Geochemical signatures in fin rays provide a nonlethal method to distinguish the natal rearing streams of endangered juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Wenatchee River, Washington

摘要: Abstract Rebuilding fish populations that have undergone a major decline is challenging task can be made more complicated when estimates of abundance obtained from physical tags are biased or imprecise. Abundance based on natural where each in the population marked help address these problems, but generally requires samples nonlethal manner. We evaluated potential using geochemical signatures fin rays as method to determine natal tributaries endangered juvenile spring Chinook Salmon Wenatchee River, Washington. Archived anal clips collected yearling smolt 2009, 2010 and 2011 were analyzed for Ba/Ca, Mn/Ba, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Zn/Ca 87 Sr/ 86 Sr by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Water same streams 2012 also quantified composition. Fin ray water highly correlated despite having been different years. ratios differed significantly among streams, years within streams. A linear discriminant model included correctly classified 95% salmon their stream. Our results suggest geochemistry may provide an effective, identify mixtures River recovery efforts involve capture estimate abundance.