Document of dataset 7981

Dataset record

Type

Dataset

title in English

SeaMonitor: Defining the migration route of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), from river and estuary to the marine environment, and its implications for salmon management.

Acronym

VMLSMMI

Description in English

It is now clear that, in the future, management of the wild salmon resource will involve not alone a knowledge of adult returns to freshwater and an estimate of spawning stock, but equally a knowledge and understanding of the ecology of the oceans in which the salmon grow to adulthood and mature. The outcomes from Sea Monitor will enhance current predictive salmon management methodologies which base their predictions on a thorough knowledge and understanding of the salmon's oceanic feeding areas and in equal parts knowledge and understanding of the freshwater phase. The focus of this study is on portioning mortality at different stages and of key populations. Given the wealth of knowledge now available regarding the potential location of regional salmon populations, on a temporal scale, throughout the entire north Atlantic, salmon surveys can be included as an integral part of other studies overlapping with other species of interest and also areas of interest in INTERREG V which should be seen as entirely consistent with an ecosystem based model of ocean management. The Marine Institute will acoustically tag 180 Atlantic salmon smolts in Ireland. A network of buoys will be established to cover the north coast, in particular around the R. Bush which is an ICES Index River, the Foyle and Clyde. In addition receivers will be placed in a line between Malin Head and Islay to detect mobile marine species passing through this area. This infrastructure will be complemented by 2 AUV's which the MI will operate providing for the first time the opportunity to monitor mobile marine species (seals, cetaceans,++++) usage of this region. MI will install acoustic tracking equipment on glider technology and track salmonids in nearshore and offshore waters during the early migration as juvenile fish. This will be a very innovative way of monitoring salmonid migrations and partitioning mortality at the earliest stages of the salmon migration will be carried out with technology and expertise developed by Canadian and US partners, where this new technology is enhancing and even replacing older and more expensive survey methods. Additionally, the use of receivers on mobile (wave glider) and static receivers (moored acoustic receivers) allows data collection over larger geographical areas than from static deployments alone. (edited)

Abstract in English

The Marine Institute (MI) will acoustically tag 180 Atlantic salmon smolts in Ireland. A network of buoys will be established to cover the north coast, in particular around the R. Bush which is an ICES Index River, the Foyle and Clyde. In addition receivers will be placed in a line between Malin Head and Islay to detect mobile marine species passing through this area. This infrastructure will be complemented by 2 AUV's which the MI will operate providing for the first time the opportunity to monitor mobile marine species (seals, cetaceans, etc.) usage of this region. MI will install acoustic tracking equipment on glider technology and track salmonids in nearshore and offshore waters during the early migration as juvenile fish. Additionally, the use of receivers on mobile (wave glider) and static receivers (moored acoustic receivers) allows data collection over larger geographical areas than from static deployments alone.

Rights

Unrestricted after moratorium period

bibliographicCitation

Cotter, D., O'Maoileidigh, N. 2019. SeaMonitor: Defining the migration route of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), from river and estuary to the marine environment, and its implications for salmon management.