SEATTLE (AP) — A University of Washington study says the success of Alaska’s Bristol Bay salmon fishery is due to the diversity of the species and habitat in the five-river system.
The study found that Bristol Bay sockeye are made up of hundreds of populations, each adapted to its own river or stream, some returning from the sea after one year and some after two years to spawn.
Ecologist Daniel Schindler told The Seattle Times all the variations mean there are enough survivors every year to make up for other fish failing because of bad weather or a shortage of food in the ocean.
The study was published this week in the journal Nature.
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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com
