Growth of Atlantic Salmon in Downeast Maine: Using Historic Scales to Examine Trends over 68 Years

In 2000, the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment (GOM DPS) of Atlantic Salmon was listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act in eight rivers in Maine. Runs of this species in Maine rivers have been declining since the 1970s, and populations are at historic lows in the Dennys, Narraguagus, Pleasant, Machias, and East Machias Rivers. From 1945 to 2013, the state of Maine has collected adult salmon scales from anglers, traps, and weirs in these rivers. Scales from over 6,000 individual fish will be examined to estimate age, smolting age, size at smolting, size at return, growth over time, and growth differences.