The Osprey: Climate Change and Ocean Ecology of Northwest Steelhead
I like to think of this issue of The Osprey as one that offers reason for hope amidst the usual relentless flow of bad news when it comes to the state of the environment, and for wild salmon and steelhead in particular.
With recent news reports showing that 97 percent of climate scientists not only believe that climate change is real and that it is largely fueled by human activity, its long-term impacts on coldwater fish has kept many a wild salmon and steelhead advocate up at night.
But consider Kate Myers and Nate Mantua’s cover story on climate change and steelhead, and how the fish could respond to changing climatic conditions. Their intriguing hypothesis suggests that steelhead range might ultimately expand into far northern and Arctic rivers that are now too cold and unproductive to support them as a warming climate makes their waters more hospitable. If that is the case, then it is feasible that as steelhead range shifts north, they may well find enough new habitat to colonize to make up for habitat lost to the south. In his supporting article, Steelhead Committee member Pete Soverel gives additional insight, based on his extensive personal experience on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, into the possibility of steelhead colonization of far northern rivers.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
• CLIMATE CHANGE & STEELHEAD
• STEELHEAD COUNTRY IS FINITE
• WILL STEELHEAD SURVIVE CLIMATE CHANGE
• DESCHUTES SALMON & STEELHEAD
• MT ST HELENS GOLD MINE THREAT
• SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STEELHEAD
On the other end of the spectrum is the story on efforts to restore southern California steelhead by Kurt Zimmerman, Tim Frahm and Sam Davidson — populations, though battered, are still hanging on. Already hard-pressed, these will be the steelhead populations that take the brunt of the effects of climate change. But the authors of this piece mention, as do Myers and Mantua, the steelhead’s resiliency. Already adapted to the rigors of a warmer climate, perhaps with a little help from people — restoring habitat, providing coldwater refugia — there is enough adaptability left in those southern fish to survive a warmer earth.
It may all be wishful thinking on my part or, just perhaps, the future of wild salmon and steelhead may be less gloomy than is often predicted.