Dietary and Spatial Analysis of Salmon in San Juan Archipelago, Puget Sound, and Alaska

Abstract

This study aims to compare three different species of salmon (king, silver, and pink) in three different regions (San Juan Archipelago, Puget Sound, and Alaska) to add to a six-year-long diet and spatial analysis data set. The data for 2018-2023 suggest temporal changes in the amount and presence of prey species of interest. Pacific Herring was the highest prey of all salmon species in SJA. There was a decrease in sand lance in 2023 for nearly all species of salmon from the three regions. PS pink salmon were found to only feed on crustaceans from 2021-2023. King salmon in AK were found to be nearly all herring in their diet with some bones and digested sand lance. Spatial analysis shows that the feeding behavior of salmon species in SJA and PS are statistically similar. The spatial analysis also suggests that stomach fullness differences between salmon species in SJA from 2018-2023 are statistically similar.