Salmon Watch

1E. SALMON LIFE CYCLE

TIME (min.) LEVEL BENCHMARKS 60-90 All 6.2L.2 8.2P.2 H.2E.4

MATERIALS: Use The Journey of Pacific Wild Salmon handout found in the beginning of the Salmon Chapter to review the life cycle

of salmon with your students. If you need a simpler life cycle activity, Stream Scene has a short summary.

OBJECTIVES:Students will:

• become familiar with the life cycle of the salmon.

• know and understand the key terms relating to the life cycle of the salmon.

VOCABULARY: anadromous fry

eggs smolt

Salmonids smoltification

alevins parr marks

yolk sac spawn

vitelline vein redd

porous gravel milt

percolation

If your students only have time to briefly review the life cycle of the salmon before their field trip, engage them in a

discussion with the following questions.

• What conditions are necessary for successful salmon reproduction?

• What conditions are necessary for successful rearing of young salmon?

• What do salmon fry feed upon?

• What is smoltification and do salmon go through this process?

• What is the importance of stream flow to salmon migration?

• How long do salmon spend in the ocean and what do they feed upon?

• What natural and human factors impact salmon survival rates?

• How do salmon navigate back to their native streams?

• What do salmon feed upon when they enter fresh water?

• What is the process for salmon reproduction?

Unit 1. Preparing for Salmon Watch

Unit 2. Field Trip Planning and Implementation 2.2

Salmon Biology Below is a description of potential methods for observing salmon and activities to do so. Please refer to the

Salmon section of this binder for more complete and in depth salmon biology, habitat and life cycle

information.

Weather: _____ Storm _____ Overcast _____ Rain

_____ Clear _____ Showers Snow

Any fish present?

_____ yes _____ no number of fish sighted

______ number of live fish ______ number of carcasses (dead fish)

Length of observation:

Identify, describe and sketch the fish. Identify the species (if possible) or family of the fish observed. List

the numbers of each species. Describe as best you can, what the fish looks like. Make some sketches. If there

are carcasses, identify, describe and sketch these as well.

Salmon Observation:

Sex ratio. If identifiable, list the ratio of females to males. If this is not possible, estimate the percentages of

females and males.

Behavior. Indicate significant behavior, such as digging, redd guarding, general spawning behavior, fighting,

or attempted passage of a barrier.

Location. As if you were looking down from above, sketch the stream section you are observing and plot where

you have observed certain fish activity and redds.

Habitat. Describe and sketch the stream section you are observing. To you knowledge, is this good salmon

habitat? Why or why not? If you have not seen a salmon at this site, why do you think this is?

Date:

Time:

Name/School:

Stream name: