Juvenile Salmon Face Competition for Food in Northwest Waters
Juvenile sablefish in increasing numbers off the coastal waters from Central Oregon north to northern Washington are competing with juvenile salmon for food, according to NOAA Fisheries research recently published in the journal Marine and Coastal Fisheries.
The report, released Jan. 7, shows the influence of warming ocean temperatures off the West Coast. It matches reports of fishing boats catching smaller sablefish closer to shore.
Researchers said their findings mean that salmon may face new competition from sablefish at a critical time in their life cycle, which is already threatened by climate change.
Adult sablefish live for many years in deep offshore waters along the ocean floor. Juvenile sablefish, like young salmon, first feed and grow along the highest layers of th...