Ocean Creatures
Hello Ocean Lovers! Every Other Breath is From the Ocean
Here is a critter from our San Luis Obispo County coastal waters for you to enjoy!
Thank you for your interest in the Central Coast Extension of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Please forward this page's link to other Ocean Lovers.
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Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Chinook Salmon (also called king, spring, or tyee salmon) Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Coho or "silver" Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch
Research information from the Pacific Fishery Management Council
A truly miraculous fish, salmon are an important source of spiritual and physical sustenance for Northwest Native American Indian tribes, Canada's First Nations, as well as many other residents of the Northwest. Popular as a valued seafood, salmon and their habitats must be sustained and, in many cases, restored.
Pacific salmon are anadromous, which means they hatch in freshwater streams and rivers, migrate to the ocean for feeding and growth, and return to their natal waters to spawn. Therefore, actions in the land's watersheds as well as in the ocean create a wide variety of factors that affect salmon survival. Some factors are ocean and climatic conditions, dams, habitat loss, urbanization, agricultural and logging practices, water diversion, and predators (including humans).
Chinook Salmon (also called king, spring, or tyee salmon) Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
*Largest of the Pacific salmon,
*Spawning areas range from just above tidewater to over 3,200 kilometers from the ocean.
*Natural range in North America is from the Ventura River in California to Kotzebue Sound in Alaska.
*They also appear in Asia, from northern Japan to the Andyr River in Russia (about 64 degrees north latitude).
*In the ocean, Chinook from Washington, Oregon and California range widely throughout the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, and as far south as the U.S. border with Mexico.
*Wild Chinook populations have disappeared from large areas where they used to flourish.
*Several evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) have been listed or proposed for listing as at risk for extinction under the Endangered Species Act.
Coho or "silver" Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch
*Found in streams and rivers throughout much of the Pacific Rim, from central California to Korea and northern Japan,
*North of central British Columbia, coho tend to spend two years in the ocean, while south of this point they spend only one year in the ocean.
*Tend to use smaller streams and tributaries for spawning areas,
*North American coho spawn in tributaries from the San Lorenzo River in Monterey Bay, California to Point Hope, Alaska, and throughout the Aleutian Islands.
*They are most abundant in coastal areas from central Oregon to southeast Alaska.
Restoring Salmonids - Holding the Line on Species Decline
The many challenges of the restoration, recovery, and sustainability of the California salmon will be presented at the 29th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference March 23-26, 2011 in San Luis Obispo at the Veterans' Memorial Center. The theme of the conference is "Restoring Salmoinds - Holding the Line on Species Decline." Main speakers include: Michael Pollock from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center of NOAA Fisheries, Paul Jenkin from Surfrider Foundation and Matilija Coalition, Tommy William from the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and Congresswoman Lois Capps. Many topics will be presented during concurrent sessions. Field Tours will include tours of the Morro Bay Watershed from Headwaters to Mouth; a San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande Creek Tour; a Sustainable Vineyards and Agricultural Tour; an Instream Structures tour, and a tour focused on controlling road-related erosion and sediment delivery.
For more information about the conference, visit CalSalmon Org.
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