Resident and Migratory Fall Chinook Behavior Patterns throughout Puget Sound

Like many other stocks throughout the Pacific Northwest, Puget Sound Chinook salmon have now declined to the point that they are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act.  An increased understanding of their residence time, origins, migration pathways, predator/prey interactions, and habitat use is needed to help reverse this trend.  We are currently using acoustic telemetry to help fill this information void.  Currently there are over 20 organizations deploying more than 900 tags and over 200 receivers in every Puget Sound basin and coincident with this is an international monitoring effort (POST project) using the same technology from California to Alaska.  This presentation is a summary of the Chinook portion of this collaborative effort initiated over the last two years and an overview of the upcoming research plans.   This united approach will give a clearer picture of the status of Puget Sound Chinook salmon including ocean-bound smolt and resident (blackmouth) behaviour and survival in both the estuarine and nearshore environments and contribute to a greater ecosystem level of understanding.  This in turn will help direct future fisheries management decisions surrounding recovery and help focus future protection and restoration efforts.