To better understand migration ecology, a series of studies were conducted on juvenile sockeye salmon smolts emigrating from Chilko Lake, which supports one of the largest populations in British Columbia. Acoustic telemetry identified the first migratory segment within the Chilko River to be a high-risk landscape associated with poor survival. Bull trout, a native char of conservation concern, opportunistically exploit the smolt migration by binge-feeding where prey congregate. Further work assessed predation selection pressures imposed by smolts, and movements of predator and prey in this high-risk landscape. Collectively, these studies determined that migratory fate is driven by both physical characteristics of smolts as well as their behavior. In particular, these studies provide empirical evidence for two long-standing theories in ecology: 1) migrants can synchronize their migrations to effectively swamp predators, and 2) animals in poor condition due to disease-causing agents experience increased predation risk. These results have implications for not only ecological theory but also management implications, including the utility of predator control and the use of telemetry-based survival estimates.

The Natural Resources & Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) at UNBC hosts a weekly lecture series at the Prince George campus. Anyone from the university or wider community with interest in the topic area is welcome to attend. Presentations are also made available to remote participants through Livestream and Blue Jeans. Go to http://www.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts to view the presentation remotely.

Past NRESi colloquium presentations and special lectures can be viewed on our video archive, available here.