Peirce+Marston+-+Chinook+Salmon

=__Description__=

The Chinook Salmon (//oncorhynchus tshawytscha//) is the largest species of salmon. Most will exceed 40 pounds in weight, and some have been reported at over 120 pounds. Their large size has given them the nickname "king salmon." Chinook salmon mature at about 36 inches in length, and 30 pounds in weight, this occurs around 2 years of age. The Chinook salmon live in the north Pacific Ocean, anywhere from California to Japan, and in large schools. They spawn in freshwater rivers, and spend from 3 months to 2 years in these river before migrating out to sea to mature. Chinook will spend anywhere from 2 to 7 years at sea before heading back to their birthplace to reproduce, this process is called anadromy. The females will release 3,000 to 14,000 eggs in several nesting areas, or redds, in deep moving water. The spawning process can happen in anytime of year, but mostly occurs in later winter or early spring. The males will defend to redds, ranging from a few days to a month, before dying. The eggs will hatch in 3 to 5 months, and the newly born juvenile salmon will feed on plankton and water insects until they are ready to migrate to sea in schools. Once in the ocean, the Chinook will feed on other fish, such as herring. =__Endangered Species__=

The chinook salmon became an endangered species in the US in 1985. This was largely because of human interference in the spawning habits. Many dams of rivers have restricted access to the salmon's natural spawning areas. The chinook salmon is currently endangered in two places, and threatened in seven other under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This act was set in place to protect species considered endangered or threatened, and conserve their habitats. Because of this, many conservation efforts are taking place. The US and Alaskan governments restrict commercial fishing of the Chinook salmon, many dams have been modified to allow the salmon to get to their spawning sites, and Chinook have been introduced in the Great Lakes, though not originally for conservation.

=__Bibliography__=

Chinook Salmon. (n.d.). //NOAA Fisheries: Office of Protected Resources//. Retrieved from http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/chinooksalmon.htm

Delany, K. (1994). Chinook Salmon. In //Alaska Department of Fish and Game//. Retrieved from http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/fish/chinook.php

Young, S. (2009, October 9). Water canal sparks skepticism, lawsuits in Calif. //Washington Post//.