño and 1999 La Niña. Fisheries Oceanography 14: 321–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magnusson, A., and R. Hilborn. 2003. Estuarine influence on survival rates of Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) released from hatcheries on the US Pacific Coast. Estuaries 26: 1094–1103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maier, G.O., and C.A. Simenstad. 2009. The role of marsh-derived macrodetritus to the food webs of Juvenile Chinook salmon in a large altered estuary. Estuaries and Coasts 32: 984–998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mantel, S., O.E. Gaggiotti, and R.S. Waples. 2005. Assignment methods: matching biological questions with appropriate techniques. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 20: 136–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcoe, K., and S. Pilson. 2013. Habitat change in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary, 1870–2011. Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, EPA final report.

  • Marshall, S.L., and S.S. Parker. 1982. Pattern identification in the microstructure of Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) otoliths. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 39: 542–547.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merritt, R. W., and K. W. Cummins. 1996. An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America. Kendall Hunt.

  • Miller, J.A., D.J. Teel, A. Baptista, and C.A. Morgan. 2013. Disentangling bottom-up and top-down effects on survival during early ocean residence in a population of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 70: 617–629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moller, A.P., and M.D. Jennions. 2002. How much variance can be explained by ecologists and evolutionary biologists? Oecologia 132: 492–500.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naiman, R.J., J.R. Alldredge, D.A. Beauchamp, P.A. Bisson, J. Congleton, C.J. Henny, N. Huntly, R. Lamberson, C. Levings, E.N. Merrill, W.G. Pearcy, B.E. Rieman, G.T. Ruggerone, D. Scarnecchia, P.E. Smouse, and C.C. Wood. 2012. Developing a broader scientific foundation for river restoration: Columbia River food webs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109: 21201–21207.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Naish, K.A., J.E. Taylor, P.S. Levin, T.P. Quinn, J.R. Winton, D. Huppert, and R. Hilborn. 2008. An evaluation of the effects of conservation and fishery enhancement hatcheries on wild populations of salmon. Advances in Marine Biology 53: 61–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nehlsen, W., J.E. Williams, and J.A. Lichatowich. 1991. Pacific salmon at the crossroads—stocks at risk from California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington. Fisheries 16: 4–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neilson, J.D., G.H. Geen, and D. Bottom. 1985. Estuarine growth of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) as inferred from otolith microstructure. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 42: 899–908.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NRC (National Research council). 1996. Upstream: Salmon and society in the Pacific Northwest. National Research Council. Washington DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearcy, W.G. 1992. Ocean ecology of North Pacific salmonids (Books in Recruitment Fishery Oceanography). Seattle: Washington Sea Grant.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinkas, L., M.S. Oliphant, and L.R. Iverson. 1971. Food habits of albacore, bluefin tuna, and bonito in California waters. Fishery Bulletin 152: 1–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, T.P. 2005. The behavior and ecology of pacific salmon and trout. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rannala, B., and J.L. Mountain. 1997. Detecting immigration by using multilocus genotypes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 94: 9197–9201.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rechisky, E.L., D.W. Welch, A.D. Porter, M.C. Jacobs-Scott, P.M. Winchell, and J.L. McKern. 2012. Estuarine and early-marine survival of transported and in-river migrant Snake River spring Chinook salmon smolts. Scientific Reports 2: 448.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reimers, P.E. 1971. The length of residence of juvenile fall Chinook salmon in Sixes River, Oregon. Master’s Thesis, Corvallis, Oregon: Oregon State University.

  • Reimers, P.E. 1973. The length of residence of juvenile fall Chinook salmon in Sixes River Oregon. Research Reports of the Fish Commission of Oregon 4: 3–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rice, C.A., C.M. Greene, P. Moran, D.J. Teel, D.R. Kuligowski, R.R. Reisenbichler, E.M. Beamer, J.R. Karr, and K.L. Fresh. 2011. Abundance, stock origin, and length of marked and unmarked Juvenile Chinook salmon in the surface waters of greater Puget sound. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 140: 170–189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roegner, G.C., E.W. Dawley, M. Russell, A. Whiting, and D.J. Teel. 2010. Juvenile salmonid use of reconnected tidal freshwater wetlands in Grays river, lower Columbia River Basin. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 139: 1211–1232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheuerell, M.D. and J.G. Williams. 2005. Forecasting climate-induced changes in the survival of Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon (Onorhynchus tshawytscha). Fisheries Oceanography 14: 448–457.

  • Schindler, D.E., R. Hilborn, D. Chasco, C.P. Boatright, T.P. Quinn, L.A. Rogers, and M.S. Webster. 2010. Population diversity and the portfolio effect in a n exploited species. Nature 465: 609–612.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seeb, L.W., A. Antonovich, A.A. Banks, T.D. Beacham, A.R. Bellinger, S.M. Blankenship, A.R. Campbell, N.A. Decovich, J.C. Garza, C.M. Guthrie, T.A. Lundrigan, P. Moran, S.R. Narum, J.J. Stephenson, K.J. Supernault, D.J. Teel, W.D. Templin, J.K. Wenburg, S.E. Young, and C.T. Smith. 2007. Development of a standardized DNA database for Chinook salmon. Fisheries 32: 540–552.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherwood, C.R., D.A. Jay, R.B. Harvey, P. Hamilton, and C.A. Simenstad. 1990. Historical changes in the Columbia River estuary. Progress in Oceanography 25: 299–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simenstad, C.A., K.L. Fresh, and E.O. Salo. 1982. The role of Puget Sound and Washington USA coastal estuaries in the life history of Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus-spp an unappreciated function. In Estuarine comparisons, ed. V. Kennedy, 343–364. New York: Academic.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Simenstad, C.A., L.F. Small, C.D. McIntire, D.A. Jay, and C. Sherwood. 1990. Columbia River estuary studies: an introduction to the estuary, a brief history, and prior studies. Progress in Oceanography 25: 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simenstad, C.A., D. Jay, and C.R. Sherwood. 1992. Impacts of watershed management on land-margin ecosystems: the Columbia River estuary. In Watershed management: Balancing sustainability and environmental change, ed. R.J. Naiman, 266–306. New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Simenstad, C.A., L.L. Burke, J.E. O’Connor, C. Cannon, D.W. Heatwole, M.F. Ramirez, I.R. Waite, T.D. Counihan, and K.L. Jones. 2011. Columbia river estuary ecosystem classification-concept and application: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011–1228.

  • Sogard, S.M. 1994. Use of suboptimal foraging habitats by fishes: consequences to growth and survival. In Theory and application of fish feeding ecology, ed. D.J. Fresh and K.L. Feller, 102–132. Columbia: South Carolina Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sommer, T.R., M.L. Nobriga, W.C. Harrell, W. Batham, and W.J. Kimmerer. 2001. Floodplain rearing of juvenile chinook salmon: evidence of enhanced growth and survival. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 58: 325–333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teel, D.J., C. Baker, D.R. Kuligowski, T.A. Friesen, and B. Shields. 2009. Genetic stock composition of subyearling Chinook salmon in seasonal floodplain wetlands of the lower Willamette River, Oregon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 138: 211–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teel, D.J., D.L. Bottom, S.A. Hinton, D.R. Kuligowki, G.T. McCabe, R. McNatt, G.C. Roegner, L.A. Stamatiou, and C.A. Simenstad. 2014. Genetic identification of Chinook salmon in the Columbia River estuary: stock-specific distributions of juveniles in shallow tidal freshwater habitats. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 34: 621–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terry, C. 1977. Stomach analysis methodology: still lots of questions. In 1st Pacific Northwest Technical Workshop, Fish Food Habits Studies, WSG-WO 77–2, ed. C.A. Simenstad and S.J. Lipovsky, 87–92. Seattle: Washington Sea Grant.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, D.W. 1983. Changes in Columbia River estuary habitat types over the past century. Columbia River Estuary Data Development Program. Astoria: Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorp, J.H., and A.P. Covich. 2009. Ecology and classification of North American freshwater invertebrates. New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorpe, J.E. 1994. Salmonid fishes and the estuarine environment. Estuaries 17: 76–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Titus, R.G., M.C. Volkoff, and W.M. Snider. 2004. Use of otolith microstructure to estimate growth rates of juvenile Chinook salmon from a Central Valley, California stock. American Fisheries Society Symposium 39: 181–202.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Geological Survey. 2011. Water-resources data for the United States, Water Year 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report WDR-US-2010, site 14246900.

  • U.S. Geological Survey. 2012. Water-resources data for the United States, Water Year 2011: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report WDR-US-2011, site 14246900.

  • U.S. Geological Survey. 2013. Water-resources data for the United States, Water Year 2012: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report WDR-US-2012, site 14246900.

  • Volk, E.C., D.L. Bottom, K.K. Jones, and C.A. Simenstad. 2010. Reconstructing Juvenile Chinook salmon life history in the salmon River Estuary, Oregon, using Otolith microchemistry and microstructure. Transaction of the American Fisheries Society 139: 535–549.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weitkamp, L.A., P.J. Bentley, and M.N.C. Litz. 2012. Seasonal and interannual variation in juvenile salmonids and associated fish assemblage in open waters of the lower Columbia River estuary. Fishery Bulletin 110: 426–450.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner, E.E., and J.F. Gilliam. 1984. The ontogentic niche and species interactions in size structured populations. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 15: 393–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winemiller, K.O., and D.B. Jepsen. 1998. Effects of seasonality and fish movement on tropical river food webs. Journal of Fish Biology 53: 267–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zabel, R. W. 2013. Estimation of percentages for listed Pacific Salmon and Steelhead smolts arriving at various locations in the Columbia River basin 2012. NOAA Technical Memo, U.S. Department of Commerce.

  • Zabel, R.W., M.D. Scheuerell, M.M. McClure, and J.G. Williams. 2006. The interplay between climate variability and density dependence in the population viability of Chinook salmon. Conservation Biology 20: 190–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zuur, A.F., E.N. Ieno, and C.S. Elphick. 2010. A protocol for data exploration to avoid common statistical problems. Methods in Ecology and Evoultion 1: 3–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank our funding sources, the US Army Corps of Engineers (Administrative Code EST-P-10-1, MIPR number W66QKZ20272260), University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery and Sciences (SAFS), Anchor QEA, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We would also like to thank the members of the Columbia River estuary project: Antonio Baptista, Mojgan Rostaminia, Rich Zabel, Mark Scheuerell, Curtis Roegner, Paul Chittaro, Tom Cooney, Kurt Fresh, David Teel, Lance Campbell, George McCabe, Regan McNatt, and Mary Rameriez. We are also appreciative of the many volunteers who have participated in field sampling: Jessica Randall, Meegan Coran, Katria Van Raay, Sterling Hines-Elzinga, and Michael Beakes. We would also like to thank Daniel Schindler, Kerry Naish, and Tim Essington for their time and intellectual contributions, and Jeffery Cordell and Beth Armbrust for their assistance with Table 3.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Pascale A. L. Goertler, Charles A. Simenstad & Lia Stamatiou

  2. Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Newport and Hammond, OR, USA

    Daniel L. Bottom & Susan Hinton

Authors
  1. Pascale A. L. Goertler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Charles A. Simenstad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daniel L. Bottom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Susan Hinton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Lia Stamatiou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pascale A. L. Goertler.

Additional information

Communicated by: Nadine A. Strydom

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Goertler, P.A.L., Simenstad, C.A., Bottom, D.L. et al. Estuarine Habitat and Demographic Factors Affect Juvenile Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Growth Variability in a Large Freshwater Tidal Estuary. Estuaries and Coasts 39, 542–559 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-015-0002-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-015-0002-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation