Project: 198909600 -- Monitoring and evaluating the genetic characteristics of supplemented salmon and steelhead

Brief description:
Initiated in 1989, this study monitors genetic changes associated with hatchery propagation in multiple Snake River sub-basins for Chinook salmon and steelhead. We also derive estimates of reproductive success for individual families and groups of fish.

The information obtained from this study directly addresses a critical knowledge gap identified by comanagers, which is: under what conditions does hatchery supplementation provide a sustained contribution to natural production? Co-managers are ODFW, CTUIR, NPT, WDFW, IDFG, and SBT.

This type of monitoring work is now an essential part of hatchery reform and the goal of using widespread hatchery propagation in recovery of natural populations. Tier 2 sites use changes in gene frequencies through time in hatchery, natural and wild Chinook salmon and steelhead populations to evaluate the genetic effects of hatchery supplementation on a broad geographic scale. Tier 3 sites involve direct measures of the relative reproductive success of hatchery fish spawning in the wild by using parentage analysis to construct pedigrees (see study sites below). These methods were explained in detail in the proposal recommended and approved by the ISRP, BPA, and the NWPPC. In addition, in this current contract we will investigate the efficacy of using eDNA to measure population-level allele frequencies.

This study has made important contributions to management and research in the Snake River basin:
- Provided genetic data for Chinook and steelhead NMFS status reviews
- Data contributed to US v. Oregon dispute resolution
- Best available estimates in salmon for important genetic parameters, Nm, Ne, and N to Nb ratios
- Individual-specific reproductive success estimates in steelhead and Chinook
- Quantitative genetic analysis of a mixed hatchery and natural steelhead and Chinook populations
- Development of marker systems and continued participation in interagency data standardization
- 35 peer-reviewed papers, 13 were published since 2006

This project directly addresses RPA #182:
- "Determine the reproductive success of hatchery fish relative to wild." Our study has directly and indirectly measured the relative reproductive success of hatchery and natural fish spawning in the wild.

This project also addresses RPA #184:
- "Determine whether hatchery reforms reduce the risk of extinction….and whether conservation hatcheries contribute to recovery." Because our pedigree design provides family- and individual-specific information this study offers what is perhaps the most powerful method currently available to measure the efficacy of hatchery reforms, particularly in real time.