LC Salmon Project 2002

"The life of a salmon"

Lynden Christian acquires the eggs from the hatchery.

A hatchery donates one-hundred thousand eggs to Lynden Christian. The species of salmon that LC receives is oncorhynchus kisutch, or commonly known as Coho salmon or Silver salmon. In nature, the fertilized Salmon eggs will hatch 3-4 months from when they are laid. The generator shown on the right is one piece of emergency equipment required to sustain power to the water pumps. The future fish will thrive off of a constant, oxygen-rich flow of water.

The Senior Biology class divides the eggs by number and places them into fresh water trays.

At this stage, the alevin (a stage of salmon) feed off of their own nutrient-rich yolk sac. In nature, these fertilized eggs are laid into the gravel bed of a stream where they are safe from birds and other predators. The alevin are very sensitive to light.

The temperature and quality of the eggs are monitored for several weeks.

The trays of salmon, much like a garden of plants, needs ideal conditions to grow. The amount of dissolved oxygen (D.O.) in the water is also monitored at this stage. The picture to the right shows the special instrument needed to take D.O. readings.

When the salmon reach the fry stage, they are released into a fresh water tank.

Naturally, when salmon reach the fry stage, they have digested their egg yoke and emerged from the gravel bed of a stream. It is here when the fish will begin feeding for the first time. The salmon are fed a "starter" food for a couple weeks as they learn to come to the surface and feed. A constant flow of water is necessary to expel wastes and sustain a high level of dissolved oxygen.

The fish are released into the stream in May.

At the end of the year, it's time for these fish to experience the world. Coho salmon will live in the stream for about a year. One-year-old fish are called smolts, as they physiologically change to live in the saltwater ocean. The smolts swim downstream to where the freshwater meets the saltwater, called estuaries. Here they will live for about 3-4 weeks, before they finally swim out to the sea.