Terms of Reference

Regional Advisory Meeting

Oceanography/Salmon Survival Workshop

February 16, 2010
Pacific Biological Station
Nanaimo, BC

Chairperson: Jim Irvine

Background

Forecasting salmon survivals and abundance is an important aspect in fisheries planning. Unfortunately these forecasts are often highly uncertain. Oceanographic data at critical times of a salmons’ life cycle are often overlooked during salmon forecasting; incorporating these data when appropriate may improve our ability to forecast.

Regional expertise will be assembled at this workshop to discuss ways of better incorporating oceanographic and climatic information when making salmon forecasts. This will include discussion of critical marine areas for salmon and potential survival bottlenecks, key biological processes, as well as information at the time of first marine entry and conditions during the first marine winter.

Objectives

To improve ways of incorporating oceanographic and climatic information into predictions of salmon survival and abundance. To assemble and coordinate information for presentation at the Fisheries and Oceanography Working Group Workshop.

Products

Summary to be included in Fisheries and Oceanography Working Group Workshop research document.

Participants

Participants (approximately 20) include DFO Oceans and Resource Assessment sectors primarily within Science and external participants from academia and the ENGO community.