Citizen Science/Projects/Adult Salmon Diet Program
Adult Salmon Diet Program
Fact Sheet
- Faculty: Science
- Department: Biology
- Lead: Dr. Francis Juanes (Liber Ero Chair for Fisheries Research)
- Project term: since 2017
- Project website: https://juaneslab.weebly.com/adult-salmon-diet-program.html
- Funding body: Pacific Salmon Foundation
Project Description
- A citizen science initiative involving recreational anglers collecting samples to fill important knowledge gaps in salmon feeding – including winter diets – and providing insights into forage fish distribution and ecology
- Enlists the help of more than 250 anglers across coastal British Columbia who donate the stomachs of their catches for analysis
- Has processed more than 5,600 stomachs since 2017, representing one of the largest and most comprehensive salmon diet studies done anywhere
- Citizen scientists collect and freeze the digestive tract (stomach and intestine) of retained Coho or Chinook, which gets bagged with a label including date and location of capture
- Provides participants with personalized reports summarizing their catch data and annual program findings
- Offers annual prizes including fishing gear through donor partnerships with Islander Reels and AP Tackleworks
- Aims to monitor salmon and forage fish populations throughout British Columbia and track ecosystem changes over time
Project Publications
- Annual summary reports available to participants and the public
- Peer-reviewed research on salmon diet composition and forage fish distribution patterns
- Publications available through the Juanes Lab website