Salmon’s Food Web
Hover over an area on the image to learn more about our work at that place in the salmon food web.
To learn more about all of our projects, approaches, and how you can get involved, visit our website at www.lltk.org
About Salmon
Increased diversity in our Chinook salmon populations may be the ticket to their recovery. LLTK and our partners are conducting hatchery release experiments throughout Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia. We’re focused on determining whether increased diversity of hatchery salmon will improve their survival and help return older, larger fish.
In 2019:
- LLTK and partners are investigating the sources of toxic flame retardants in the Snohomish and Nisqually Rivers; looking to remove the source of this stressor on out-migrating fish.
- We’ve learned that up to 50% of juvenile steelhead that make it to Hood Canal Bridge are eaten when they can’t navigate this barrier. We’re engineering innovative solutions to help them survive.
Learn More:
About Forage Fish
We've learned that herring and sand lance are critical to the diets of juvenile salmon. But their importance doesn’t stop there. Healthy populations of forage fish can also serve to satiate predators like seals and seabirds that might otherwise consume juvenile salmon, helping more of our young migrants survive.
Learn More:
About Orcas
As a member of the Governor’s Southern Resident Orca Task Force, LLTK has been able to use knowledge gained from our Salish Sea Marine Survival Project to recommend novel hatchery management methods, estuary restoration, an ecosystem approach to predation management, forage fish recovery, zooplankton monitoring, and improvements to wastewater treatment.
Learn More:
About Zooplankton
Zooplankton are an irreplaceable food source for forage fish and salmon in Puget Sound. In 2019, LLTK launched two zooplankton monitoring projects through our Salish Sea Marine Survival Project; we then worked with the State Legislature to secure support for ongoing annual monitoring.
Learn More:
About Habitat
Healthy salmon need healthy habitat. LLTK is working hard to improve our salmon’s access to vital spawning and rearing habitat. In 2019, we supported American Rivers and the City of Bellingham in securing funds to remove the Middle Fork Nooksack Diversion Dam. We supported work to address barriers at the Ballard Locks and the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
In 2019:
- LLTK and partners began investigating the sources of toxic flame retardants in the Snohomish and Nisqually Rivers; looking to remove the source of this stressor on out-migrating fish.
- We learned that up to 50% of juvenile steelhead that make it to Hood Canal Bridge are eaten when they can’t navigate this barrier. We’re engineering innovative solutions to help them survive.
Learn More:
About People
Broadening awareness about the issues facing salmon creates a more informed citizenry, equipped with the tools they need to advocate for salmon. Our Survive the Sound campaign engages and empowers a new generation of salmon stewards.
In 2019:
- We hosted 500 visitors at our Lilliwaup and Glenwood Springs Field Stations
- We had 7,400 Survive the Sound participants
- 2,000 educators reported serving more than 200,000 students with our free curriculum
- 68% of these educators did not have salmon education as part of their curriculum prior to participating
Learn More: