SOCKEYE SALMON

Deceased sockeye salmon sit at the bottom of a shallow stream

Jonny Armstrong

Latin name: Oncorhynchus nerka

Sockeye salmon are threatened with extinction in the Continental US, but ,in Alaska they are abundant and support commercial fisheries, subsistence harvest, and over 50 species of fish and wildlife that feed on salmon for a living. As development pressures mount, there is a critical need to evaluate the economic and ecological value of sockeye salmon populations so that they can be weighed against the potential economic benefits of mines, dams, and other proposed land uses.  Dr. Jonny Armstrong and his collaborators are researching how watershed development affects the ability of fish and wildlife to feed on salmon; and exploring which salmon populations are most valuable for these consumers.

Publications:

https://blog.nature.org/science/2015/04/08/binge-burst-the-wild-feast-famine-world-of-alaskan-salmon-rivers/

https://www.hcn.org/issues/45.20/ecosystems-101-hard-lessons-from-the-mighty-salmon-runs-of-alaskas-bristol-bay  

https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2016/03/31/surfs-up-for-wildlife/