Long-term monitoring of ocean conditions and their effect on juvenile Pacific salmon survival off Oregon and Washington.
Since 1996, the Northwest Fisheries Science Center has monitored the ocean environment off the Washington and Oregon coasts, its interaction with the California Current, and how ocean conditions affect fisheries, focusing on juvenile salmonids.
Our ocean indices combine a suite of oceanographic data to capture the changing ecosystem. These indicators characterize ocean conditions experienced by juvenile salmon entering the northern California Current. We rate each indicator in terms of whether the relative impact on the marine survival of juvenile salmon is "good," "poor," or "fair”.
We analyze various ocean ecosystem indicators to develop a "stoplight" table that we use to provide outlooks of adult salmon survival. We compare the data from all years sampled to arrive at rank scores for each ocean ecosystem indicator. We then color-code each indicator based on its rank to reflect ocean conditions for salmon growth and survival.
Each year we summarize the ocean conditions used to characterize juvenile salmon marine survival in the Northern California Current.
View past annual summaries from 2008 to present>
Keep current on local ocean conditions by visiting our blog, where we post bi-monthly contour maps of oceanographic data and cruise reports of what we are seeing in the Northern California Current.
Get an introduction to our ocean indicators project>
Learn about the oceanography of the California Current Ecosystem study area>
View our methods and background materials>
Learn more about the various ocean indicators used in the Stoplight Table.
Learn about ancillary data and future indicators in development>
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Cape Shirreff Field Camp, Livingston Island, Antarctica. Credit NOAA Fisheries/Sergio Morales
NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada during 2010 Pacific Hake Inter-Vessel Calibration off Eureka, California. Credit: NOAA
