This year we are conducting salmon surveys in Longfellow Creek, which has a high rate of pre-spawn mortality (fish dying before they lay eggs) due to polluted runoff that washes untreated off the streets, carrying oil, fertilizers, heavy metals and toxins directly into the water. When migrating salmon are exposed to these concentrated pollutants, they become disoriented and often die within 24 hours. The salmon in this video is exhibiting symptoms consistent with such exposure - gaping mouth, disorientation, and an inability to swim. It otherwise is in perfect condition, with bright color that indicates it just recently entered the creek and probably has not yet spawned. This is a sad thing to witness, but unfortunately common in urban creeks, where in some years nearly 80 percent of migrating salmon die before spawning. In rural areas, the number is more like 1 percent. We can reduce the pollution killing these fish by fixing car leaks promptly, safely disposing of antifreeze and other toxic fluids, replacing lawns with native plants that require less maintenance, and supporting local efforts to install rain gardens, reduce impervious surfaces and otherwise improve filtering of stormwater. More information on stormwater is here: bit.ly/1vPwCcu.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 18:03:10 +0000
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